Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-07
TRAFFIC SAFETY
PROGRAM PLANNED
A. A. A. Announces Intention
to Extend Schcolboy Patrol
This Season.


The District of Columbia division Of
the American Automobile Association
in its annual report today. announced
plans for thorough and comprehensive
program of safety promotion Tor al
public and parochial schools in the Dis
trict this Fall
Re-establishment of the schoolboy pa
trolls will be effected at the publlC
schools in accordance with arrange
ments already made, and an effort Will
be made this year to organize such pa
trolls at parochial schools, also, 1t was
stated.
Will Follow Up Work.
eve will follow up the schoolboy
patrol work through visitation OF all the
schools by our representatives, the re-
port said. I'VE will hold rallies to instruct
and inspire the members of the various
patrols; appropriate posters oeplctllg
the hazards of traffic in the city WIZ
be distributed to each and every class
room: on the dav before school opens
we will have attached to every. mix
f,cttIs delivered to a home a tag re-
nnin6ing motorists that thousands OF
little children will go to school for the
first time. and call on them to exer-
else greater caution. and we plan also
ia exhibit in the larger motion PIC
t,re theaters a trailer containing d
similar message. - r
The report. signed by George E.
Keneipp. manager OF the DlStric' oI
Columbia division. disclosed that the
local club now is the largest lndlVlousi
motor club in the United States, WIN
a membership of 20,07l. The local
membership total is exceeded by three
clubs which have branches OUTSIDE lneil
immediate jurisdiction. however. ouch
clubs are the California state Automo-
bile Association, the Automopile Cluo
of Detroit and the Chicago MOTOR Cluo;
The District membership increased
Iurinr the wear bv 6,498 members. The
goal for 1928 is 81 ,478 members.
2S,69l Service Calls.
Other interesting data contained in
the report follow: oo
For he first eight months of 1928
we received and dispatched a total OF
"a SOL emergency road service calls,
which is an increase of 1850 Calls. or
al per cent over the same period last
year. n.-..;o+
Of Columbia division has our touring
bureau been so busy as 1t has curing
the present Summer months. since
January 1st we have served 3o,loo
touring bureau motorists at our counter,
of which number 21.456 were served
during the three months ending Au-
gust 81, or an average OF over LOoU
peoule per month. or more than 200 a
day. Last year at this same time we
had served 26,947 motorists, SO our
gain for the present year is 80 per cenl.
lone of the best evidences OF m
creased caution on the part OF MOTOR
lists. as a result of our intensive pro-
motion of traffic safety principles is
fine extraordinary increase in our brake
and headlight adjusting service. Dur
ing the eight months ending August
Al We have adjusted the brakes OF
S257 motorists and also 808 pairs OF
headlights. an increase of 225 per cent
in the brake adjustment service ana
51s per cent in headlight testing. In
other words. approximately one-slXtn
of our entire membership have mad
their brakes tested and adjusted thus
far this year. It is apparent that
these may be numbered among our
most popular services.
Legal Burden Increases.
1.-THE increase in our membership
has also piadedsa 81 an addtftOnal burden
on our legal department, which for the
first eight months of 1928 has gwen
legal advice To 1,001 members, OF which
number SAB have asked our attorneys
to assist m the collection OF claims
and s6.i73.01 has been collected for
these members.
Our legal department also handles
the collection of claims under the per-
sonal injury insurance policy which Is
provided to all A.. A A. members, and
so far this year, $4,882.85 has been col
lected.
"A service new in motor club circles
and one which has attracted much IA
vorable comment from our members and
motor club officials from other cities
is our theater ticket bureau. That 1t
has proven popular is perahps best m
dicated by the fact that we have sold
more than $4,000 worth OF thester
tickets since the service was established
In March.
During the past month We assumed
an agency for the Washington Coop
erative Artist concert course to be pre-
Sented during the coming season, and
at this writing. We have sold over 900
worth of tickets for the same. Be-
cause we are a non-proflt, civic or
ganization we have been permitted to
retain a 80 per cent commission on
the sale of these tickets.
I'm cooperation with Station WMAL,
we inaugurated, little over two months
ago, a weekly broadcast of suggested
week end tours for motorists. This sta
ton at first donated Is minutes for this
purpose on Friday evening, from 9:15
to 80 but recently has increased the
time allotted to 20 minutes because OF
the popularity of the programs and the
response thereto. It is planned to con-
tinue these Friday night broadcasts over
an indefinite period.
THE first and second orders for route
direction shield signs for the District OF
Columbia has been received and deliv-
cred to the Traffic Bureau There has
recently been installed all of the shield
signs covering route No. /. which leads
through the city and directs tourists
between Alexandria and Baltimore
through Washington; also route No. So,
running from Alexandria to Annapolis
through Washington: also five advance
shield signs on our shipment of route
2l1, running between Washington and
Warrenton: and five No. 240 shield signs
between Washington and Frederick.
This sign-posting project will be COM
pleted by the end Of the year."