Evening star., 1926-03-21
WILL attend
TRAFFIC MEETING
National Conference to
Tackle Tremendous Prob
lens in Sessions Here.
Consecrated to the noblest effort of

IHldHhiIiu--tHe SdVIfS OL HuIIldH HVcS-
1900 officials of 43 States will meet in
Washington during the next four days
to put the finishing touches on great
national program of safety applicable
to every agency Of land transporta-
ton.
Gathered at the call of the National
Conference on Street and Highway
Safety, continuing orga nization be-
gun In 1924 under the leadership Of
Secretary Hoover. the hundreds Of
State delegates will witness the pass
ing Of the national conference and at
the same time see what Is regarded
as the beginning Of a national pro-
gram to insure greater street and
highway safety. The conference, as
a continuing body will end with the
close of its second great meeting.
Many Groups to Aid.
Its work will be turned over to the
scores of cooperating bodies, State
committees formed to carry on its
work, and q Government advisory
committee organized in Washington
under the guidance of the father Of
the movement-Mr. Iloover-which
will form the connecting link between
the Government and the agencies be.
hind the safety program. The ma
tional conference will meet at the
headquarters of the Chamber of Com
merce of the United States. AS prel-
ude to the larger meetings to begin
Tuesday, the committee on uniformity
of laws and regulations. tomorrow in
the boardroom of the chamber build
ing. will hold an open hearing seeking
views on any phase of the legal prob
lem that may have been overlook ed
n iy1G ini nft ftz. OF n fc ny-t
! Twenty-Five thousand deaths occur
annually on the streets and highways
of the United States. The number Is
increasing annually, even though the
death rate may drop In some localities
where safety programs have been
pushed vigorously.
Most of these accidents result from
operation of the 20,000,000 motor
vehicles in use today. The number
of automobiles Is increasing annually,
and traffic fatalities keep pace with
the growth In motor registration.
Reports Are Prepared.
Six committees made up of experts
in several phases of investigation. all
selected because of their knowledge
OF the subject, have made reports in
advance of the formal opening of the
conference.
These reports have been dgested
and both the full report and the digest
sent to each individual who will at
tend the conference. Their con-
clusions follow generally the lines laid
down by the eight committees which
drew up reports for the first national
conference in December, 1924. but
are brought up to date and clarified In
the light of later legislation and the
more recent developments In the
handling of traffic.
They will form the basis Of the con-
ference work, but will not he read at
the meetings. Instead 1t will be pre-.
sumed that the delegates have read
them in advance of the meeting and
discussion will center about the con-
clusions reached by the committees.
In this way much time will be saved.
AT the close of the first days meet
ing a drafting committee will be ap-
pointed by the chairma
Hoover--to work out final and COM
prehesive report covering the entire
situation. This will he taken up and
I thrashed out on the floor OF the con-
ference on the closing day-neXt
Thursday.
Inefficiency Costly.
| Mr.. Average American, whether he
drives an automobile, or walks sedate-
ly to the street car. doubtless Will be
surprised to learn that he pays yearly
something like $40. or a grand total
of S., ,0o0, 900 ,000 for the doubtful lux
ury of inadequate traffic facilities. He
also will be surprised to know that
if he takes one drink Of any alco-
holic liquor before he steps into his
car his faculties are dulled. and even
though he may not feel the drink. he
l ts,1 inf
ate a motor vehicle.
| Here is what the committee on
causes of accidents finds about Mr..
Imbiber in Small Doses: The uni
versal condemnation of the intoxi-
Gated driver is fully warranted by
the facts. 1t Is less generally recog-
nized that even small amounts of
alcohol, quite insufficient to intoXi-
cate, tend to decrease the higher
forms of skill and perhaps also to
lessen the sense of responsibility. 1t
is highly probable that alcohol has
contributed to many accidents which
have been ascribed to inattention,
confusion, recklessness. loose steering
gear, or some other cause" The COM
mittee goes on to point out that
fatigue of drivers is another probable
cause of many accidents and sug-
gests that incompetence as a cause
of automobile fatalities could be great
lv reduced by development Of more
thorough and rigid examinations for
drivers licenses. 1t makes no recon-
mendations as to the best forms of
examination except to suggest that
they should include a practical stand
ardized road test.
Increase Growing Less.
Statistics are useful things in many
ways. The committee on statistics
puts them to good use and tells the
conference that the rate of increase
in automobile fatalities has beer
somewhat checked" ''Computa
tiors," the committee says, indicate
, an increase of 17.8 per cent in the
| tween 1922 and 1923 and an increase
Of 3 per cent between 1928 and 1924
This decline in the rate of increase
offers some hope for a more nearly
stationary record in 1925 and an &C
tual downward turn in the future"
. Mr.. Reckless Driver or Mons
| Bootlegger who has the weather eal
of Judge will find it difficult to get
off scot free from hard-boiled traffic
court If the recommendations of the
, committee on enforcement are taken
, literally by the drafting committee
J Uniform, impartial enforcement OF
reasonable requirements by adequate
, and properly uniformed police is a
[ primary necessity in reducing street
: and highway accidents" the commit
tee says, adding that severe punish
/ ment is held to be the only means by
! which certain traffic violators can be
: prevailed upon to respect the traffic
laws and regulations At the same
time, the committee held that preven
' ton of accidents and not vengeance
upon those causing them should be