Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-03-11
New Driving Regulations
To Be Broached In Assembly

Obviously it is much too far in ad-
vance of the legislature to make even
guess about the probable fate OF
either proposal
The movement for flat fifty, with
rigid enforcement as an imperative
corrolary, follows the lines Of plan
put into effect in Pennsylvania
when Admiral Percy Foote (retired)
was chief of the Keystone *t";H's
safety division. He is now li'.H- It
Chapel Hill and has been Civ It
stories about the success Win at
tended his regime, during W.T. ne
claims there was a thirty-fiVe per
cent reduction in fatalities Gil Penn
sylvania highways.
Attorney General Harry Mcmillan
is inclined to endorse the Foote ideas
and it is likely he will take some
part in drafting bill embodying its
outstanding features.
The general argument is that a
rigidly-enforced fifty mile limit
takes care of those drivers who are
unable to operate safely at higher
speeds even on the best of highways.
Advocates admit that there are
thousands of motorists in North Car
DINA qualified to drive siXty-or
even faster-on much of the high
way system, but they contend this
majority should give up that high
speed privilege in the interest of the
States safety record and in order 10
take care of the drivers of lesser in
telligence and skill.
Coupled with the rigid speed limit
will be a provision that drivers
license must be suspended for a pc
riod (probably 80 days will be pro-
posed) of time upon the very first
conviction for speeding or any other
major highway law breach.
Opposition will come not only on
the grounds that fifty is an absurdly
low speed to be made the very top
legally permissible, but also because
OF the suspension proposed (Witich
will be assaulted as much too rigorous)
and because, it will be commended,
North Carolina is not prepared to
give such a statute the type Of en-
forcement essential to making it yield
results. 1t will be pointed out that
Pennsylvania had more than 1900
patrolmcn on a highway system less
in mileage than North Cardinals,
and it will be argued that it is abb
solutely impossible, in view of the
current condition of the Tar Heel
exchequer, to increase the Highway
Patrol to strength sufficient to en-
force a fifty mile limit
Officials of the Highway Safety
Division are not prepared to take
any positive stand on the speed limit
proposal at the present time. Director
Ronald Hocutt discussed the matter
freely with your Raleigh reporter
but seemed to feel that there are too
many doubtful points about the plan
to make it possible for him to give
it unqualified approval right now.
Hocutt however, is thoroughly sold
on the resistance of driver licenses
at intervals of not more than three
years. He stressed the point that he
has no thought of making such re-
issuance a means of raising revenue.
His idea is to charge only enough to
cover the minimum administrative
costs of a new license issue.
He believes that on resistance,
every driver (no matter how long
he has been operating a motor We
hicle) should be given a thorough
examination and that none should
be given the new licenses except
those who are able to meet the
standards set.
He thinks this would be one of the
finestS bits of safety education pos
sible and is confident that COSTS Of
resistance of licenses w. 4 be
more than repaid by sharl nrop
in the number of accident. and
fatalities on the highways.