Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-30
THOUGHTLESSNESS is CAUSE
OF MANY TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
Most Accidents Are Result of Violations
ofFundamental Rules, Experienced
Patrol Officer Holds.

never be permitted to drive a motor
vehicle. Some are caused by business
and professional men who permit their
minds to wander into other fields. and
who forget to keep their mind on their
driving But many others are caused
by persons who. although Of normal in
tellect, do not have any weighty prob
lens on their mind. In many cages
they do not realize the inherent danger
in a modern motor vehicle. Perhaps
they are hypnotized by the smoothness
and power Of their car. Whatever 1t
is. thoughtlessness sooner or later leads
70 serious consequences.
What is the remedy? A carefully
trained highway patrol on the rural
highways, with similarly trained traffic
officers in the municipalities. can 90 a
long way toward correcting driving err
rors. Efficient trafic control requires
careful selection and thorough training
Of the men. 1t also requires the right
perspective. Nothing is gained by try
ing to make a record for large num-
Der Of arrests. by arrests from ambush
or by arresting or annoying drivers who
commit technical but comparatively
harmless violations Of the traflc act
But q traffic patrol can be q real help
If 1t viii get the confidence Of the mo-
toring public. To do this the men
must make 1t clear that in calling at
tention to driving errors, they have in
mind the safety of the driver just as
much as others on the road.
MinnesOta's Slogan.
Keep Traffic Moving Safely has
been the slogan Of the Minnesota High
way Patrol We started with 8 men in
1929. increased to IS last year, and
since the LIST Of June, this year, we have
had 10 men. Already we see q marked
improvement In driving conditions on
our highways. There Is less driving in
the center Of the road, less passing on
hill crests and turns, less parking on
the roadway, and fewer of nearly all
other driving errors. The visible pres
ence Of uniformed officers on the high
ways has a good effect, and 1t tends to
keep drivers on the alert, even If they
are never given word Of caution by
the patrolmen
But the patrol alone cannot solve the
accident problem. It is only one means
OF attack. No matter how many men
you have, they cannot be everywhere.
They cannot begin to give individual
attention to the drivers Of our now uni
Versal motor vehicle. Nor have they
any assurance that a man arrested or
warned for violation of the trafic act
viii not commit the same error again.
A wen known drivers license law.
such as provided by Act III Of the
uniform vehicle code, "a Uniform on
orators and ChaufTeurs' License Act"
undoubtedly would be a big help Prop
erly conducted organizations would pre-
vent many of the unfit from receiving
licenses. The power to revoke licenses
wuoid remove some others, while the
possibility of the loss Of their license
would make others alert and careful.
Education must be the final solution.
Drivers must be taught both the specific
rules of the road, as well as the neces-
sity Of observing the Golden Rule. both
for their own safety and the safety of
others. They must understand the gen.
eral principles of mechanics Of their
vehicle. Perhaps this must come
through the public schools. Perhaps
some day no one will be permitted to
drive until he has gone through a course
Of study in auto mechanics, road rules
and courtesy When every driver thor
oughly understands his machine and his
responsibility to others, our accidents
will be cut TO a mere fraction of what
they are now, and the work Of traffic
regulation viii be greatly simplined.