Evening star., 1936-12-10
VAN DUZER URGES
SUSPENSION PLAN
NOT Be CHANGED
FroWns on Proposal to Limit
Permits Lifting to 45-
Mile Clip.
PRESENT SYSTEM SEEN
AS CUTTING ACCIDENTS
Injuries and Fatalities Both Have
Been Reduced in Last
Year, He Says.

Declaring a speed of As miles an
hour would be unreasonable and
dangerous, Traffic Director William
A. Van Duzer today diSapproved a
proposal of the Advisory Board of the
American Automobile Associations
District Motor Club that an automo-
bile permit not be suspended unless
the driver is convicted of going that
fast or faster in 30-mile zone.
Van Duzer urged the Commissioners
to continue in effect the present sys-
tenn of suspension or revocation of
permits for excessive speeding until
q means of achieving further reduc-
ton Of the appalling number Of traffic
accidents" can be adopted.
AS proof of the effectiveness of the
present plan, under which permits
speeding IS miles or more, Van Duzer
reported that both accidents and IA
talities this year had been reduced
below records of last year.
Report Referred to Survey Chairman.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen, who
instituted study of the present plan
after receiving proposals for changes
from the motor club board, headed
by George w. Offutt, referred the Van
Duzer report to Edward w. Thomas,
assistant corporation counsel, chair
man Of the survey group.
Van Duzer supported suggestion
of the A. A. A. Board that when
police apply for information papers
they be required to state at what
speed the motorist is charged, instead
of merely "in excess of % miles per
hour" Van Duzer agreed that some
motorists have pleaded guilty to a
general charge of speeding. not realiZ-
ing that they would lose their permit
tor Is or more days.
The traffic director, however. op-
posed any weakening of the present
plan Of suspensions.
Adoption of the policy of suspend
ing and revoking permits for speed.
and the publicity given to it by the
newspapers, is, in my opinion, largely
responsible for the reduction in per-
sonal injury accidents and fatalities"
he said.
For the first II months of 1895,
<,02s persons were injured in automo-
bile accidents in the District, while
during the first II months of this
year there were 3,763 persons injured,
showing a reduction of 266 personal
injury accidents.
During the first II months of 1885
there uere 1C1 Dersons kil1ed II, traffic
accidents in Washington. During the
same period of this year 81 persons
have been killed, showing a reduction
Of 81, or approximately Is per cent.
These reductions have been brought
about in spite of the increase in reg
ktrations during the same period of
approximately $4,000 motor vehicles"
Van Duzer reported that since last
January Z the Board of Revocation
and Review had suspended or revoked
3,929 District permits for periods of
IS days or more. In addition, it has
suspended the right to drive in the
District Of 544 non-reSidents, prin-
cipally those residing in Maryland
and Virginia.
Van Duzer said the board had used
discretion in the case of conviction
Of persons who were driving between
IS and 40 miles an hour in a 30-mile
zone. "All such cases have been ig-
nored unless the speed exceeded 80
miles an hour in a 30-mile zone, or
unless the driver had previous re-
cent record for speeding" he added.