Evening star., 1933-01-29
BY WILLIAM A. VAN DUZER,

d. c. Director OF VenlcIes ana franc.
The question before the American
people at the present time is what
should be done to the Is per cent of
motor vehicle drivers who make the
highways and streets of the country
unsafe for the other IS per cent. Pub
lie officials charged with the admins
tration Of the motor vehicle laws have
been working for years on the problem
to devise methods which will eliminate
reckless operation of motor vehicles.
They have arrived at no positive result.
Conditions, it is true, are better when
consideration is given to the tremendous
increase in registration during the past
few years.
Has Kept Pace.
The highway engineer has kept pace
with design in the craze for speed that
people. They have reduced curvature
to minimum by putting in broad
superelevsted curves SO ss to provide
for reasonable and safe speed. Center
lines to divide traffic have been either
painted onto or built into the pavement
Long. easy vertical curves have been
provided so as to obtain maximum
sight distance In fact, it seems that
everything humanity possible has been
accomplished in the way of building
facility and safety into the highways.
The automotive engineers have de-
veloped numerous safety features in the
construction of automobiles, the four
wheel brakes and the tilt ray head
ments. The low-pressure tire has re-
duced skidding on wet pavements by
giving a flrmer grip upon the highway.
Safety glass is now standard equip
ment in practically all automobiles
The center of gravity has been con-
siderably lowered, which reduces the
probability of overturning.
1t seems that from these outstanding
developments in both road and motor
vehicle construction the engineers have
done their part toward general safety.
Accident Cause.
Statistics show that about 96 per cent
OF the motor vehicle accidents are
caused by the negligence, carelessness
or recklessness of the operator 1t would
therefore seem that the motor vehicle
administrators should concentrate on
the driver.
Sixteen States at the present time
have drivers license laws which pro-
vide that the operator shall be con-
versant with the general laws and regu-
lations governing the operation of mo-
tor vehicles; that he shall have good
natural eyesihgt and. If not, that his
vision be corrected by proper glasses,
which must be worn by him when
operating; that he shall not have mental
or other physical defects, such as epi-
lepsy, and, lastly, that he shall demon
strate by q drivers test his ability to
safely operate car in traffic.
The average weight of an automobile
IS 5000 pounds. Driving at 40 miles
an hour this automobile generates l68,-
600 foot pounds Of energy. This is
equivalent to the force exerted by a
200-pound weight falling from height
of $40 feet. In the hands of an ire
sponsible. ignorant or vicious person
the automobile is therefore likely to be-
come veritable engine of destruction,
more deadly than a fall of a human
body from the top of the Empire State
Building. Few people realize that an
automobile travelling at 40 miles an
hour is moving through space at the
rate Of so feet second-the time 1t
takes for one to turn his eyes from one
side of the street to the other-and
that many things could happen and
often do happen in that short space Of
time.
The tendency in some Of the States
is to tighten and stiffen up on drivers