Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-29
JUDGE SCHULDT GIVES LISTS
OF SAFE AND UNSAFE DRIVERS
Traffic Court Official Bans
SpeederS and Drinkers
as Auto Pilots.
Mental Tests for Motorists
+ Are Desirable, He
Declares.
BY CTS A. SCHULDT,

Presiding .rudge. Police and Traffic Courts
When we consider that SIS persons
were killed and 2,662 injured last year
in the District by automobiles, a ScTl-
Gus situation confrontS us. and the
question arises Who should drive?"
The hes; way "a bring this matter
before your attention is 10, first, claS-
Sifv those who should not operate. /
should say:
!. A person under the influence Of
intoxicantS. and in this respect a jail
sentence would seem 70 be the best
deterrent. and the traffic act makes
this mandatory. I would SO further
and say that any one who drinks in
foxicstlng liquors should not drive. 1t
is well known that when a person has
had drink or SO. although not in
Ioxicated. his judgment may be
warped SO that he is not normal. There
is no possible excuse for a drunken
driver.
.. The reckless driver. So much
has been said about this villain that
there are hardly any more words left
in the English language TO condemn
him. What Is there il the operation
OF az auto that takes away all the
elements Of caution and carefulneSS Of
q certain class Of drivers? Is II ego.
ignorance or insanity. or all three?
s. The speed demon. He Is twin
brother 10 the reckless driver. What
Is the necessity of excessive speed?
The speed limits are generally salts
factory for ali purposes and based upon
the experience OF men trained in such
work. These deliberate. reckless speed
ViolatorS Of law come within the cate
cory Of persons suffering with what
7 term "autophohia." They are simply
auto mad and should be inoculated
with large legal dosage. Lest We
forget. the act Of Congress defines
reckless driving as follows. viz: No
individual shall operate a motor vehicle
over any public highway in the Dis
trios ID reckleSsly. or ~ at a rate
Of speed greater than is reasonable
and proper. having regard to the width
Of the public highway. the use thereof
and the traffic thereon; or (3) so as
10 endanger any property or individual:
or az so as TO unnecessarily or unrea-
Sonahly to damage the public high
way"
4. Persons who are not physically
ct. such as are too weak TO operate
control levers easily and positively, or
are subject TO fainting spells or cpl
ieptic fits. This class is simply I'm
fortunate.
S. Immature drivers. My observa-
ton has been that a large proportion
OF the colliding cases before the Traffic
Court has been wherein immature per-
sons were operating should say that
no person under 10, and personally
would make the age limit higher one,
should operate a car. and especially a
commercial car in the category Of
truck. A youth Of this age generally
has not the mental poiSe necessary
for this hazardous task. The mind is
not stabilized and 1t Is well known
that youth will take chances that an
older person would shun. OF course,
there are many exceptions 70 this rule.
but an extensive and intensive exam
tnation should be given 70 determine
the exceptions In this connection
there are many lines Of endeavor
wherein age IL limited.
/. A person who is in possession OF all
his faculties. His eyesight should be
good. as also his hearing. He should