Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10
CAREFULNESS SEEN
AS BIG MOTOR NEED
Widespread Disregard and
Ignorance of Legal Re-
StrictionS Shown.
BY WILLIAM TLLMAN,
Automobile Editor OF The Star


and ignorance Of the legal restriction
on motor vehicles in the District o
Columbia is the amazing revelation o
the recent activities of police and traf
fic authorities in Combing local motor
dom for unlicensed drivers and out of
focus headlights.
AS result OF this alarming situa
ton. the question is being asked il
many quarters whether SO per cent %
more of the motorists who whir
through the streets of the Nationa
Capital at speeds as high as 80 mile.
an hour either do not know the au
tomobile regulations or just display
a willful disregard of them.
If the question can be answered il
the affirmative, those who hay,
studied the situation agree that il
calls for some positive action on the
part of all concerned.
Explanation for Choas.
The hope is expressed. of course
that an affirmative answer would not
be possible, but it appears inescap
able when cold figures and a dispas
motorists either driving according to
regulations that are obsolete or using
their cars day after day with a con.
tinuous Indifference to all restrictions
that are imposed for safety.
In this situation is seen an explan ma
ton for the chaos, confusion. acct.
dents and delay which have evoked
waves of indignant protest from law
abiding motorists and pedestrians
alike.
Adverse criticism of a large number
OF motorists. observers declare, may
be based soundly on several important
and largely self-evident premises. The
chief faults may be summarized some
what as follows:
A Woeful lack OF knowledge on the
part OF some of the most experienced
drivers of the most important traffic
regulations.
An amazing lack of interest shown
by so many motorists in their own
safety and that of pedestrians and
other car users. as indicated by fail
ure TO maintain headlight equipment
at even an approximation of the re-
quired adjustment.
Willful disregard of boulevard stop"
signs and the electric signal lights.
NOuCS VI ONHs
To this category may be added such
other offenses as failure TO give sig
nails for stopping and turning: the
practice of cutting in" while driving
in heavy traffic: lack of all considera-
ton for the lives of pedestrians who
are using crosswalks and have the
right of way under the law; driving
habitualy in the middle or beyond the
middle of a street, so as to slow traf-
fic or necessitate cars following to
pass in the left traffic lane with seri-
Gus hazard to drivers going in both
directions.
From observation OF the actions of
many motorists and an analysis OF the
figures compiled by traffic officials it
would seem that fully one-h half of the
Capitals 100000 permit holders are
driving under traffic codes of their
own making or without regard for
any code whatsoever. Accordingly
there are various groups. There are
those who, despite experience OF to
10 years, do not know the major
regulations; there are other. who have
fair knowledge Of the code but pay
absolutely no attention to it, and there
are still others who have an mac
curate conception of those regulations
to the safe and speedy movement of
traffic.
Failures Are High.
Ignorance concerning the regula.
tfons is indicated definitely by the
number of experienced drivers who
have failed SO far in the tests they
were required to pass to obtain q re-
newal of their permits after the date
OF expiration, July 3. Failures are
averaging more than so per cent for
old drivers, and those in charge of
examinations state the failures are
caused by the fact that persons who
have been driving on the streets of
Washington for periods as long as
10 years do not know enough of the
regulations to SATISFY an examiner by
showing even fair knowledge.
Questions on such regulations as the
one prohibiting passing car at an
intersection could not be answered by
many drivers of long experience. The
regulation of which the greatest num-
Der were ignorant was the one pre-.
scrlbing what to do in case of acct
dent. All said it must be reported to
the police, although the regulations
for several years have stipulated that
one only must make his identity
known before leaving the scene of the
ACCIDENT.
The clearly evident prevalence ct
glarins headlights has been revealed
even more as menacing situation by
the results of the tests now being Of
fered generally by the American Au-
tomobile Association in cooperation
with the Police Department.
Lights Aimed High.
On tie first night of these tests Of
447 cars examined there were but
seven which did not require some sort
of adjustment. According to those
making the examinations, IT,, ma.
Jority o. the lights were aimed too
high, t. reby tending to throw an an.
noying and dangerous glare into the
eyes of approaching drivers.
That the fault was that of the car
owr was evidenced by examiners
finding equipment for the most part
in good condition. the focus being dis.
turbed by constant jolting.
Another type of offense which holds
serious possibilities is the violation OF
the regulation that all vehicles halt
a. the stop" signs placed along
boulevards and arterial highways.
An equally culpable and common
practice is that of crossing the light
controlled streets when the red signal