The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-07-09
Demand Growing
For Statewide
Drivers License
Seen as Needed More and
More; as Public. Safety
Measure
The Times-News Rursar
Sir Walter Hotel


RALEIGH, July 9.-There is a
growing demand from all sections
of the state for the enactment, OF
a statewide drivers license law
AS a safety and accident proven
tion measure, according to most
observers here: People seem to
be realizing that too many are
being killed and injured each
month in automobile accidents and
that the only way to reduce the
number of these accidents is with
q state drivers license law.
Carol Weathers, recently nom-
mated to the state senate from
Wake county, has already an
nounced that he will introduce
and seek the enactment of driv-
ers' license law and is already as
sembling data on the subject. Sev-
eral other members of the next
general assembly are reported 20
have the same thing in mind. Va
rious newspapers over the state
are vigorously advocating a driv-
ers license law. The Raleigh
News and Observer the past week
carried an editorial advocating
the coupon book form of drivers
license, which would require every
driver to carry a coupon book, in
which the officers would write
the form of violation noted when,
ever the driver was stopped ana
warned or arrested.
Governor ]. C. B. Ehringhaus
is also becoming increasingly in
terested in the question of auto
mobile accidents and is convinced
that the general assembly should
take some action in an effort to
reduce the number of fatal and
non-fatal accidents on the high
WAYS of the state. He is definite
ly opposed to any attempt to de,
rive any revenue from a drivers
license, however.
AZ think a drivers license law
is undoubtedly needed in North
Carolina and I hope the next gen.
eral assembly will enact one,"
Governor Ehringhaus said today.
"However, I am opposed to any
effort to derive any revenue from
such a license, since am con-
WINGED that the automobile own
ers of the state are already bear
ing all the expense they can, es-
pecially with the. present high
prices being charged for gasoline.
But I believe an effective drivers
license law can be worked out
that will not impose any addition
al cost to the automobile owners. 7"
The most effective type of drlv-
ers' license is that which requires
every car driver to pass an exam
nation showing his or her ability
to drive an automobile, according
to Capt. Charles D. Farmer, COM
mander of the state highway pa
troll. When the applicant passes
the examination, he or she is
then issued card bearing the
name of the driver, also a serial
number, with all of the principal
violations printed on the card,
with from three to five squares
or circles after each of these vio-
lationS.
"The type of law we are advo-
eating would provide for the is
suance of a state drivers license
free to any person who can pass
a relatively simple examination
on the operation of an automo-
bile" Capt. Farmer said. These
license cards would be given to all
those who applied for the test and
who are adjudged capable of driv-
ing a car. A duplicate card, with
the name of the driver and with
the same serial number as the
original, would be filed in the
motor vehicle bureau.
whenever a highway patrol
man or other officer would stop a
driver either to warn him or to
make an arrest, he would punch
tbs space opposite the offensee
printed on the card and alos send
in a written report to the office
here. When this report is re,
ceived, it would also be punched
on the duplicate card. This would
~rayont q driver from throwing
his license away or losing it in IN
effort to keep us from checking
nm on him. For we would thus be
able to keep a complete record OF
every time a driver Is stoppeu'
warned or arrested.
"Most drivers laws in other
states provide that when a driver
has been warned from three &. to
FIVE times that he must then be
arrested and stand trial on all the
other charges indicated by the
punched places on his license. This
is a good thing, since if driver
has been warned three times for
speeding and has three punches
on his card, he knows that if he
is stopped a fourth time he will
have to stand trial on four sepa-
rate charges. So he is more care
full and takes fewer chances. He
also knows that we have q record
of his record in our files. That
also helps to make him more care