Evening star., 1938-01-06
Incredible Proposition to
Make Lawbreaking Lawful
To the Editor Of The Star:


1t seems incredible, this latest sugges-
ton for solving the traflic problem, and
still more incredible that 1t should come
from the director of traffic and the
superintendent of police.
Briefly, the suggestion is to eliminate
the lawbreakers of the trafic world by
making their lawbreaking lawful. OF
course, the plan is not presented In as
simple words as these We are to have
increased speed, as cure for the present
vicious and inexcusable traffic conditions
which are almost solely the direct result
of speed. This will mean less effort
in the way of law enforcement, and will
at least relieve the hapless pedestrian
Of the effort he has been making for
some time to belive that those in au-
thority were really concerned about his
safety.
Any thinking and considerate driver,
with any amount of experience to his
credit, can testify to the narrow escapes
from injury to himself and others, and
the number Of accidents he has avoided,
by maintaining reasonable and con-
trollable speed. In the face of traffic
conditions in this city, where the toll
is chiefly old people and young children,
any reasoning person must admit that
speed and speed alone is the killing fac
tor in the great majority of the fatal
or nearly fatal accidents. Our heartless
regulations, and our heartless drivers,
many OF whom are not of an age to
have any judgment or to think OF any
one but themselves, take no account now
OF the many who are forced to use our
streets and who are unfortunately not
in condition to step on it" to get
out OF the path of conscienceless motor
lists whose very manner of handling their
cars proves them utterly unfit to have
license.
The plan is, according to reports, to
raise the speed from % and 80 to 25
and IS miles an hour in the various
zones. The sequel is most interesting.
All who violate this new speed limit
are to be arrested. 1t seems that at
present drivers are going at Is and 30
miles IN 22-mile zones and at IS and
over IN 30-mile zones, so the idea is to
raise the limit on the supposition that
the laWless drivers will Immediately
thereafter conform to the new law. And
why should they? What is to hinder
their raising their speed again above
the new limit? And how are they to be
arrested, If at the present time the police
are entirely unable to catch them, only
tiny proportion of the actual violators
being apprehended as things are now?
Under the new limits the drinking driver
will also be able to get by easier, until
he is stopped by a casualty or fatality.
Inc idea always seems to be, if it Is
difficult to enforce any law, just repeal
the law, then the problem of enforce
ment is easy. Why not apply the same
line OF reasoning to the law against muir
der, since murderers are even now being
excused on the slightest pretext.
AS has been said many times before
the whole problem can be worked out
without reducing 1t to the absurdity of
increased speed. by a process of elimina-
ton. Take the killer off the streets,
at least for a sufficiently long period
to let him thoroughly digest his re-
sponsibility, and the sad consequences of
his sel1shness. Don't let him run down
an aged couple one day and ride around
IN his car the next day. protected by
the bail OF some sympathe friend
When robber is caught red handed with
q gun. he Is not released to do his own
Tree will before his dead are even buried,
nor allowed to keep the weapon with
which he killed his victim.
1t is self-evident and capable of proof
that it is fast driving. and not slow dr,v-
Ing. that creates traffic hazards. Anv
mere child can figure this out And it is
also evident that the constant sueees-
tlons in favor of more speed appearing
every now and then in the daily papers
are very important factor in the en-
couragement of lawbreaEers.
VERA E. ADAMS.