Evening star., 1925-08-02
MOTORISTS ETHICS
/ CODE IS PROPOSED
"A. A. A. Would Devise System
to Put Drivers on
Honor.

Formulation of a code of motor
ing ethics. by which it is proposed
TO. increase the degree of safety on
streets and highways, is being un-
dertaken by the American Automobile
Association, following a suggestion in
dorsed at it's recent meeting in At
1antic City.
The code, if adopted universally
will serve as a standard of conduct
for drivers of motor vehicles every
where and will be a rule by which
drivers can measure their responsible
ity in the event of traffic jams or ac-
cidents on the highways.
The safety movement in Ameri
ca" said Thomas P. Henry, president
of the A. A. A, in discussing the
proposed code, hinges primarily on
the progress we make in educating
the users of the highways to a sense
of their responsibility. | am confident
we can accomplish great deal by
urging motorists to accept high
standard of road conduct | am not
sure that in the last analysis this is
not even more important than obedi-
ence to regulations
Personal Neglect Seen.
Heretofore, the effort has been al
most entirely along the line of devils
ing new regulations for~the motoriSt,
so much so that great deal of con-
fusion has resulted. And yet these
regulations, even when enforced, ap-
ply mainly in restricted areas and
under the eyes of the traffic officer.
The greater portion of motoring mile
age is Travelled on the open high
ways and it is on these that a very
large proportion of accidents occur.
There is an element of personal ne
glect in practically all of them and
failure on the part of some drivers
to observe elementary preca utions.
What we need is the establish
ment of an honor system on the
roads. The promotion of such a sys-
tenn would be materially helped if
there was in existence such a code of
motoring ethics such as the American
Automobile Association is now spon-
soring. Nothing like 1t has ever been
attempted before and there is every
reason to believe that few simple
rules based on experience, common
sense and common decency would re-
ceive an immediate response from
the motorists of the country.
Many motorists, of course, apply
the honor system to themselves now,
but concrete code, nationally indorsed,
would speedily secure the support of
95 per cent of the motoring public,
a proportion so large that it would
soon compel the small minority that
has no standards to come to terms or
else be driven off the highways.
Ethics Apparent.
Rules that might we'll be embodied
In a code of motoring ethics will
readily occur to every one who has
driven an automobile. For instance,
1t is generally recognized that 1t is
a dangerous practice TO pass a car
going in the same direction near the
brow of hill, or at any point where
the view of the road ahead is OBJ
structed. And yet, thousands violate
this rule every day Take again the
common practice of stepping on the
gas when another car travelling in
the same direction at a greater speed
attempts to pass. Then again there
Is the case of the driver who habit
ually makes his horn say get out of
the way when nine times out of ten
he could achieve his purpose by a
more gentle request"
That the safety movement stands
10 gain much from the adoption of a
code Of motoring ethics, has been
amply proven by the experience of
"A. A A. Clubs throughout the coun-
try, Mr.. Henry said. Figures avail