Evening star., 1935-09-13
SAFETY DECLARED
DRIVERS CONCERN
Cars Protective Features
Insufficient Alone, Says
H. 6. Kaiser.
RY HERBERT G. KAISER,

President. United States Treasury Depart
ment Beneficial Association.
Why extol only the safety of the car
when the accomplishment necessary
Is to make all drivers safe?
Autos are safe If drivers are in ac-
cordance with the statement OF r. j.
Murphy, manager Washington Auto
mobile Trade Associations but in the
early auto days some 1S TO 20 years
or more ago the number of cars were
few as compared to the number oper-
ated today and there we're many little
travelled thoroughfares on which new
drivers could practice. This situation
permitted persons to drive safely even
with the less-adequate brakes because
OF the then lower speed of cars.
Today there are few, if any, thor
cughfares where the new driver can
practice and the cars have much
greater speed. This condition, while
the cars have adequate brakes and
mechanical construction to accom-
plish the safe operation of the car,
nevertheless requires that the driver
should be capable to properly operate
the cars safely.
CareleSsness Blamed.
It is not possible for every person
who drives a car to readily acquire
this ability, because with the increased
speed of the cars and the tremendous
increased number of the cars opel ated
today requires quick thinking and i'm
mediate action to properly operate the
car safely Further, as observation
discloses, many drivers. including
drivers of buSses and taxicabs who.
although they have this ability, either
from lack of thorough knowledge OF
the rules or through carelessness fail
to comply with the traffic rules which
provide for safety. This situation
appears to be the cause of most Of
the collisions and accidents.
To eliminate, or at least greatly
minimize, the number of collisions
and accidents it evolves upon every
body concerned to take steps to cor
rect this condition:
Motorists Gncluding bus and taxi
cab drivers TO sign The Star pledge
card and pledge themselves to care
fully comply with the regulations and
courteously recognize the rights of
other motorists and pedestrians.
: Transportation and Bus Companies.
TO require the drivers of their
buses and cabs to have thorough
knowledge of all traffic regulations,
such regulations being applicable to
busseS and taXicabs as we'll as other
automobiles. and to further require
that the drivers do not violate such
regulations, which many of them have
been observed to do, such as running
through safety zones and on the wrong
side of the street. and in some in
stances exceeding the speed limit.
Suggestions to Trade.
p The Automobile Trade.-When SELL
ing cars to experienced drivers, in ad-
dition to extolling the quick getaway
and fast speed features of the car,
which circumstances frequently cause
drivers to get "beat-the -other-fel-
low" complex, to also point out that
the car can be properly slowed down
when approaching crossings. and even
stopped when 1t is necessary to avoid
q collision, permitting the driver to
thereby comply with the traffic regu-
lations covering crossings and inter-
sections.
When selling cars to new drivers
where the purchaser is taught how to
drive the instructions should be along
the lines of proper road driving and
rigid compliance with the traffic reg
ulations and not confined to mere
parking the car and demonstration
of its qualities, such as showing how
knee action wheels work over safety
zone buttons, which observers have
noticed has frequently been done.
The Oficials Who Issue and Cancel
Driving Permits.-To take rigid steps
to determine the ability to drive un-
der road conditions before issuing per-
mits, and also cancel the permits of
persons who, although capable driv-
ers, otherwise wantonly violate traf-
nc regulations.