Evening star., 1925-06-04
DRIVING TEST 0. KID
BY TRAFFIC PARLEY
Committee Seeking Model
Law Favors Examination
by 15-to-4 Vote.

The stand of M. o. Eldridge, Wash
are justified in requiring examinations
before issuing permits to drive, was
upheld by a 1914 vote in the face
Of determined opposition by the COM
mittee to draft a uniform act for all
States in conformity with the con-
illusions of the highway safety confer
ence last Winter, which met at the
United States Chamber Of Commerce
Building today.
The opposition, which stood on the
ground that such a requirement
would constitute an unjustified inter
ference with the rights of citizens,
was led by Maj. Roy r. Britton OF
st. Louis, chairman of the special
committee to draft this section Of the
uniform act.
Mr.. Eldridge. also a member of the
committee, was supported by DR..
knight Dunlap of Baltimore and Fred
Galley of the American Automobile AS.
sociation. Maj. Britton was supported
by Bernard Bailey of Louisville.
Opposed In West.
Mai. Britton said: Aside from the
right or wrong of the question, an ex.
AII11IiALlO1 Ia" COulOh DC p<4ScCu III
any of the Midwestern States, where
the population is predominantly rural.
We tried 1t in Missouri and failed.
The farmer considers driving a car
his natural right. which nobody is
justified in taking away from him ex.
cept on very serious grounds, indeed.
Such a law would have to be ap-
proved by ia counties in Missouri
and 1t would be impossible. Besides.
/ am not converted to the principle
Of the thing. I regard the driving of
an automobile as a right, not a priv
ilege to be granted or taken away
by an Officer. 1 am not opposed to
issuing a license so as to bring the
driver under ready discipline OF the
court, but ] would issue these on
sworn statements merely, with pro-
vision for revocation only in case of
serious offenses to be determined in
the courts
Mr.. Eldridge said: "I am obliged to
examinations because we have found
that one of the best ways to prevent
accidents is to prevent Incompetence
We have striking examples of this
every day in Washington. Only last
night in our traffic court-and Mai
Britton witnessed tive found a Il !!
low to whom we had denied a license
because he couldn't read and who was
driving his car on a dead man:
license. He was sent down for 80 days
This salutory example for all couldn't
have been given without our examina
ton law. ! believe a sworn statement
Ia enough, however, in the case Of ex
perienced drivers.
2 Per Cent Are Reckless.
Mr.. Galley said that the A. A. A
was having drafted a proposed Law
calling or examination of all new
drivers.
There are 100000 auto owners
in the United States" he said, "ans
1t Is high time that we have som'
means OF eliminating 2 per cent o.
them, who, by their reckless driving
bring discredit upon the rest
Such an examination" Mr.. Bale.
said, constitutes an unwarranted in
reference with individual liberty, ant
my people in Kentucky don't want
it. They don't want the details O
their everyday life interfered with
They consider 1t academic and child
ish to submit to an examination by Al
officer of the law into their persona
affairs.
I'VE have found it better to de.
pend upon the individual sense o1
responsibility. After all, 1t is i'm
possible to devise an. examination
which will test the things that really
count-whether an individual will
drive decklessly, will drive whei
drunk or will rum away after an acci
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