Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-07
TRUCKMEN SHOW
IMPROVED DRIVING
Plan to Get Pledges of Better
Service Meets With Wide
Approval.
nv WILLIAM ULLMAN.

At the close OF the fourth day of
The stars campaign to curb careless
speeding ana reckless driving on the
part Of light commercial vehicle
operators. trafic oficisls report
notable Improvement in conditions.
particularly in the conRested districts
where the rights Of pedestrians and
other motorists were violated to an
extent that drew city.wlde attention
TO the need for drastic action.
Along with the Improvement in
conditions is the increasingly wide
favor accorded the idea Of obtaining
the personal pledge OF every com
mercial vehicle driver In the city to
abide nv the trsffic regulations and
to respect the rights Of other citizens.
whether awheel or afoot
While more business houses were
asserting TO the plan TO circulate the
pledges among their drivers. the
American Automobile Association.
through Ernest y. Smith. its general
manager, offered it's services in dis
tributing the cards to every Arm
which operates a commercial vehicle.
other Help Is Offered.
In addition to placing its dlstribu
ton facilities at the disposal OF those
behind the campaign, the A. A. A.
offered to aid in any other way that
might serve to create respect among
the drivers assailed ny citizens and
officials az the worst in the city
An offer to print the pledge cards
has heen made by a large business
concern. whose officials point out that
! I'VE seek no advertising In con-
tributinE this small service To a cam
paIen fraught with so much impor
lance"
The offer covers the printing cost
of any number Of cards that may he
necessary to put one In the ha nds
Of every delivery car driver In the
National Capital.
In it's offer to distribute the pledges
! the A. A. A. expressed its willingness
to call into service the schoolbov and
Boy Scout patrols, which have been
helpful in similar situations In the
past.
I'VE can distribute these cards to
every employer in the city" SAYS Mr..
| Smith. Their una nimity on the
value Of these pledges is one of the
/ most significant features of the cam
paign TO end recklessness on the part
, of their employees. Our experience
with business firms has been that
| they are vitality concerned with safety
/ rallyinE ia this campaign has CO.
! incided with the experience Of the
| A. A. A. everywhere.
Recklessness Ia Personal.
"Recklessness and carelessness in
driving are personal. II is the indi-
/ vidual who Ia at fault. This ls true
throughout motordom. The reckless
passenger car driver certainly does
/ not have the sympathy Of :he driver
who is careful. The reckless truck or
commercial vehicle driver. 1t In equally
certain, does not have the support of
! his employer"
! That citizens have caught the spirit
of the campaign IL reported ny sew
! eral business firms who declare they
already have received congratula-
tions upon their definite stand for
courtesy and care in driving.
! In the brief time that has elapsed
! since the campaign started the con-
| certed attack by police, trade bodies.
employers and citizens has served to
put the commercial vehicle driver
more within the law than he has been
| in months. observers in all parts of
the city declare.
Would Hold Ground Won.
'"rhe driver finally realizes that his
depredations In the aggregate amount
ed to considerably more than he
thought" one large employer de-
| clared today. He must not he al
lowed to lose sight of that fact again.
The pledge card idea will 60 far
| toward achieving this end.
Every one of my men has given
me his personal pledge tn make
safety his primary consideration
while he il on the streets and all
have assured me of their willingness
to sign any pledge card presented TO
them.
II believe this il the general atti-
tude, and that it will 20 far toward
remedying A deplorable situation.