Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-26
FOUR IN FRONT SEAT OF AUTO
CAUSES Is ARRESTS WEEKLY
Inclusion of Rumble Seats Fails to Gut
Down Overcrowding of Cars and I'M
pairing EMERGENCY Control.

In spite of the increased seating ca
pacity afforded by the inclusion Of
rumble seats as standard equipment in
sport rOadsters and coupeS the number
Of arrests for driving with four or more
persons In the front scat of automobiles
has not lcssened, in Washington at
least.
This Summer, as in the past few
years. an average of about Is arrests
for this cause have been made every
week, Police Court records show In
Winter, Of course, the average is much
lower.
Persons arrested for having too many
passengers on the front seat are'
charged with mot being in a position
for emergency control" of their auto
mobiles. AS rule they are required to
put up S. collateral. Fines for this
offense may range all the way from 81
to $500. but the local judges seldom
impose a fine of more than $40. The
offenseS are not cumulative, however,
there being no such thing as a second
offense emergency control" charge.
In making arrests Of this character.
police are instructed to take into con-
sidcration the size of the persons riding
with the driver and the attendant cir
cumstances. AS rule three persons
can ride on the front seat without po-
lice interference. Four or more persons
riding In front. however. is usually
deemed sufficient cause for an arrest
Provision of Law.
The specific portion of the traffic
regulations under which emergency
control arrests are made according to
Assistant Corporation Counsel Stanley
DeNeale, is a section of article XII of
Special Regulations" which states:
No vehicle shall be driven or operated
on highway when so constructed
Enclosed. equipped or loaded as to be
dangerous. retard traffic. or prevent the
driver from having a view sufficient for
safety"
Like the motorists who are stopped
Tor other traffic violations, those halted
because OF overcrowding in the front
seat almost invariably have an alibi
The majority of cars stopped for carry
ing more passengers than they were
designed to transport. are inexpensive
roadSters, police say, and the records
show that the great majority of the
offenders are. of course, young people.
According to police the commonest
excuses are that the extra passengers
have just been picked up. or that they
are merely being carried to a street
car. The excuses are. as a rule. &C
cepted by police. and the drivers let
oil with warning.
One-arm drivers. those who attempt
to steer with one hand while the other
/ embraces girl. also are charged with
not being in a position for emergency
control when arrested
Following Lieut.. Col. u. S. Grant,
3d's, recent declaration of war on park
| peters, police were specially vigilant
for this type of offender, and several
arrests we're made
One man was followed several blocks
| in Potomac Park by an officer who said
he kept indulging in osculatory exer-
else every few minutes. The exercises.
he averred, were accompanied by
Swerves to the far side of the road,
really endangering traffic.
Upon stopping the motorist the Of
ficer inquired If he didn't know 1t was
against the law TO drive with one arm.