Evening star., 1930-06-15

~ vehicle regulations just
a prepared for the American
Automobile Association by
the Albert Russell ErSkine Bureau
for Street Traffic Research, at
Harvard University, reveals just
how far from that ideal situation
of uniform traffic regulations
throughout the Nation this coun-
try still is, despite the ballyhoo
that has been given this worthy
project by the National Confer
ence on Street and Highway Safe
ty and its affiliated organizations
throughout the past several years.
Admittedly the cities will be the
hardest to bring into line on uni
form traffic regulations. and a
great deal of the effort of the
conference has not been SO di-
rected at the cities as at the
States. But the wide divergence
in the regulations governing mo-
tor travel in the States, as re-
ported by the ErSkine bureau,
shows what a job is still ahead of
the foremost traffic experts of the
country.
OpCCu hOSN
The matter of maximum speed
regulation is the most important
in the view of the sponsors of the
survey. Speed limits among the
48 States and the District of Co.
lumbia range from 20 miles an
hour in Massachusetts, to so miles
an hour in Nevada, with many
States waving any specified limit
on speed and setting the maxi
mum at a speed deemed reason
able and proper" for the territory
traverSed Eleven States are only
five miles below Nevada, which
has the highest speed limit. They
are Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana,
Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, South Carolina and
Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio
allowing cars in the open districts
to make as high as As miles an
hour.
In eight States the motorists
are allowed to make as much as
20 miles an hour on the open road.
They are: California, Georgia,
Kentucky, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
NdLld, OOuCI OdhOId d1IO " dSIl-
ington.
The reasonable and proper"
speed limitation, which is gener-
ally interpreted to put no limit
on the speed which may be made
safely upon an open road, is in
force in II States. They are:
Connecticut, Florida, Indiana,
Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Mon
tana, Tennessee, Vermont, Wis
conSin and Wyoming.
In the 38-mileS-an-hour class
come the following States: Ari-
zona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho,
New Hampshire, North Dakota,
Oregon, Rhode Island and West
Virginia.
Only four States have 30-mile
maximum speed StipulationS,
among them the District of Co
lumbia, Mississippi, New York
and Utah.
Missouri, which has within the
past year passed a great bond is
sue and is building one of the
widest systems of State highways,
Is the only State with a 25-miles-
an-hour speed limit, with MaSSa-
chusettS also alone in the 20
mileS-an-hour-limit class.
Regulations Widely Divided.
Not more than IL States are in
any one class, it can be seen, in
the matter of maximum speed
regulation. The other State speed
regulations, which include those
for city suburban, city and down.
town districts, drawn up from the
various municipal regulations
throughout the States and aver
aged, are even more widely di-
Vided.
From IL miles an hour to IS
range the residence district speed
limits, with the majority of States
clustered around the 20-25 mile
limit. Here again Massachusetts,
law reveals a dislike for speed, it
being the only State in the Union
to bring the residence district
limit as low as IL miles an hour.
Ohio puts the highest limit on
residence district traffic speed, be-
ing the only State allowing as
much as 35 miles an hour in the
thickly populated districts.
In the matter of license require
mentS there is also much to be
desired in the way of uniformity
throughout the States.
Automobile operators licenses
are required in 20 States and the
District of Columbia. The rest of
the States do not require any
license to operate motor vehicles.
Maryland is the only State that
goes so far as to require that a
license be taken out in that State
by non-reSidentS driving their
own cars, although this ruling is
not applicable to motorists pass
ing through the State from other
States and the District of Colum-
bia. Maryland also demands a
license to drive from those who
drive other than their own cars.
The other States are MaSSachu-
sets, New York, Rhode Island and
Maine. OF these Maine and Mary
land do not allow any reciprocal
privileges to other States.
Differ on Age Limits.
Age limits for motor vehicle
drivers present another wide diff
ference of opinion between the
States, the limit in one State be-
ing as low as IL years of age and
in another as high as l8 years Of
age. Arizona StipulateS that a
person must be 18 years of age or
over to drive a motor vehicle with
in the State boundaries, while
South Carolina has confidence