Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12

Automobile accidents, measured by
the records of the last two years, have
claimed in each of these years the life
of one person in each 1858 and injured
one person in each 1923 among the
country'S population.
States that have laws that provide
for the licensing by preliminary exami-
nation and test Of prospective drivers
have experienced a saving under these
laws of Is to 80 per cent in traffic
deaths, on the average, as compared
with their accident records before adop-
ton of these license laws and COM
pared with the records Of the nom
licensing States.
Seven Out Of 100, 900 Saved.
Thus the States which are licensing
drivers by examination and test appear
to be saving seven lives in each 100, 900
of population and preventing the injury
of 236 persons in each 100000 OF popu-
lation.
Measured in terms of total population,
it can be reckoned from the above that,
il prospective drivers were licensed by
examination and test IN all States. the
total of lives saved would be 8,610 and
injuries to 100000 prevented from
traffic accidents alone each year.
In New England and the Northern
Seaboard States, and in California and
Arizona. where prospective drivers are
licensed by examination and test. the
increase in the traffic death rate Is
lower, as compared with that in all OF
the States.
Active campaigns are in progress In
a number of States to bring about the
enactment Of drivers license measures
with examination and test features In
conformity with the standard uniform
license act Of the National Conference
on Street and Highway Safety. Among
these States are Ohio, Illinois, Michigan
Minnesota, Montana, Idaho, oregon
Utah. Nevada, Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.
District of Columbia Experience.
The National Conference has recon-.
mended to the States the enactment OF
a uniform law covering the licensing Oh
all new motor vehicle drivers by exam
nation as to traffic rules and reguia-
lions, essentials of physical conoltlon
such as eyesight, and demonstratloiis
of ability to drive and control automo-
mile under normal traffic conditions.
The experience of IL States and the
District of Columbia with the drivers
license law with mandatory examination
and test indicates beyond question tnat
the law is a strong factor in increasing
safety on the streets and roads and re-
ducing the hazard Of accidents. IneSe
States have had the law with It's exam
nation and test feature IN operation
for a sufficient length OF time TO osn-
nitely indicate the effects upon traInc
movement.
Primary Purpose.
The primary purpose of the law is to
prevent, If possible, an acloent pelore ~
happens, rather than by overtaking the
incompetent driver after 1t has nap
pened. A study of the latest statlsticS
available indicates that out OF totaI
of $1,000 fatal accidents from all causes
in 1929, one-third of them, or 3l,OoO'
were the result of motor vehicle mis-
haps.
vehicles collided or clashed; railway
grade crossings claimed 2,485 other lives.
Other accidents involved pedestrians,
or were due to vehicles running on the
road.
Two prime reasons for licensing driv--
erS by mandatory examination ana test
are: To prevent drivers from operating
vehicles before they have learned the
rules Of the road and how to nanole
a motor car with safety to themselves
and to others and, second, 10 proVloe
the means for removing drivers from
the road whose records show tnem 10
be incompetent, negligent or dangerous.
The class Of persons that the license
law rules off the road may be only OF
2 per cent, or even less, OF all the per-
sons who are driving or seek 10 orlve
motor vehicles, but the educational ana
safety influence of the measure anects
practically the whole OF the driving
public.
Task Assumed by State.
Under this law the State assumes the
task of seeing to it that each driver Is
reasonably competent and safe peiore
he is turned loose with an automopAe
on the roads. In States where drivers
are not licensed the man responsible
for collision can get back on the roaoS
as soon as he can extricate his car ana
have it repaired. He may be the cause
of another accident and repeat the
process.
The drivers license act as proposed
to the different States that do not nave
such a law at this time, Is a part OF the
uniform vehicle code of the National
Conference on Street and Highway
Safety. It is the only code OF its KIND
that has been drafted, and has been
prepared through cooperation Win ana
assistance to the national conference
by several national organizations ana
associations, including the American
Automobile Association, the American
Mutual Alliance, tbs American Railway
Association, the Ahfrican Electric Han-
way Association, the Chamber OF Com
merce Of the United States, the NatlSn-
r.E