Evening star., 1925-06-24
EXPERTS ON TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
LAY PLANS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
Widely Representative Committees Busy on Surveys
as Bases of Reports to National Con ference
on Street and High,cay Conditions.

While many States and local com
munities are making efforts to reduce
their traffic accidents, widely repre-
sentative committees of experts are
busy on surveys and recommendations
which will be presented at the Second
National Conference on Street and
Highway Safety, TO be held in No.
Vember.
The 1924 conference adopted recon-
mendationS which We're admittedly
only the first step toward national
traffic policy, yet (which had involved
the work Of nd9rIy 200 nationally
known authorities on various phases
Of the traffic problem In the prepa-
rationS for the 1925 conference Secre.
tary Hoover has drawn together l3O
more experts to consider reConmen-
dations which may be supplementary
and more complete in their effect on
traffic hazards and on the provisions
for eXpediting traffic movement
Two Of the committees were COntin-
ued over from the 1924 conference in
order that the continuity Of their work
might not be interrupted and its value
impaired. These We're the committee
on statistics and the committee on
public relations The former brought
to light the fact that data as To traf-
fic accidents was either lacking com
pletely or was 50 lacking in uniform
ity that true picture of death and
injury and of the damage OF property
could not be drawn. The latter was
charged with the duty OF cooperating
with public and private organizations
in putting into effect the recommends
tions of the conference.
New Committees at Nnrl;
New committees have begun their
work with special emphasis on what
were considered by the 1924 confer
ence matters OF the greatest import
One of these IS the committee on uni
formity of laws and regulations. an
other the committee on law enforce
ment and a third the committee on
metropolitan traffic facilities. A
fourth, the committee on causes OF
accidents, will hold its first meeting in
the near future.
The first Of the new committees to
undertake its work was that on
metropolitan traffic facilities. This
committee had before it the recon-
mendaions placed before the confer
ence Of 1924 by committees on traffic
control, city planning and construc-
ton and engineering. Each of these
pointed TO the fact that the growth OF
llltiOI IdlllC ldl bttN SO ldn4u as TO
cause Il critical situation in almost
every city because there had been
little or no effort 10 plan traffic ia
Clhties to meet future requirements.
These conditions. combined with the
rapid growth OF the urban pODuIa-
uOns. particularly since the World
War. hold a further menace unless
steps are at once taken in every COM
munity along two lines. One of these
is along the lines of immediate
amelioration and is possible through
the cooperation OF official and civic
organizations. Il involves the study
OF congestion Centers. OF possibilities
OF diverung through" traffic, of
segregation Of various classes of
traffic to permit a. more even flow of
traffic. 1t also involves studies by the
CommunIty'S representatives of the
parking problem in its relation TO "A
more even flow of traffic. as we'll as 10
safety. The other step IS in the di-
rectiOn of a longtime program of