Evening star., 1931-06-14
NEW tangle in the parking
situation cropped up in

day, when q county judge
ruled that police must witness
overtime automobile parking be-
fore they can legally tag the ma
chine. In other words, the judge
declared that an officer must see
the driver park his car, watch 1t
all the while and then see him
start to drive away before ticket
can be lawfully handed him.
Enforcement Held Wrong.
City ordinances are all right,
the magistrate declared, but the
enforcement Is all wrong. OF
course, the decision of the judge
nullif1es all parking restrictions,
for what the police are required
to do is impossible.
What happens in Oakland may
not seem very far-reaching, and at
present it Is not. Even in San
Francisco this ruling has no ef-
feet at all. But it has created
such a chaotic condition in Oak
land that various associations are
planning to take the case up to
higher courts and even are limiting
at an ultimate opinion by the Su-
preme Court of the United States
Such proceedings give the Oak
land case q national outlook.
Disagreeable as the reception Of
overtime parking tickets is, it is
to be hoped that the ruling of the
Oakland judge will be reversed
quickly, before there is any spread
of that school of thought. Streets
we're made for the movement of
vehicles, not for their storage.
d. C. Falling Behind.
The National Capital is slipping
somewhat on the honor list of
large cities having low fatality
rates. A year ago Washington's
rate, based on 100000, was 1879.
The Bureau of Census of the De-
partment Of Commerce now re-
ports the rate for the So weeks
ending May 16 as 1877.
On the report Boston appears to
have the honor of first place and
Baltimore second. The Hubs rate
is given at lat, against ISL q year
ago. The Monumental City is
listed at 14.9, as against 1853 So
weeks ago.
New York and Philadelphia, pos
SCISSORS of poor averages, have
suddenly gotten better and now
are ahead of Washington. New
York's rating is 1873 and the City
Of Brotherly Love is 1875.
Cleveland, the other home of the
rotary left-hand turn, is 25.7.
Thus it would seem that the pecu-
liar left-hand turn that has been
wished on Washington and Cleve-
land for some time past, despite
all the laws of uniformity, have
not been great aid in the reduc-
ton Of traffic fatalities.
National Statistics.
The Department Of Commerce
announces that during the four
weeks ending May 16, 1881, 81
large cities in the United States
reported 684 deaths from automo-
bile accidents, which compares
with GA deaths during the four
weeks ending May II, 1880. Most
of these deaths were the result Of
accidents which occurred within
the corporate limits of the city,
although some accidents occurred
outside of the city limits.
For comparison, the number Of
deaths due to automobile acci-
dents within city limits is desir-
able. Such figures are available
for the four-week period ending
May 16, 1881, and for the cor
responding four-week period of
1880 for all of the 81 cities, the
four-week figure in 1881 being 548,
as cortrasted with 400 for the cor
responding four weeks in 1880.
Considering by four week peri
DDS since January, 1929, total
deaths from automobile accidents
for 81 cities, regardless of place Of
accident, the lowest total (47D
appears for the four-week period
ending February %, 1929, and the
highest 1850 for the four-week
period ending November 2, 1929.
Two interesting items from two
insurance companies have been
received and merit reprinting.
Touring Chances.
Suppose you are a Summer tour
ist, on a clear day, driving care
fully, at moderate speed, in a good
sN0A1 OAA a SOON 4OdA.
Let us say under those favorable
circumstance your chances of
being killed or injured that day
are in 1000.
: Did you ever stop to think how
your actions as q driver affect
those odds?
James s. Kemper, president of
a casualty company, has recently
issued some pertinent figures
based on the study Of over 1000
automobile accidents made by q
special committee over a period Of
rs years.
THE minute you cut out of the
line of traffic" says Mr.. Kemper,
"and weave in and out, our sta
tiSticians say your chances of ac-
:cident are multiplied by 50-you
then have so chances in 1000 of
being involved in an accident
you have increased the personal
accident hazarard 5000 per cent.
:" Some of the other increased
hazard percentages are:
Driving over 40 miles per hour,
$500 per cent.
Passing another car on q curve,
1000 per cent.
Passing another car going up
hill, 1000 per cent.
Failure to signal, 500 per cent"