Evening star., 1926-12-12
LOCAL DRIVERS LOSE PERMITS
AT THE RATE OF 1,5OO YEARLY
License Cards Taken for Four Ofenses,
Chief of Which Is Operating Car
Under Influence of Drink.

There are several hundred motor
lists in Washington who need not ap-
ply to the director of traffic for new
permits
This may sound strange. in view of
Director Eldridge's insistent invitation
to the holders of 100, 900 outstanding
old permits to obtain the new cards
that will authorize them to guide their
cars over the District streets for the
next three years.
Many of these motorists are very
good drivers-most of the time-but
they might as we'll reserve storage
space for their cars for periods vary
ing from three months to a year.
This select" group comprises the
drivers whose permits have been re-
voked
Nor are they so few In number. In
the present state of revision permits
are being suspended at the rate of
from 1000 to 800 a year. On an
| average Of from three to five a day
are cancelled. and on some days the
number exceeds 90. During one two
week period there were IS revocations.
The majority Of permit holders who
lose their right to drive cars get 1t
+ hack within a year. but only after
they have indicated that there Is no
further ground for Withholding their
cards. If they have got into further
trouble meanwhile, it is quite likely
that their "furlough" from motoring
ranks will be heightened.
Director Controls Time.
Under terms Of the traffic law per-
mits are revoked for a, period OF six
months. They may be returned be-
fore the end OF that time at the dis
cretion of the director or, If sufficient
ground exists for attaching greater
gravity to the situation, the cancella1
tion may be continued for a. year or
more The revocation Is effective 10
days from the date ordered. SO that
within that time an appeal may be
made to the Commissioners.
Cancellation of the driving permit
Ia compelled by the law for four ef-
fenses-first offense Of driving while
drunk or leaving after colliding, sec
ond offense of reckless driving and
third offense of speeding. In the case
Of the first two offenses, driving while
drunk and leaving the scene OF col
lision, revocation is heightened usu'
| ally to a year or more.
Where the traffic act deals with
these four offenses it specifically stip-
ulates that as an additional penalty
the driving permit shall be revoked.
| In treating these offenses the act
provides that "the clerk of the court
shall certify forthwith such conviction
| to the director who shall thereupon
revoke the operators permit OF such
| Individual"
While the use of smoke screen
| is not a violation for which revoca
tion Is mandatory, 1T Is of sufficient
gravity that a conviction is followed
by cancellation of the permit as 9
matter of course, coming under the
section of the law giving the director
discretionary powers. In the case o.
a conviction, the recalling Of the per
NIT Is, in a sense. rather superfiuous
since the holder is retired from hi
place in society for from one to fiv'
years and would find no use for hi
permit in the penitentiary.
Seventy-five per cent of the revocA
tions are for driving while drunk
which would Indicate that radiator al
col1ol Is not the only variety Of spirits
which is being automotively trans
ported these days. The remainder .oc'
and reckless driving and leaving after
coliding.
Not all cancellations are for par
ticulAr traffic offenses. A holder of q
permit may establish such a. recort
for himself that the director of traffit
will consider the accumulated offenses
sufficient grounds for calling in hi:
driving card.
There are many records on file ir
the traffic office which enumerate
quite a lengthy list Of misdemea nors
and crimes for individual permit hold
ers. When this list OF offenses reaches
the number of. 5s, as 1t did in one In
stance, the director takes up that per
sons permit.
Paid s1,o57 for Sins.
In this particular case, which Is
pointed to by the director of traffic as
being in his opinion quite fragrant
the man had been arrested Al times
for SO offenses. His fines and for.
fedtures amounted to $1.o57, and the
variety Of his sins against society in.
cluded about everything of serious
nature but homicide.
! transcripts Of court records are re
lied upon in revoking the permits of
the more gross offenders, the director
reaching his decision after the whole
picture is presented. Many Of the of.
| lenses in these court records would
not be considered SUFFICIENT ground by
themselves for revoking a permit, but
taken together they are viewed as in
|