The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-12-03
Our Auto Toll of Human Life
and Limb Is Frightful
Rx BILL PRICE


auto casualties in the District are growing frghtu pro-
portions Human lives snuffed OUT human frames are
battered and newspapers the news
Days Toll Traffic Accidents Apparently is getting 70
be Just matter days wash, something to be ex-
pected.
Handrun drivers go bhely their way tossing people
here and there running and killing and manning
others We are accustomed regarding accidents a more
unavoidable due to human careessness and thought
Most killings have not been mere
accidents Judging from reports They have been
due to utter lack of the part Of drivers who
promptly ran like the criminal always does satisfying them
DID, old He had business getting
in the way
probably escaped attention that few killings and
crpplngs in the congested downtown portions OF
Washington traffic officers duty and where
eyes the streets may bear witness to the
responsibilities involved The with the htandrun make
up of conscience his ps ara qs when he knows it
is dangerous him speed to infringe the rights
Of others
On quiet thoroughfares the htandrun gentry
put full speed cut hog the right of way and
they somebody into another machine get
unless their too crippled to move.
Eunefeds of drivers who know the difference between
right and wrong placed where they may have to pay
penalties urposey violate all laws and rights when
they think themselves safe from detection arrest 0bser
Of law nothing to them The killing of somebody
is promptly excused the alleged ground that 1T coudn
be helped
Our urs and accepting too much of this una
voidable stuff especially when papaby plain that the
of these terrible accidents in majority of
speeding and the driving of by wskey soaked and
There is perfect saturnala of speeding in this
city At night time when traffic disasters occur is
practiced almost in the Roman spirit of revelry
Are the penalties imposed by the courts for speeding and
driving while drunk sufficiently drastic put fear into the
hearts Of voators? Are the penalties provided in the laws
too ght7 Are the traffic police concentrating their atten
tons upon dangerous and who drive through
streets2 Is too much time wasted in marking parked
and in arreng petty parkes? Could the time spent
in this be usefu put running down deliberate speeders
and wantonly careless drivers and DRINKS? Are our
traffic police activities much split up that they fail to reach
the right goal-that of making life safer?
These not idle questions They bear pertinenty
most shocking conditions. There must satisfactory
them official action that will bring Improvement
must be constantly told that we are short OF police
men then answer is the police force in reaching
the real danger spots of traffic conditions and crime gen
orally Concentrate in the directions most essential Leave
petty violations alone long enough to clean the elements
threatening life and limb
If after doing this thoroughly and effectively conditions
are not improved this community will support legislative
for policemen certainly that
will put into the hands of the Director of Traffic and the
courts effective that will apply the yet
drascay existing traffic laws lack sharp enough
teeth provisions Jail teeth be put
by Congress in such that the courts not munder
stand the mandates of Congress the will of the community
There must be given the Director of Traffic the authority
to revoke drivers licenses and the law should make plain
that when he dealing with dangerous drivers he should
make the revocas promptly and without fear Of political
other influences.
We bring things this city point where every
police and court agency directed against those and
who show thought of the sacredne of human lives
and rights Jail them take licenses away
others like them understand that when they given
drivers licenses they must realize the responsibilities
them they do not show realization of these response
bie remove them factors in the auto pers that
everybody.
| Nell Brinkley'S Sound Advice