Evening star., 1936-02-16

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of such factors as the education of
the driver and pedestrian and engi-
neering of the highway and the driver.
The study made by the Northwest
ern University Traffic Officers Train
/ ing School was planned to give to po-
lice departments and individual cities
an indication of their activities and
an idea of how their work compares
with that of other departments
throughout the country. Possible diff
ferences among cities as respects ex-
poSure to accidents as well as in the
use of education and engineering pre-
vent the determination of an exact
relation between enforcement and
death rates, it was said.
Washington's traffic situation and
its possible correction are dealt with
in the following report of a special
committee appointed by the Keystone
Automobile Club to prepare recon-
mendations on the subject:
Enforcement.
l. A traffic fatality rate of 221
per 100000 in 1885 raises a serious
question as to the adequacy of motor
vehicle regulation enforcement. In
view of the accepted efficiency and
loyalty of the Metropolitan Police the
inadequacy seems properly attribut-
able to lack of manpower.
A police force that is charged With
the protection of life and property
in the Federal Capital obviously falls
short of expected performance when
single year sees lib lives wiped out
in traffic accidents A Congress lend
ing service to the slogan, Make
Washington a model for the Nation" /"
should give the city a police force
Of sufficient strength to remove it from
the category of a bad example We
recommend such action as a first step
in the correction of the Capitals
traffic situation.
2. Given the additional manpower
needed to enforce the traffic regula-
tionS, Police Department officials
should see to it that trs>ling courses
are enlarged and strengthened prop
erly to equip every officer assigned
to such duty for his specialized task
Every member of the force assigned
to traffic duty, if only for few min
utes daily, should be thoroughly IA
miliar with the technique of traffic
direction. Training courses should be
designed to produce uniformity in
method of controlling vehicular move
ment and rigorous enough to exclude
these temperamentally or otherwise
untitled for the work.
3. 1t is strongly recommended that
an accident investigation and analy-
sis set-up be created. Trained per-
sonnel should be assigned to the in
veStigation of accidents with the OBJ
Jectlve OF bringing the guilty to justice
with the same rigor with which any
other form of homicide is followed
and prosecuted.
4. Traffic is never so restrained nor
orderly as when monitored by a uni
formed, mobile policeman. 1t is i'm
perative, then, that more motorized
! III,
shall be assigned to duty during peak
accident hours.
s. A rowing mechanical inspection
crew could do much to clear the
city's streets of unsafe cars. Such a
special squad should be trained and
equipped to test vehicles, commercial
and private at any time and place as
to efficiency of all safety equipment.
1t is this clubs belief that article 7.
section SO, of the present Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Regulations" provides
ample authority for such inspections.
6. Ticket fixing should be sum-
marily and completely eliminated.
Motoring morals and the morale of
police officers would be vastly improved
under such program. Such policy,
OF course, should protect the motorist
to the extent of stringent regulations
governing the issuance of tickets and
stern discipline for officers guilty of
their violation.
Department of Vehicles and Traffic.
l. The department should be given
the greatest possible latitude for the
extension of intercontrol of the flex-
lble progressive signal system through
the installation Of the most modern
control devices. Not otherwise can a
maximum of efficiency be derived from
the automatic signal system.
2. The city's system of one-way
streets during morning and evening
rush hours should be extended. This
refers, of course, to that system in
which designated street is restricted
to one-way inbound traffic in the
morning and outbound in the after
noon peak traffic period. Extreme
care should be taken in the marking
of such streets that no motorist, local
or tourist, will have valid reason for
violating these temporary and special
regulations. To this end, as well as
others, cooperation between the motor
vehicle and police departments should
be continued on the highest possible
plane and enlarged in every direction
8. The more extensive use of traffic
lane lines, especially at intersections
of principal arteries is to be recon-
mended. To give effectiveness to such
street marking, enforcement should
be directed particularly to restricting
heavy and slow moving traffic to tn,
right lanes. Sad neglect of enforce.
ment of this regulation for two decades
has virtually nullified it.
4. We favor the rigid and thorough
inspection of all used cars as a condi.
tion Of transfer of ownership. Cert.
flcation Of inspection by reputable
dealer establishments should be re-
quired on the title in the vehicles
change of hands.
General.
/. We recommend extension to the
furthest practicable degree of the prac.
: tice Of staggering hours of employment
in public buildings and, in so far a.
possible application Of the same prac'
tice to the opening and closing hours
of both elementary and high schools.