The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-07-01
BAUCHMAN SEES TROUBLE
AHEAD FOR THE CARELESS
Speeding and Driving While I'm
der Influence of Liquor Must
Stop, Commissioner Insists

More stringent application of pres
ent laws governing the operation of
motor vehicles, with the possibility of
: concerted action for the enactment of
additional drastic statutes may, in the
opinion of Motor Vehicle Commission
er E. Austin Baughman, eventually
have to be resorted to in checking the
type Of recklessness and speeding
which continues to result in fatal ac-
cidents unless development of an i'm
proved personal-responsibility atti-
tude on the part of drivers becomes
manifest and develops to the point
! where the car users themselves, by
their closer observance of present reg
ulations, tends. to check the danger.
Said the Commissioner recently:
at seems to me that there is plenty
of law, which, if taken seriously in its
minor as well as it's major require
ments and intent, will make and keep
/ highways safe. But this is dependent
upon the cooperation of the motor
| lists themselves-upon their mental
attitude toward the spirit as we'll as
the letter of the law.
"Co-operation by the army of mo-
florists with the efforts of the admins
trative agencies in giving publicity
to the dangers as well as the benefits
and pleasures of the various phases
Of motoring and their proper treat
ment must inevitably result in in
creasingly less frequent resort to dis
ciplinary activities. Certainly this is
the theory of all efforts to inculcate,
! through educational propaganda, a
proper mental attitude in the driv-
ers.
Zone hundred and two persons
have been killed in automobile acct
dents in Maryland in little over five
months. The vast majority of these
accidents, as we'll as the hundreds
wherein actual death did not result,
but painful, serious and permanent
injuries were inflicted, were due to
the absence of the right personal at
titude on the part of the operators.
"Shall we continue exhorting and
begging for Improvement in the men
tai attitude of the individual driver in
the hope that this will bring about
such marked improvement between
now and the next meeting of the Leg
islature that additional drastic reg
ulatory statutes will not be required?
Or shall we try to force improvement
in conditions by an absolutely drastic
application of the present laws pro-
visions-by applying the laws re-
quirements so severely that drivers
will, under fear of fines and penalties,
against their driving licenses be made
to learn through experience that the
best way to cultivate safe driving
habits is through letter-perfect obser-
vance of every technical requirement
of the law"
He added this admonitory conclu-
sion:
Speeding and reckless driving,
along with operating while under the
influence of liquor must stop in Mary
land. In addition, strict observance
of the so-named minor regulations
dealing with the right of way, cut
ting in and out Of traffic, and the re-
quirements for properly adjusted and
focused headlights and the prohibit
ton against driving with only one
head light or no lens in both or one of
the lamps is going to be more string
emily enforced from now on"