Evening star., 1935-02-03


wise and adopt definite procedure
for the enforcement Of rules regulat-
ing drivers hours Of duty. The au-
thorities responsible, the methods ac-
ceptable, and the source Of funds Tor
such enforcement should be consid-
cred and the proper authority granted
to make the legislation effective. It
is especially desirable that violations
of laws be detected and prosecuted
when they occur in connection with
accidents.
Z. As a matter of good management,
truck operators should have detailed
trip sheets kept so that they can know
exactly the conditions under which
their trucks and drivers work. Re.
quiring such trip sheets to be kept
by certain classes of truck and bus
drivers should be considered as q
method of enforcing laws and rules
limiting hours Of duty.
Commenting on the accidents, the
American Automobile Association finds
that the majority in 1884 occurred,
not on crowded city streets and urban
boulevards, but in the wide-open
spaces traversed by State and local
highways.
The statement was based on an
analysis of the past years traffic IA
tality record by the safety and traff1c
engineering department of the ma
tional motoring body.
I'VE cannot escape the conclusion"
says Thomas P. Henry, president of
the A. A. A., that attention must be
Immediately directed to the improve
ment and control of driving practices
on heavily travelled country roads"
The analysis shows that the traffic
death rate in 86 principal cities in
1884 was one-third lower than for the
Nation as a whole. Using an index
figure of 100 to represent the national
auto death rate, the major cities are
shown to have a ratio Of approximately
81 per cent as compared with a ratio
of about 1873 for the less populous
areas. Despite the increase in the
national fatality total, nearly third
of the larger cities reported actual de-
creases in their traffic accident death
rates during the year.
| KbCNlCW1llk tllC V1l.
says:
THE tendency in recent years has
been toward the abolition Of maximum
speed limits as far as rural areas are
concerned and to substitute reason
able and proper speeds. still be-
lieve that this was sound in principle,
but, clearly, the reckless and ire
sponsible drivers have taken advan-
tage of the situation, and there Is
the accidents were due to speeds that
were unreasonable under the condi-
tions. It is because of the depreda-
tions of this minority that we now
have an insistent demand for rein
statement of maximum speed limits,
for installation Of governors to con-
troll speed and whatnot.
Highways Not Modern.
1T is also fact that many Of our
State highways were not constructed
to meet the requirements Of the mod
ern lightweight, high-speed car
Hence, we must build more safety into
these highways themselves before we
can expect any great improvement in
conditions.
"In many States patrolling of State
highways Is not nearly as complete OF
as effective as it should be. While 40
States have highway patrols. many OF
these patrols do not have the per-
sonnel necessary to cope with the
problem. An increase in personne
and more intensive training for high
way patrols are in order At the same
time, States that do not have patrols
now should enact legislation permit
ting of their establishment
Many of the States In which the
largest cities are located have more
progressive motor laws than most Of
the highly rural States, including
standard drivers license laws and
safety-responsibility laws.
1T has been recognized all along
that the cities have better and more
effective control, largely because they
give more attention to working out
safety measures and to securing ell.
forcement Of safety measures, anc
because they have larger and better
trained enforcement personnel, both a.
to the area patrolled and the number
of vehicles supervised"
There was 2,778,739 automobiles
sold last year. according to the Bureau
of Census Of the Department Of Com.
merce. This number compares with
1,920,057 in 1888 and 1,370,678 ir
1892.
December factory sales of automo.
biles manufactured In the Unitet
States (including foreign assemble,
from parts made in the United State.
and reported as complete units o.
vehicles) consisted Of 183,187 vehicles
of which 1884 were passenger cars
55,128 trucks, and lis taxi cabs, a
compared with 78,465 vehicles in No.
vember, 1884, 80,565 vehicles in De.
cember, 1888, and 107,353 vehicles ir
December, 1892.