The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-05-06
Pittsburgh Traffic "Informers" Are Cutting The Accident Total
And Citizens Don't Resent Spies
By Nea Service

By Nea Service
 Pittsburgh, May 6 = No matter where a traffic regulation in Pitts burgh, you can never be sure that you are getting away with 1t.
 There may be no police car n sight But there is 8 good chance that you are being noted by one or 500 traffic observers"
 The system of volunteer "ob- servers" who report violations to a central bureau seems to be working Since it was introduced in 1880 by the Better Traffic Committee, a ctv-subsidized agency, records show that its activities have run parallel to 8 constantly falling accident toll. TRAFFIC
 SPIES
 The system is simple. The com- mittee incites citizens to become observers. Accepting, he or she IS assigned number by the committee, and given a credential card. Form cards on which to report observed violations are then provided.
 Names of the observers are not made public, and are known only to the traffic committee, which identifies the reports by the num- Der of the observer.
 When such an observer sees a car weaving wildly in traffic, pass ing a standing street-car, speeding, pulling out from the curb without a drivers signal, crashing light, or cutting across traffic lanes in a dangerous manner, he notes the license number.
 Then, on a printer report card he records the number, the offense makes any additional remarks, jots down his own number as observer, and mails the card to the commit tee.
 POLITE
 REQUEST
 The committee checks the num- Der of the offending car and mails a polite form letter to the owner, asking his cooperation in making Pittsburgh traffic safer.
 Then the report is noted on a card, which is kept for each car- owner reported. It carries on one side the reports from observers, and on the other of any accidents in which the driver may have been involved.
 Six thousand such warnings let ters go out each year to owners whose cars have been reported as offending. Less than one per cent yield replies from owners who are angry at having been "spied on.'
 Many returns answers saying that they themselves had not been driving their cars at the time re- ported, and that they had warned chaubbeurs, wives, sons, or daugh- ters who were. Most replies indicate that the warning is effective, pro- missing more care in. the future.
 When a letter is returned con- tlining a reasonable excuse, the committee usually does not mark the offense on the record.
 INDEX
 EVIDENCE
 In a great file are cards on 50,OOO drivers who have been re- ported since the organization began work. These accidents proneness" cards have been used as evidence against the drivers in traffic court.
 Magistrates sometimes mete out heavier sentences against drivers charged with a traffic offense if his Better Traffic Committee card shows that he has been reported by ob- servers in the past.
 Many unfit drivers have been weeded out. When driver has been repeatedly reported by ob- serve, police make him undergo a physical examination. Cases of bad eyesight mad physical disabilities have been uncovered, and either treatment or revocation of license followed.
 The system has been so success full that it is being constantly broadened.
 Observers also are given cards on which to report observed cases of outstanding courtesy, and the con- mittee then mails out form letter of praise, winning new friend and ally in the, safety campaign.