The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-12-27
GOVERNORS SAFETY COMMIT
TEE URGES TRAINING COURSE
Believes Instruction of High School
Youth Vital For Future Safe
Drivers

December o, 1910, Annapolis,
Maryland: The Maryland Traffic
Safety Committee at their meeting,
endorsed a plan Of Driver Training
for High School Students. This plan
was submitted to the Executive Com
mittee according to Isaac s. George,
General Chairman, after an ex-
haustive study by subcommittee"
The vote for the adoption of the plan
was unanimous.
Other than the members of the
Committee, there were present Mr..
Thomas c. Pullen and Miss Helen G.
Wootton representing the State De-
partment of EducatiD.4.
Mr.. George said, This plan will
now be submitted to Governor
O'Conor and all school authorities,
and 1t is the hope that the course Of
instruction will be speedily dopted."
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 age
16 each year of whom one million
will become drivers 2. BY far the
greatest accident rate is in the age
group 16 to 90. 8. It has been demon
strated that proper instruction will
reduce much of this hazard.
With the above basic considera-
tions in mind, we can proceed to dis
cuss the matter at ZENITH. This Com
mittee frankly believes that in the
face of an increase in accidents not
withstanding better cars; better
roads; better policing; and better
publicity, one of the best answers to
traffic safety is better driving, and
that the best start Is with youths,
who as a class are responsible for
the greatest per cent of accidents.
While the Committee recognizes that
human frailties make accidents in
evitable and that If homes are new
er completely safe, the roads will
never be, it nevertheless 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 instructions in highway
safety and driver training, and the
committee pledges itself to make
available full information as to the
details necessary to carry out COM
prehensive course.
1t now seems well to consider
the best practical means of develop
ing such a program Of instruction
and here again we must face certain
basic considerations.
/, 1t has been done successfully in
many States.
2. Wherever 1t has been tried, re-
sponsibility for its promotion has
been definitely fixed in some State
Department.
3. It 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 respon-
sibility be definitely fixed in some
State Department" it is the belief
Of the Committee that full effective
ness cannot be accomplished until
responsibility for the promotion OF
the work is accepted or directly
placed in the hands Of responsible
State agency, SO that through its
activity the school authorities can
be made conscious of the importance
of safe driving courses and aid in the
development of them. That this can
be successfully done has been shown
in several States; notably Connecti-
cut where the responsible authority
is the Commissioner of Motor We
hicles. In Illinois where the respon-
sibility authority is the Safety Sec
ton, Dept. of Highways and in Wis
consin where the responsible author
ity is the Commissioner Of Motor We
hicles.
1t is hardly necessary to argue that
the responsible official for promo
tional activities should be the Com
missioner of Motor Vehicles, this
seems to be accepted everywhere.
because of License Issuance.
In connection with the above pro-
posal, the Committee realizes that
additional responsibilities may re-
quire additional personnel and il this
proves to be true the Committee re-
commends that provision be made
for them. The Committee realizes
further that much preliminary de-
tail is required and from its file is
prepared to furnish comprehensive
outline of plans, steps to be taken.
etc.
In connection with actual instruc-
ton it must be remembered that In
| carrying out such course there are
two considerations. The classroom
and the instruction in driving. Glass.