Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-16
$4,000 CARS READY
FOR INSPECTION
Testing of Brakes, Lights
and Horns by Dealers Will
Begin Monday.
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.

di NY VI more IMAM SU,OuO autOmODlleS
and trucks In the District will be
falling in line for the first general
inspection of brakes, lights. horns and
license plates to comply with the new
motor vehicle law requiring that such
equipment measure up to certain
standards. Never before has the
motoring public of Washington been
sent to service stations in such
wholesale lots, but this Is one of the
means adopted by Director of Traffic
Eldridge in carrying out the law
enacted by Congress with the intent
of promoting greater safety in Dis
National Capital as a model traffic
city.
Dealers Cooperate.
In cooperation with the Bureau Of
Standards, which has set down the
requirements for well-braked and we'll
lighted cars, Director Eldridge has is
sued the call for inspection and has
designated some SO automobile dealers
as lieutenants in charge of platoons
to carry out this work. His instruc-
tons are that every dazzling or weak
headlight shall be eliminated, every
faulty brake adjusted and every rear
license plate be set In such "A position
as to be plainly visible both by day
and by night.
Car owners who fail to respond to
the cali for inspection will not be liable
to punishment, but any one convicted
of violating the brake or light regula-
tions is liable to punishment by "a fine
of not less than 81 or more than $500
or Imprisonment of not more than 10
days"
Therein lies the punch behind the
inspection call, and that is why the
Il
rush for inspections. Many of them
are rigging up tunnels" by which to
carry out headlight inspections during
daylight hours, and all are familiariz-
ing themselves with the regulations
and the tests drafted by the Bureau
of Standards and approved by the
traffic director.
Issue Certificates.
Cars that measure up to the stand
ards will be given clean bill of health,
an inspection certificate-especial
designed for this purpose-and sent
on their way. Cars that do not toe the
mark mechanically will be denied the
certificate, and it will be incumbent
on the owner to see that his machine
is brought up to the legal require
ments.
The inspection certificate idea is not
new to motorists. Mr.. Eldridge Dor
rowed it from California, where it has
been in operation for some time, and
1t is said, working successfully. 1t
Will merely serve as recognition of
the fact, that the vehicle owner has
had his lights and brakes tested on
a given date I'm compliance with the
local legal requirements, but will in
no way tend to ''absolve the owner
thereof from responsibility which the
law imposes to keep his equipment in
proper condition at all times"
These certificates will be distributed
by the dealer members of the Wash
ington Automotive Trade Association
to whom the task of inspecting all
the cars in the District has been as
signed by the director of traffic. Mon
day about 10000 of these certificates
the initial instailnent-will be dis
tributed among the dealers. with in
structions that they be issued only
after car has been subjected to
test and found to be or brought I'D to
legal requirements.
While such a certificate in the Dos
session OF a car owner will not relieve
him OF the responsibility imposed by
the law that his brakes, lights and
other equipment shall be up to stand
ard at all times, the lack of one will
be taken as prima facie evidence that
the car owner has not bothered him.
self to comply with the law, and he
may be hailed into court. Traffic Off
GERS will be instructed to ask motor
lists for these certificates in the event
that they have occasion to stop a
driver for any violation of the traffic
regulations.
Leniency May BE Shown.
Drivers who are stopped for violat-
ing the brake or light regulations
after they have had an authorized in
spection and can show the recognized
certificate will be shown some leni-
ency, it is understood from the traf
fic directors Office. Such drivers, how
ever, will be warned to have further
inspections and adjustments. There
is no time limit for which a certificate
may serve to keep a driver out of
court or free from a fine. The regu.
lations require that the cars brakes,
lights and horn shall be kept up to
standard and, in the case OF ire
para.bly faulty equipment, 1t may be
the part OF wisdom to go to the ac-
Cessory counter or the service station
for entirely new parts.
According to the plan, suggested by
Mr.. Eldridge and adopted by the
Washington Automotive Trade Asso-
citation, each dealer will inspect the
cars for which he Is the local repre-.
sentative. In the case of cars having
no local representation, however, they
may be taken to any of the dealer
members of the local association au-
thorized by the director of traffic to
make the inspections.
Mr.. Eldridge believes this arrange
ment will be satisfactory to all car
owners.
Begin This Week.
This Is a fine thing" he told Ru-
dolph Jose, who is in charge of ar
rangements for the dealers TT will
mean much to our office as we'll as
a convenience to the public. These
inspections should help us materially
in reducing the number of traffic ar.
rests, cutting down the number of ac-
cidents and making the streets safer
for pedestrians and motorists alike"
Dealers will be prepared to begin
inspections this week. The motorist
is given until August ! to comply
with certain phases of the light
regulations, but other phases are
being enforced now, as well as the
regulations covering brakes. horns
and visibility and illumination of
license plates.
To cover the cost of issuing the
certificates, the expense of which has
been shouldered by the dealers asso-
citation, the dealers will charge Is
cents as an inspection fee upon the
issuance of a certificate.
This work involves considerable
expense on the part of the individual
dealers" said Paul B. Lum, president
of the association, but they are I'M
dertaking it at the suggestion of Mr.
Eldridge. The dealers want to CO.
operate with the director Of traffic
and other District officials in their
efforts to make Washington a better
city with respect to motor vehicle
traffic, and we hope the public will