Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22
DRIVING PERMIT TESTS HELD
BEST MOTORING SAFEGUARD
Traffic Accident Statistics Prove This
Method as Most Practical in Reducing
Injuries and Deaths.

accompanied by very little, If any, in
crease in the registration Of motor
vehicles or the consumption Of gasoline.
Furthermore, the increase in trafic
deaths last year as compared with the
toll Of 1929 did not take place in the
States that have standard license laws
for their driVeTs-that Is, an examt-
nation and driving test before they are
granted their licenses. In fact, the
States with such standard laws, in the
aggregate, showed a slight decrease or
improvement In their traffic deaths last
year as compared with the year before
Nor did the increase last year as
compared with 1929 take place as the
result of the operation of commercial
vehicles. Nor was 1t in the large cities,
which are seriously and in considerable
measure successfully graphing with
their traffic troubles. The increase in
1880, generally speaking. was on rural
highways, in States without adequate
and sufficient drivers license laws, and
among private passenger automobiles.
This Nation is giving all possible at
tention and support to educational
campaigns, to engineering improvements
and to enforcement Of traffic regula-
tions by police and by courts. Yet 1t Is
edies are not effectively reaching GER
tain class of drivers who are deaf 10
education, who fout traf1c laws and to
whom better and safer highways and
better and safer automobiles are simply
an invitation to more and more reck-
less driving.
License laws Of states that have been
found effective in their provision for
dealing with this class Of drivers In
clude these three essentials:
l. Every new driver Is required TO
pass an examination, simple and prac-
tical in its detail, and undergo a road
driving test before he receives his first
license. The competent person has
nothing to fear from such examination
and test. 1t may be said, however, that
usually when this law first takes effect
| experienced drivers are given licenses
without examination, except in cases of
/ obvious disability, because to examine
all present drivers at once would be q
/ virtually impossible task.
| 2. A license may be suspended for q
short or long period for adequate cause,
| or revoked for unsafe or illegal driving.
This has the effect Of putting the in
| competent, reckless or dangerous driver
off of the highways when he proves
himself to be such.
| 8. The law is administered by State
/ department. OF bureau WlLLl AQeQudUS
personnel, headed by competent COM
missioner, in whom is vested discre-
tionary power to withhold or suspend
| licenses, subject to appeal to the courts.
! This provision makes possible adequate
and equitable enforcement, without
which any traflc measure must fail In
its object and purpose.
Fees that are charged to the recip-
tents of licenses should be sufdcient
only to cover the cost Of administration
Of this law The motoring public right.
fully objects to the imposition Of "just
another tax" Safety on the highways
Is not gained merely by the imposition
Of q tax, even in the purchase Of .
drivers license.
| Bills and measures to license motor
| vehicle operators are now pending in
| about half of the State Legislatures
| that are meeting this year. Many Of
| these bills embody the essentials OF
| the standard license measure, as have
outlined, and conforming with the pro-
visions Of the uniform operators and
| chauffeurs' license act, recommended by
the National Conference on Street and
Highway Safety at washington and its
constituent organizations, and Endorsed
| by the American Bar Association and
| the National Conference Of Commis-
sioners on Uniform State Laws.