Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-13
AUTOMOBILE DRIVER HELD KEY
TO HIGHWAY SAFETY PROBLEM
Selection of Good Operators Important, as
Shown In Decreasing Number of
Commercial Car Accidents.

19 per cent Tor buses, compared with
a 81 per cent increase for private pas
senger cars.
Apart from any sense of civic re-
sponsibility, the financial interest Of
the commercial truck and bus owner
particularly the 9tESe operator-dic-
tates the selection of drivers who will
keep their vehicles out of accidents
with resultant costly repairs and
e"mage suits. To the driver an acct
dent often means his job.
While truck and bus fleets are es-
establishing excellent accident records,
there still remains ample room for
Improvement in the driving of many
individually owned and operated trucks.
The driver of the small delivery
truck is often a menace to street
safety, not infrequently because the
owner gives him a delivery schedule
impossible Of fulfillment without
speeding and disregard of traffic regu-
lations. Sometimes such owners have
insurance and are inclined to let the
insurance company do the worrying in
case Of accident.
Elective Means.
A very effective means Of dealing
with operators who drive recklessly and
carelessly is the enactment and enforce
ment Of uniform drivers license law.
When to lose driving license means
the loss Of job the driver is not going
to take undue chances. A standard
operators and chauffeurs' license law
with mandatory examination of new
drivers Is Part III of the Uniform We
hlcle Code recommended for state adop-
ton by the National Conference on
Street and Highway Safety and is all
ready in effect in ls States and the
District of Columbia. 1t has been
hot
cent reduction in fatalities can be cred
tied to effective drivers license laws.
Fleet operators during the past few
years have been devoting an increasing
amount OF attention to driver training.
Some of the larger bus, truck and
taxicab companies maintain driver
training departments with rigid quail
hcation requirements for employment
OF new men. Many companies seek to
promote good will toward their products
by issuing definite orders to their driv-
ers to keep over to the right of the
road, and to exhibit proper road cour-
teSy
The National Automobile Chamber
OF commerce is cooperating with more
tnan 400 organizations in a continuing
truck driver training campaign. Re-
cent returns from the owners of IS, 900
trucks indicated that 81 per cent. Of
these owners were definitely working
to improve their standards of driver
performance,
While the driver Of the large truck
or bus may sometimes appear to be
taking advantage of the size of his We
hlcle to take more than his share Of
the road, don't forget that the owner
OF that vehicle values a favorable pub
lie opinion as we'll as freedom from ar
rests OF his drivers and subsequent de-
lay to his vehicles. Continued disre--
gard by his drivers of the rights of 9TH
ers on the road sooner Or later means
trouble. For a case in point we have
only to recall the incident where the
otner" driver was the Governor of the
state and the subsequent enforcement
OF drastic regulations severely penalized
a large bus company for the actions of
one driver
Along with the drivers license law
the Uniform Vehicle Codes of the Ma
tional Conference on Street and High
way SAFETY include a Uniform Act
Regulating Traffic on Highways" and
a Model Municipal Traffic Ordinance
These codes all promote safer opera
lion OF vehicles through the uniform
requirements for motor vehicle equip
ment and operation. Under the provi-
sion of these codes commercial vehicles
travelling in fleets would be required to
so space themselves as to permit other
users Of the road to pass them with
comparative ease and safety
Nor does all the responsibility for
safety on the roads rest with the oper-
ators OF vehicles, as evidenced by acct
dent figures recording many injuries
intersections. Batting" vehicle driv-
ers by careless or deliberate disregard
OF the difficulties of handling large
vehicles are no more excusable than
bad manners. On main roads all too
infrequently the pedestrian does not
walk facing traffic and subjects him
self as well as vehicles to unnecessary
hazards.
Little Delay Experienced.
Practically all commercial vehicle
traffic Is today rolling on pneumatic
tires with increased speed. Except for
long vehicles and combinations Of
vehicles little delay is experienced by
following cars. Drivers are being in
structed to afford opportunity to
following traffic to get by For in
stance. peace time practice of the
U. S. Army motor transport corps is to
space motor conveys sufficiently far
apart to permit other traffic a chance
to filter into the column where an
preaching traffic is heavy.
BY far the greater part of the main
highways are now wide enough to per-
init passenger cars to pass any COM
mercial vehicle on the road in safety.
There are. however, still too many
roads where poor construction, bad
curves. unnecessary grades or high
crowns cause commercial vehicle oper-
ators to take more than their share of
the road to the discomfort and incon-
venience Of other users. Such prac-
tices. together with ineffective lighting
of large vehicles at night. poorly
maintained and overloaded equipment
are soundly condemned by all COM
mercial vehicle operators. manufac-
tuners and those engaged in the bust
ness of highway transportation, who
recognize the definite value of public
goodwill.
To those few passenger car drivers
in a hurry to get somewhere with
nothing to do when they arrive, the
commercial vehicle operators ask only
that they realize no one ever took a