The Washington times., 1929-05-08

The splendor of this achievement
IL not duplicated, however. when
even a cursory survey is made Of
general traffic facilities and pro,
vision for the training and control
Of perhaps 50000,0 300 persons who
drive motor vehicles.
It was this, situation which
brought into being the national
conference on street and highway
safety The protection of life was
its. primary object. It's secondary
goal was reduction of the huge an:
nual economic loss resulting from
Inadequate regulation and facilities
for the use of automobiles. Uni.
formity in State laws and municipal
ordinances was recognized as the
only hope Of satisfactory solution
of the problem.
The objective of the conference to
and States and cities in rendering
their laws uniform by making then
conform with the most enlightened
thought on this vital subject through
adoption of the fundamental prin.
ciples of the uniform code and model
ordinance is far from accomplished.
Enough has been accomplished
however, to prove. the soundness of
Its proposals.
Fatalities Increasing.
Traffic fatalities were, increasing
annually at an appalling rate when
the. national conference was organ.
lied in 1924 and while there are
reasons for real encouragement in
the fact that the annual increa Sc
in automobile fatalities now is
smaller both in percentage and In
actual numbers than five years ago,
certainly these changes do not jus.
tffy any lesseninS of effort Rather,
they are challenge for even more
intensive labor to urge all states
and CITIES to adopt effective traffic
control through uniform laws. Fig.
nres already available prove what
can .be-done. ---..-.- - -... o..
Three groups of States illustrate
In striking fashion the value of mod.
ern vehicle legislation and admins
fration. The North Atlantic States,
from Maine to Maryland, showed an
Increase of rs per cent in automo-
bile fatalities from 1920 to 1927.
The Middle Western States, from
Ohio to Nebraska, emitting two for
which statistics are not available,
show an increase of 1874 per cent
during the same period.
The Southern States, from Vir-
gtnia to Louisiana, omitting three for
which figures are not available, show
an increase of 259 per cent.
The smaller accident increase in
the Northeastern States exists in the
face of 176 per cent increase in mo-
tor vehicle registration, as compared
with 1917 per cent registration in
crease in the Middle West. In the
South, the registration increase was
210 per cent against an accident in.
crease of 259 per cent.
Traffic Control
The respective conditions in these
groups of States are eloquent express
sions of what scientific control can
achieve. The Northeastern States,
having had to grapple with the
problem over a longer period, have
gone furthest in motor vehicle legis-
1ation. While their laws still lack
uniformity In important respects. in
general they embrace a large part
of what has been deemed essential
and has been incorporated in the
uniform vehicle code. All save one
or two of the Northeastern States
have thoroughly organized motor
vehicle departments and all but one
or two haze mandatory examina.
t1ons Of applicants as prerequisite
to the granting of drivers licenses.
The States of the Middle West,
also having numerous large cities
and rapidly growing traffic. like.
wise have achieved some progress
In vehicle legislation. A number of
them have not yet seen the value
Of fully organized and centralized
administration of the motor vehicle
law and none of them has thus
far established a drivers licensing
system with examination as q man
datory requirement. In general
this group may be said to be inter-
mediate between the Northeastern
ana Sou lern groups in the develop
ment of motor vehicle control and
also intermediate in regard to the
accident rate.
The Southern group in general
having fewer large cities. fewer
good roads and less severe traffic
conditions. has made less progress
in motor vehicle regulation than