Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-18
The First Step.

The first step in the campaign 10
introduce the safety responsibility bill
of the American Automobile Association
to local civic organizations, with view
to enactment of the law for the Dis
trict of Columbia as an example for
the rest of the Nation, was taken last
week. when the measure was presented
TO the traffic committee of the Wash
sngton Board of Trade for consideration
and referred to subcommittee for
study.
Hailed as 1.-THE best piece of legisla-
ton yet drafted" on the subject of
driver financial responsibility on the
highways and embodying the best fea-
lures of the statutes now in effect in
various States, the safety responsibility
bill was drawn up by the American
Automobile Association after years
study by a committee Of experts from
ell parts of the United States. Follow
ing its completion, it has been success
sively subjected to the most searching
scrutiny of various organizations and
individuals that 1t would affect. and ap-
proval of its principles has been uni
yersal.
While the opponents Of compulsory
automobile insurance claim that this
law. which is now in effect In Massa-
chusettS, compels the law-abiding ma
iority to pay for the sins Of the few
and that It has been made political
foot ball, the "A. A. A. measure provides
that If person Is careful in the opera
ton of his car he need never show
financial responsibility. and the law is
so drawn that 1t cannot serve as po-
litical issue.
Not only does the proposal leave the
good and careful driver severely alone
to work out his own salvation, but 1t
does what all laws Of this nature are
designed to do makes life miserable
for the criminally inclined motorist.
Unlike the statute now in effect IN
Connecticut, 1t does not allow each
driver one serious accident with injury
or loss of life before his financial stand
ing Is investigated, but provides that
immediately on conviction of a major
traffic offense, even without accident,
the driver Of q motor car must take
out insurance, post q bond or demon
strate solvency before he is allowed to
use the highways again. In other words,
at the very start Of his demonstrated
inclination to be menace to other
users Of the road he must show, re-
gardless Of any action by the trafhc
authorities. that he Is able to pay for
damages levied against him, before his
operators permit Is restored.
The motorists next to be taken care
of under the bill are those known as
judgment-proof, who have no assets, or
who conceal their assets when they are
involved In serious accident caused
by their negligence. Up to limits of
five and ten thousand dollars these per-
sons are compelled to satisfy final judg-
ments found against them in courts Of
competent jurisdiction or suffer per-
tnanent revocation of permits. And to
make the law nationally effective, the
A. A. A. proposes that every State
should adopt an operators permit law
so that q person barred in one State
could not operate a car In another.
Simple In its operation. yet deadly in
seeking its mark, the financially ire
sponsible operator of an automobile, the
safety responsibility bill will accomplish
not only Nationwide carefulness in
the use Of potentially dangerous vehi-
cles, but will serve to weed out those
who have demonstrated themselves as
unfit. Assuredly nothing better could be
done for the. District of Columbia than
the adoption of this law to lead the
procession that Is bound to follow.