Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-15
DRIVERS WARNED
TO EXERCISE CARE
Maryland Will PenaIize Ma.
tives for Serious Violations
i. in Other States.

Maryland autoists who get into diff
oulties with the traffic courts Of other
states may, II their breach of the law
ts sufficiently serious, face curtail-
ment Of their driving privileges in
their home State when they return
This friendly warning was issued by
r. Austin Baughman. Maryland mo-
tor vehicle commissioner. who de-
clares that, with the touring season
at its height, motorists inevitably will
become involved with the disciplinary
officers of the States they visit.
Celebrating his position, Mr.. Baugh
man says:
LAS yet there is no stated reciproc-
ity agreement which covers police
activities and consequently no guild.
Ing rule when out of ones home State.
except be sure to be right
Similar In Principle.
'Police regulations on the high.
ways are similar IN principle in all
Eastern States. Almost every one Of
them maintains some organization in
the way Of highway patrol which
looks after motor traffic.
But there is no stated uniformity
and there probably never can be, be-
cause this particular type of police
activity must be governed by so many
local conditions.
TT may be said generally that the
person who is we'll intentioned and
careful will not be bothered except in
rare cases. where in some State local
officer is inclined to apply strenuous
measures.
Discipline Of motor vehicle opera.
tors generally takes one Of two forms.
NSaA L. g. g. 49,
pretation Of a. law Is given to the
policeman, or he interprets It for
himself, and then 'hews to the line on
its enforcement. The other IL illus.
trated by a situation where some
petty offense has become so preva.
lent that a so-called drive has to be
made against ii.
In both forms there IS nothing
which the visitor can do except to be
cautious and inform himself so far as
possible and to obey.
Rules Held Common Sense.
Most regulations and rules after
all have a basis in common sense
They are predicated mostly on safety
Their object is 10 keep people out OF
trouble. 1t can be said confidently
that police Interpretation now recog-
rizes this fact, and the man who Is
trying TO be safe and reasonable Will
not get into difficulties, usually.
Police enforcement is so good, as
FAR as it goes. that the presumption
now is against any man who runs
afoul Of it, and the proof that he Is
reasonable and right, which he always
has the privilege of presenting is
more difficult than It used to be. That,
of course, is because conditions are
worse and a greater degree Of re-
sponsibility and care is now required
than was needed formerly
In connection with the penalties
which may follow an operator back
into his home State for violations
committed while he is driving in an
other State, Mr.. Baughman said:
Although there is only a general
adherence to the same principles
where police are concerned. there ex.
lists n much more closely knit and
planned interstate management gov
erning the driving licenses of persons
who need to be disciplined.
Several years ago when the East
ern Conference Of Motor Vehicle Ad.
rinistrators was formed, there was
discussed and, through gradual adop.
ton. eventually evolved a method Of
interstate cooperation in the handling
Of license suspensions and revoca-
tons
Makes Penalty Certain.
The exercise Of this plan makes It
practically impossible for any person
to commit a serious offense and not
he punished by being taken from be-
hind the wheel of an automobile.
Any one who gives 1t a thought will
admit that a registrant of one State
who is found driving while intoxicat-
ed IN another State, or who evades
responsibility by running away. or
commits some act of reckless driving
has thereby proved himself unfit to
operate anywhere.
$50 the punishment, though some.
times delayed invariably follows such
an offender in the form of a license
suspension or revocation.
In addition in many States this
cooperating suspension power is be-
coming Of use as an aid to the police.
II often happens that a man resident
IN one State after getting safely out
Of State in which he has been
served summons for a violation. will
disregard the summons and refuse to
return for his hearing
If his home motor vehicle admin.
istrator has the power. which many
OF them III the East now have. and
notifies him that he must return to
me foreign State to answer the sum-
mons or lose his driving license in his
home State. he is very apt TO consider
Enrin1IclN- l,o