Evening star., 1926-03-28

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| The conference recognized that the
pedestrians rights are fundamental
ones, and it was felt on every hand
that adequate protection must be
! given to those using the streets minus
machines if the problem of highway
! safety is to be dealt with fairly and
completely.
! Pedestrian Treated Fairly.
! Therefore. while the conference di-
| rected its eyes mainly toward vehicu-
lar problems, those of the pedestrian
were fully discussed, and. in the opin-
ion of an Overwhelming majority, just.
! ly handled. At every juncture the pc
destrian's point of view was thrust
forward, and proponents for 1t were
never lacking.
There was no lack of agreement on
the part of any delegates to the con-
ference that problems of enforcement
are perhaps the leading questions FAC
ing authorities in all localities. 1t
was pointed out that one may have
a model law, but unless one have ade-
quate enforcement facilities that law
is absolutely useless. With this point
In view. and summarizing the views
of the conference and the enforcement
committee on the topic, the drafting
committee reported as follows. This
report, by the way, was unanimously
adopted. It is pointed out that:
state laws should prescribe u uni
form system of enforcement to be ap-
piled in part by the State courts and
administrative machinery. and, in
part, by the local authorities. The
necessary special traffic control and
traffic police should be provided and
the regular police should participate
in traffic enforcement. Provision
should be made for prompt and thor
ough collection of evidence and in
vestigation of accidents; for special
traffic courts or special traffic ses-
sions of general courts, and traffic
violation bureaus with a schedule of
penalties for disposing of minor in
fractions. so as to give the courts
more time to deal adequately with
more serious cases; uniform perma-
nent records of all convictions Of traf-
fic violations and accidents, suspen-
sions and revocation of operators
licenses and refusals to grant licenses,
and exchange of detailed information
between jurisdictions as to suspen-
sfons and revocation of licenses and
convictions for serious traffic offenses.
Would Force Respect.
THE court and the police through
vigorous enforcement and evenhand
ed treatment of offenders should in
still in the public respect for the traf-
fic laws and regulations.
Public opinion should be organized
in support of enfocement through a |
representative citizens committee in
each locality, forming part of an or
ganiZed effort of all elements in the
community interested in street and
accident reduction"
Significant in the above paragraphs
of the report are several factors, but
two are particularly interesting.
First of all, it will be noted that pro-
vision is made for the free exchange
of violation data between various
jurisdictions. The efficacy of such
system in hunting down persistent
law-breakers is readily apparent, and
the point is one which has found, and
will continue to find. a very great |
number of ardent supporters.
Another point to which notice is
directed is that referring to "even- !
handed treatment" of offenders.
1t was brought out at the confer |
ence sessions that in some instances
political chicanery is resorted to in
order to release traffic violators from !
the toll of the law and the point was |
was made, obviously with the right |
completely on its side, that such prac-
makes its enforcement matter of !!
the gravest difficulty.
Delegates rose to their feet and |
declared with a considerable show
Of vehemence that petty politicians !
and ''ward-healers'' should be forced |
to keep their hands off such questions !
of traffic enforcement. and it was |
clearly the sense of the meeting that |
the 'even-handed" justice spoken of |
is essential to the ultimate success
in the prosecution of practical traffic |
problems.
Full Program Advanced.
comprehensive traffic improve
ment program, to include. among |
other things, these items, was advo-
Gated by the conference.
In each city there should be an |
official traffic commission, including |
such officials as the chief of police, |
city engineer. fire chief, engineer of !
the city plan commission, represent !
ative of the public authority super
vising city transit and transportation, |
a member of the city council, and !
a representative of the city's legal I
department. This commission should |
be a permanent body having the serv. |
ices of an engineering staff in charge |
of a trained traffic engineer and /
should prepare a comprehensive traf- |
fic plan, make and keep up to date |
a traffic survey and recommend a |
traffic ordinance ger regulations or |
recommend from time to time any
necessary notifications in the exist |
ing ordinance or regulations"
The point developed here by the |
conference is highly important one. |
The subject Of traffic is now on q !
thoroughly scientific basis. Guess. |
work is being eliminated to an increas. |
ing extent. Provisions for a well |
equipped bureau, outlined above, are !
in line with the most advanced traffic |
and safety thinking. The regulation
of traffic, the PRONUNCIATION of ordi. !
nances and regulations and prosecu.
ton of safety questions are now in
the hands of men and women trained
for the task, well grounded and basic.
ally equipped for the work. It is to
this development-as brought out so
graphically by the present Hoover con-
ference and by previous ones-that
much of the recent progress can be as
cribed.
New Advance Noted.
Another rather new and markedly
important advance is indicated in the
following recommendation as shown
in the drafting committees summary:
ITO provide unified consideration
and treatment of traffic problems in
metropolitan areas, which include
more than one city or a city and po-
litically independent suburbs, it will
be generally necessary to depend upon
an enlargement of the unofficial traffic
committee of the central by adding
proper representatives of important
suburban communities or in the case
of two large cities in a single metro
politan area, to form a joint traffice
committee with representatives of SUI
hnrhan communities added When de-