The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-02-12
URGED
TO PLAY SAFETY
Development of Personal as
Well as Group Response
biIity Is Needed.

Complicated legislation, which is so
involved that it often defeats its own
ends, is seen as an obstacle to traffic
and highway safety by Thomas P.
Henry, president of the American Au-
tomobile association. He issued a
statement requesting all Three A affili-
ated motor clubs throughout the coun-
try to urge upon all car owners the
vital necessity of developing a sense
of personal as well as group response
bility in driving cars and in safeguard
ing human life and property.
Legislation Fails.
Legislation, he says, has failed to
keep our streets and highways safe,
and we must look to the motorists
mind and reason for safety.
According to a comprehensive sur
vey of the automobile and pedestrian
accident situation throughout the coun-
try, as made by the A. A. A. in pur-
suance of it's drive for safer motoring,
there is no direct relation between the
amount of severity of legislation and
safety, and frequently no relation be-
lWGEI Jaw CAIO1CCluCnL anu oQIClI.
''This reveals the outstanding weak
ness of automobile legislation and en-
forcement," President Henry explains.
"The average driver feels that the law
is something that technically imposes
upon him certain restriction which
he can very easily avoid if he is care
full not to be caught There appears
to be no clear-cut sense of obligation,
thus revealing an urgent need for a
switch to concentration upon moral
obligation
Effective Enforcement Needed.
"Good motor laws and effective en-
forcement are absolutely essential in
order that those who refuse to appre-
ciate their responsibilities can be pun
ished accordingly, but legislation alone
will not do for our present compile
Gated system of motoring. Legislation
without an appropriate sense of per-
sonal and group responsibility is moth
ing more than what we choose to call
carelessness.
1T is a significant fact that many
laws which are not on the statutes
are being obeyed more willingly than
many which are described by over
enthusiastic safety advocates as hav-
ing teeth in them. These are the
laws of common sense and decency,
readily understandable to the aver
age driver and, therefore, a true basis
of safety.
'sThe A. A. A. warns all its affiliated
clubs against concentrating too much
time upon enactment of additional leg
islation, but to conduct campaigns i'm
mediately to educate the driver to the
| Importance of his responsibility to him
self as well as to those he is morally
obliged to protect
1--WE are going to turn selfshness
inside out and apply its enormous
force into productive channels. II
every driver will be selfish enough to
give due concern. to his own welfare
no one need worry about the safety
of motoring as whole.
with the nations drivers looking
out for themselves first there can be
no insanity and road hoggishness ia
mar motoring.
I'VE want the automobile driver to
feel that any foolhardy or senseless act
| Is a violation of his own rights, his
own Judgment. his own welfare. AS
matters now stand. with each state
issuing portfolio of legislation, the
| motorist has notion that when he
Is careless he is but violating some
formal dictum in the imposition o.
1 which he had no part"