Evening star., 1932-07-17
In the Motor World
BY G. ADAMS HOWARD.

Wonder II the traffic authorities Of
Maryland Delaware and other Eastern
States ever have thought that their
speed laws of 40 miles an hour are
archaic and obsolete? Wonder If they
have kept pace with the modern devel-
opmentS in automobile construction,
sucn as larger and safer brakes, cars
under better control, faster cars, finer
highways banked curves and smoother
road surfaces? Wonder if they realize
that 40 mile an hour, which used to be
q dazzling speed, is today a dawdling
speed? Wonder if they have given more
than passing consideration to a real
speed law without a limit, but law
that will clamp down on the reckless
gent and set him up as an example?
How many times, Mr.. MotoriSt, have
you wondered the same thing as you
Ioll along at 40 miles an hour in your
1882 motor buggy, anxious to get some
where fairly fast without endangering
yourself or the other fellow. but know
ing that at 40 you can't get along very
quickly? Is there an end to speed or
is speed alone the determining factor In
highway accidents, always remembering
that an automobile hits much faster at
20 than it hits at 80?
Virginia, 10 years ago one OF the
most backward of the Eastern States In
road construction, today has moved
along abreast of her Southern neigh
bor-North Carohna-and Is liberal
izng her motoTiag prosGam aIan6yna BY series f1d
the mountains Of the West to the Tide
water section of the East and from the
Carolina border to the Potomac. Vir-
ginia has a 45-mile speed law. Are
there more accidents in the Old Do
minion State than there are in Mary
land and Delaware per mile of car
travel? Or is As miles an hour q bet
ter touring speed than 40 and pro-
ductive of no more accidents?
Automobile speed is purely relative.
A car can be as far out of control at
20 miles in congested area as 1t can
be at 10 miles on the open road. But
it is a certified cinch that If an auto
mobile driver knows he will have to
step up to the clerks desk and lay
anywhere from SIS to $25 on the line
for going a shade above the limit he
isn't going to exceed the limit. Which
brings up the old question: Why
limit?"
Why not lift the limit of entirely,
place the blame for accidents squarely
where it belongs, make the motorist the
goat if he has accident for which
he is to blame, and tax him good and
plenty when he Is proven to be wrong.
But let him roll along at SO miles If
he wants to, without the fear of John
Law swooping down on him in the form
OF a speed cop every time he lets out
q little burst of gas.
We have Travelled far and near over
the East and parts of the West and we
note that where there are the most
regulations and arrests there also are
the most accidents. In the South,
where for the most part motorists are
not checked for speed as much as in
the more settled northern parts Of the
East, higher travelling speeds generally
prevail and probably there are fewer
accidents. Automobiles Of today are
practically accident proof. provided
they are given periodical shop inspec-
ton Mechanical failures are so few
as to be almost rarity Roads are
better, brakes are better, highways are
better marked. So why not lift the lid
off this speed thing and go somewhere.
The old county arrest racket for vio-
lation of a local traffic ordinance is
with us again. From Southern Mary
land, where so many Washingtonians
go to fish and swim every day and every
week during the Summer, comes word
of a suspected racket on the Morgan