Evening star., 1933-08-27
Stricter Rules Urged.

]
Stricter Rules Urged.
On the heels of several highway ac-
cidents in which vehicles loaded with
! explosives were involved, the American
Automobile Association renewed its de-
mand for the strictest possible Federal
and State regulation of motor vehicles
engaged in the transportation of eX-
ploSiveS.
Two recent accidents of a most seri-
oIs character and in which trucks
loaded with explosives were involved,
have served to stress the obligation
resting on the Federal Government, on
the States, on trucking companies and
on the manufacturers and shippers to
throw every safeguard and precaution
around the transportation of explosives
by motor" Thomas P. Henry of Detroit,
Mich, president of the American Auto
mobile Association, declared.
Under the explosives act passed by
Congress in 1921 the Interstate Com
merce Commission has the authority
to frame regulations that would govern
the transportation Of explosives by
| common carrier trucks, not only in in
terstate, but also in intrastate COM
merce. Under the 1921 act strict reg
ulations for the carriage of such ma
terial by rail have already been put
into effect, but the marine code and
the road code are still in the making.
While it is expected that the code
for regulation of trucks carrying eX-
plosiVeS will be completed at an early
date. it would reach only very small
number of the motor vehicles engaged
in this type of transportation, since
the great majority of them are either
| private or contract carriers. This
latter consideration accentuates the
urgency Of effective State police regu-
lations for which, no doubt a Fed
eral code would serve as q model.
The transportation OF explosives was
a hazardous business even in the horse
and buggy days and the very nature
of the gasoliue-prCpel!ed electrically
wired vehicle has greatly increased the
hazards
There IS every reason to believe that
manufacturers and shippers and the
larger trucking companies have sought
to conduct this business with view
TO affording every protection to their
employees and to the general public
| using the highways. But it is far too
sericus matter to leave to the dis
cretion of individuals Federal and
State supervision is particularly i'm
portant at the present time. for the
reason that the large program of pub
lie works just inaugurated will tend
to increase transportation of inflam-
mable material by highway.
Precautions Urged.
Even in the absence of laws set
ting forth regulations, the State au-
thCritieS can use the police power to
lI-pI oil nj :
and precautions as have been advanced
by the Bureau of Mines of the Depart
ment of Commerce, by the Institute
Of Makers CT Explosives and by some
of the large companies.
Among the precautions set forth by
the Bureau of Mines and other
agencies are:
That all motor equipment used in
this business should be kept in first
class condition at all times; that de-
tonators should not be carried in the
same compartment with an explosive,
such as powder; that there should be
no exposed metal in the compartment
where the load is carried that would
acG as conveyor for an electric cur
rent: that the exhaust should be
screened in such a way as to prevent
a backfire; that the bottom of trucks
should be protected with a heat-ab-
sorhing material; that all wiring
should be strorgly and thoroughly in
sulated; that every precaution should
be taken to prevent vapor from es-
Gaping from the gas tank; that IN
addition to the driver, every truck car
rying explosives should have a guard;
that neither the guard nor the driver
should ever be permitted to smoke
while in the truck; that the load
should be covered with a tarpaulin;
that trucks carrying explosives should.
as far as possible. avoid congested
areas; that they should stop at all
grade crossings and should carry a
prominent notice of the dangerous
character of the load"