Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-05-14
SAFETY BODY
ASKS HELP
Tolerance of Public Makes
Driving Law Enforce
ment Difficult.
Safety Committee Chair
man Asks for More
Severe Penalties.

concentrated HdIIOll-WluG ell
fort is being made at the pres
ent time with the end in view to
lessen reckless and drunken driv-
ing which is taking such a ire
mendous toll of human Life Min
neSOta has an organization known
as the Minnesota Public Safety
Committee and the Askov Amer
lean is in receipt of letter from
A. V. Rohweder, chairman, which
is self-explanatory and speaks
prominently of the federation by
the public which is assisting this
marauding element to continue
in highhanded manner to prey
upon the careful motorists.
A portion of the letter from Mr..
Rohweder follows:
At a recent meeting of a public
safety committee number of dis
trict and municipal court judges, and
enforcement officers were in attend
ance and made expressions clearly
demonstrating that efforts to Fix"
arrests for drunken or reckless driv-
was no use in hoping for betterment
of the traffic accident situation.
1t is useless to demand enforce
ment' by the authorities as long as
no attempt is made to enable them
to enforce.
The Minnesota Public Safety Com
mittee believes that it is possible to
bring about reasonable, effective but
certain enforcement of the regula-
lions against drunken or reckless
driving.
Make CareleSSneSs Costly.
1t must be made too costly for
motor operator to do other than drive
properly. No set rules can be Laid
down as to the degree or measure of
penalization required Every case of
violation is a consideration by itself,
and determination is a matter wholly
for the court. Assessment of only
such fines as the arrested person can
conveniently pay will not stop drunk
en- or careless driving. Fines that
mean something, or Incarceration that
will make itself felt, must come or
deaths and injuries are going to
mount higher and higher.
The majority of motorists are try
ing to operate their cars or trucks
safely and properly. They should no
longer be kept in jeopardy by the
small number that are totally incon-
siderate of other users of the streets
and highways.
Drunken driving does not make up
the major part of the traffic law vio-
lations in Minnesota. 1t made up
only 1878 of the total of fatalities in
1885. Drunken walking accounted for
1871 per cent. AS Long as reckless
driving from any cause is condoned
to any degree whatsoever it is going
to be impossible to effect improve
ment in the matter of safety on the
streets and highways.
The Minnesota Public Safety Com
mittee is urging local public safety
committees to ask for reports of ar
rests on charges of drunken or reck-
less driving and on the disposal of
all such cases. This information is
a matter of public record. Compila-
ton of report once a month, or
oftener if the number of such cases
is sufficient to warrant, and forward
ing copy to the state committee can
prove of definite value.
AS long as the more hazardous traf-
fic law violations are allowed to con-
tinue it is beyond all reasonableness to,
expect the lesser ones to begin show
ing decrease. All violations that con-
tain the elements of accident hazard
can be greatly reduced with the de-
velopment of sufficient action in the
right quarters. This is not in the
slightest degree less vital than that.
arson be wiped out, or that lunatics
be confined.