Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-12-13
STATE TRAFFIC
ENDORSES THE
SCHOOL WORK

The Maryland Traffic Safety Com
mittee last week endorsed a plan of
Driver Training for High School stu
dents. This plan was submitted to the
Executive Committee according to
Isaac S. George, General Chairman
"after an exhaustive study by sub
committee" The vote for the adop-
ton of the plan was unanimous"
Other than the members of the
Executive Committee, there were pres
ent Mr.. Thomas C. Pullen, and Miss
Helen C. Wootten, representing the
State Department of Education.
Mr.. George said "This plan will
now be submitted to Governor O'Con-
or's and all school authorities, and it
is the hope that the course of instruc-
ton will be speedily adopted"
In presenting the plan, Mr.. George
said, "In considering this subject,
from a wealth of material, we find
three basic considerations: 1. There
are two million youths reaching the
age of sixteen each year of whom
one million will become drivers. 2.
By far the greatest accident rate is
in the age group 16 to %. 8. 1t has
been demonstrated that proper in
structions will reduce much of this
hazard.
With the above basic considerations
in mind, we can proceed to discuss
the matter at length.
No report of this kind would be
complete or even fair if recognition
were not taken of the fact that right
here in our own State, education of
high school students in highway SAT-
ETY. and safe driving has been carried
on very successfully through the fine
work of ergeant C. E. Minnick, of the
State Police and the splendid coopera
ton of Miss Helen C. Wootten, at
Wicomico High School, and also at
other schools in adjacent territory.
This has demonstrated that this work
can be successfully done.
This committee frankly believes
that in the face. of an increase in
accidents Notwithstanding better
cars; better roads, better policing;
and better publicity, one of the best
answers to traffic safety is better
driving and that the best place to
start is with youth, who as class
are responsible for the greater per
cent of accidents. While the Com
mittee recognizes that human frail-
ties make accidents inevitable and
that if homes are never completely
safe, he road will never be, it never
theless is confident that much can be
accomplished.
This Committee, therefore, recon-
mends very strongly to county and
city school authorities that they i'm
mediately undertake to set up in their
respective high schools a course of
instruction in highway safety and
driver training, and the Committee
pledges itself to make available full
information as to the details neces-
.sary to carry out comprehensive
!. course.
1t now seems we'll to consider the
best practical means of developing
such a program of instruction and
here again we must face certain bas-
ic considerations.
1. It has been done successfully in
many sections.
2. Wherever it has been tried, re-
sponsibility for its promotion has
been definitely fixed in some State
Department.
3. 1t is generally recognized that
actual instruction should be in the
hands of school teachers or persons
selected by the school authorities.
In Connection with the second basic
consideration "that responsibility be
definitely fixed in some State Depart
ment," it is the belief of the Com
mittee that full effectiveness cannot
be accomplished until responsibility
for the promotion of the work is &C
copied or directly placed in the hands
of responsible State agency, so that
through it's activity the school au-
thorities can be made conscious of
the Importance of safe driving
courses and aided in the development
of them. That this can be success
fully done has been shown in several
States; notably Connecticut where
the responsible authority is the Com
missioner of Motor Vehicles. In IL
linois where the responsible authority
is the Safety Section, Department of
Highways. In Massachusetts where
the responsible authority is the Com
missioner of Motor Vehicles and in
Wisconsin where responsible author
ity is the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles.