Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-08
RESPONSIBILITIES
Continued from Page 10

premiums to over $400O00,O00
Connecticut is the first and as yet
the only state to place in operation
a law designed to safeguard the
financial interests Of the victims of
automobile accidents-and, inciden-
tally to reduce the number of auto
mobile accidents by putting danger
Gus motorists off the road. On jan
uary first of this year. Connecticut
new financial responsibility act"
went into effect. Connecticut's ex-
pertinent at solving the financial ir-
responsibility hazard is ingenious.
1t seems sound and fair-both to the
public and the automobile owner. 1t
was designed by Motor Vehicle Com
missioner Stoeckel to avoid the vari-
Gus pitfalls raised by the compulsory
insurance proposals in other states.
Connecticut now affords the public
financial protection from those au
tomobile owners whose records con-
tain one or more serious violations
of the motor vehicle law. This is the
reckless neutrality-suspicious. whom
people need the most protection,
but against whom they normally
have the least protection be-
cause many such owners are
neither financially competent nor do
they carry insurance. The new Con-
necticut law is based on the fact that
small minority Of motorists causes
the great majority of accidents. 1t
protects the public from this small
and dangerous minority. 1t gets at
the real source of the trouble.
Motor Vehicle Commissioner Stoec-
KEEL has declared: 'Inasmuch as this
law is a new measure, never, so far
as known, tried an lowe. 1t may be
well to say that in its administra-
tive phases. 1t does not, in Connecti-
cut, seem to place any particular
hardship upon anybody. This law
is believed to be the first attempt
anywhere to restrict the issuance of
motor vehicle registrations to finan-
cially responsible people"
Briefly stated, the essence Of the
new law follows: holders of motor
vehicle registration certificates who
are convicted of reckless driving, in
Guiding speeding, operating while
drunk or evading responsibility, or
who cause the death of, or injury to,
any person, or cause damage to prop
erty of at least 500, will be required
to produce evidence satisfactory to
the Motor Vehicle Commissioner of
ability to pay for damage which his
or her car might do, up to $1,000.
Penalty for failure to furnish salts
factory evidence of financial respon-
sibility will be loss of registration.
The law provides four different
methods by which automobile own
ers may qualify as to financial re-
sponsibility.
The first method is by insurance.
Blanks have been furnished to all
insurance companies doing business
in Connecticut upon which they GER
tify to the department that an In
surance policy covering the liability
specified under the new law has been
issued to the applicant for registra
ton. The financial responsibility re-
quired is that it must be sufficient to
satisfy any claim for damages by
reason of personal injury to, or death
of, any person, to at least $4,000 and
for property damage to the extent of
$1,000.
The second method is by filing a
bond. In the case of a real estate
bond, it may be made lien on the
property specified by the bondsman.
In instances where real estate bonds
are offered, the department will pass
on the security and 1919 charge
of not more than $40 for searching
the title.
The third method Is by depositing
cash with the State Treasurer. He
will issue a receipt for the deposit
and may pay interest on it at a rate
of not more than per cent.
The fourth method is by depositing
collateral with the State Treasurer.
The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
is the determining authority of the
state as to the amount and kind of
collateral that will be accepted.
Applicants for registration started
With clean states when the law went
II to effect. Since that date, acci-
ID nts and convictions have called
forth evidence of financial RESPONSE
j ility. This guarantee against dam
{ re claims must be continued as long
as the Motor Vehicle Commissioner
s es fit, under penalty of refusal to
new registration. The guarantee
4 mot be withdrawn in less than
rec years and then only if during
t 1t period of probation the regis
t mt maintains a clean record. If
E motorist from outside of Connect
/ refuses to post a guarantee, the
'inmissioner may refuse him the
! mt to operate an automobile in
Connecticut.
Records of registrants previous to
January first of this year, while not
initiating against their securing
their 1926 registration, are be-
ing taken into consideration by the
department in passing upon acct
dents in which they are involved
sufficient to call into question their
financial qualifications.
Motor vehicle accidents and con-
victions will bring before Commits
sioner Stoeckel for financial qualifi
cation each year about Is per cent OF
Connecticut automobile owners. Out
of these, about one-half will be cases
&-aere no department decree follows
Tie other half, or from $4,000 tC
1850 persons. will be required to
guarantee their financial RESPONSE
bility.
Connecticut's solution of the finan-
cial Responsibility problem leaves
with each automobile owner the de-
cision as to whether or not he or she
will come under it's provisions. A
distinction is made between the good
and the bad, the careful and the
reckless. All are not penalized alike
as is the case under the various COM
pulsory insurance proposals. GOOD
behavior" will carry it's reward
There is no way of telling ahead
as to who will be required to
post a guarantee of financial respon-
sibility. No person will have to dc
so, except by his own act. Connecti-
cut has made the determining factor
solely one of personal responsibility
as contrasted to mass responsibility
The satisfactory operation of the
new act is made possible because
Connecticut requires licenses of all
operators and the reporting to the
Motor Vehicle Department of all au-
tomobile accidents. Connecticut also
has an efficient State Police to help