Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
BY WILLIAM E. METZGER,


Chairman Executive Committee. National
Conferences on Street and Highway Safety.
lean Automobile Association.
Seven States have been added to the
number which had previously adopted
the uniform vehicle code or substantial
portions of it through the enactment of
one or more acts of the code by their
1881 Legislatures. In addition, several
States have made changes in their
motor vehicle laws bringing them into
closer harmony with the uniform code
This brings to "a the total number Of
States whose motor vehicle laws are IN
harmony with the code or have recently
been amended toward conformity
with 1t.
Developed in 1925.
The uniform vehicle code, providing
the national standard for assisting the
States In securing uniformity In traflc
regulation, was developed by the Ma
tional Conference on Street and High
way Safety in 1925. and revised to date
In 1880 in the light of the most recent
experience with traffic laws throughout
the country. The code in its present
form has received the formal indorse-
ment of the American Bar Association
and the National Conference Of Com
missioners on Uniform State Laws.
The States which have adopted one
or more acts of the code in 1891 are:
Colorado Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Ne
braska, oregon and Utah. Among the
States which made amendments TO
their existing motor vehicle laws are:
Pennsylvania, Nevada and New Jersey.
It should be added that the Legislatures
Of several States are still in session,
among them Alabama and Georgia,
- 1aac iVfrOf1fRAd
Alabama local groups have centered
their attention on promoting adoption
of the operators and chauffeurs' license
act, and a uniform act regulating traf-
fic on highways-acts III and Nv, re-
spectively, of the uniform vehicle code;
while in Georgia efforts are being made
to impress upon the Legislature the de-
STABILITY of enacting into law all four
acts of the code.
Colorado Heads States
Colorado heads the States acting IA
vorably on the uniform vehicle code this
year in that she adopted three OF the
| four acts Of the code. namely: "A uni
| form registration act" "a uniform OPP
orators and chauffeurs' license act" and
"a uniform act regulating traftlc on
highways" The State already had an
anti-theft or certificate CT title law in
close harmony with the corresponding
act of the code, thus completing adop-
ton Of the national standard code.
oregon adopted the uniform oper-
ators and Chauffeurs' license act, act
III of the uniform vehicle code, as well
as the uniform act regulating traf1c on
highways, act w of the uniform CODE,
thus also coming closely in line with the
national standards.
The uniform operators and Chauf-
feurs' license act (act III Of the cooe)
was adopted this year by Iowa, kansas
and Michigan, in addition to Colorado
and Oregon, already mentioned. Tne
addition of these five States bring up
to nineteen the total of those having
the standard operators license law with
mandatory examination. Under this law
all operators and chauffeurs must be
licensed and new drivers only after eX-
animation to determine whether they
have sufficient knowledge of the motor
vehicle laws and regulations and are
competent to operate a motor vehicle
with safety to themselves and other
users Of the highway.
Licensing Starts
The following now comprise the group
Of standard drivers licensing States:
New Hampshire, Vermont, MaSsachu-
sets, Rhode Island, Connecticut. Penn
SylV9n1a, new xOTk, new jersey OeId.
ware, Maryland, West Virginia, District
Of Columbia, Iowa, Michigan, Kansas,
Arizona, Colorado, California and Ore
gon. Seven additional States require
motor vehicle operators and chaufeurs
to be licensed, but do not make nanda-
tory the examination Of new drivers.
These States are: Arkansas, Indiana,
Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Ten
nessee and Wisconsin. Organizations
interested in better traffic conditions in
some Of these States have initiated
efforts to secure strengthening Of their
licensing laws by the Legislatures in
harmony with the national standards.
The enactment OF the uniform act
regulating trafiic on highways, act w
Of the uniform vehicle code, In four
additional States this year brings up to
10 the number of States having adopted
that act; Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon
and Utah being the States having taken
this action this year. The following
States are included in the group whose
motor vehicle laws contain the major
part OF this act: Pennsylvania, Della
ware, Virginia, North Carolina, Louis
lana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho,
Utah, Oregon and California. The fore
going statement requires some Qualifica-
tons in that 10 of the 10 States listed
above adopted act ~ Of the code in the
form In which 1t appeared prior to Its
revision In 1880 by the Third National
Conference On Street and Highway
Safety The States whose motor Yee