Evening star., 1942-10-20
Traffic Council
ToSurveyAuto
Firms
Group to Recommend
Stations to Augment
Districts Own

Stations to Augment
Districts Own
Facilities in the District for tire
inspection under the OPA program
will be surveyed by the District
Traffic Advisory Council to aug
ment the two municipal inspection
stations, it was decided last night.
Traffic Director William A. Van
Duzer and Whitney Leary, Dis
trict OPA administrator, agreed at
conference yesterday afternoon
that the advisory group should
study existing facilities, since the
city motor vehicle inspection sta
tionS would not be able to handle
the whole job. On the basis of the
councils recommendations, the
OPA administrator will then select
the stations
Urging that the District Gov
ernment's inspection stations be
used to the fullest extent in carry
ing out OPA regulations, the
Council named a study committee
of five, B. A. Stone, chairman;
Stanley Horner, Washington I.
Cleveland, Richard Murphy and
Lester Powell, to report recommen-
dations at special meeting of the
Araffic Council at pm. Monday in
Mr. Van Duzer's Office.
After several council members had
expressed the view that not more
than so Washington automobile
service stations are equipped prop
erly to inspect steering wheels. tires
and brakes-all part of the tire in
spection-disapproval of the pro-
posed OPA inspection formula was
voiced.
Howard Starting said OPA has
swallowed the Baruch report recon-
mendations and will impose hard
ships not only on car owners but on
the dwindling number of automobile
mechanics"
Trucks Least Affected.
| Director Van Duzer pointed out
that under the proposed regulations
for Nationwide observance, passen-
ger cars would have to be inspected
/ after each 961 miles of travel on a
! basis of gasoline rationing, whereas
trucks and other commercial We
hicles would be permitted 5000 miles
! travel before being inspected.
B. A. Stone said grand gouging
by unscrupulous auto repair and in
spectlon stations" might result, in
aSmuch as it is impossible for the
/ District Government inspection sta
tlons to inspect $4,000 passenger
cars holding A cards, three times a
year, and $4,000 B and C card hold
ers SIX times a year. Fees would be
charged by private inspection sta
tlons, whereas the District inspec-
ton cost is included in the annual
license fee.
Three automobile inspections here
a year, as proposed by OPA as a
national policy, would require more
than $50 inspection stations, it was
said. The first step necessary in
formulating definite recommended
tlons, it was agreed, is to ascertain
the number of stations equipped to
do the job
The Traffic Council approved Di-
rector Van Duzer's recommendation
that all persons apparently at fault
IN traffic accidents investigated bv
the accident investigation unit of
the Metropolitan Police be required
TO submit to eye examination to
determine what part defective
vision may have played in such
accidents. Then, after a period of
80 days, if results indicate that
re-eXamination might result in re-
ductlon of traffic accidents, the
councils Regulation Committee
would again consider the advisable
lty OF requiring denomination of
eyeslght of all operators once eyerv
three years. No legislation is
needed for adoption of such a
policy, it was said.
Await Data on Pedestrians.
/ The council requested the Com
mlssloners to withhold action
amending the pedestrian control
regulations until the council has
completed its study and obtained
further information from other
large cities. The committee study
ing the matter is expected to sub
NIT recommendations at the regu-
lar November meeting. At it's Sep
tember meeting the council rescind
ed July action to the effect that
no pedestrian shall cross anv
roadway between intersections
except at regular cross walks or at
those especially designated or
marked"
Referred to the Law Enforcement
Committee for further study was a
proposal that motorists turn in one
OF their two District license plates
and thus make an estimated IS tons
OF steel available for production OF
war material. Director Van Duzer
SAID he agreed with the Police De-
partment that enforcement would be
dl1ncuIt where car bears only one
license plate, although he admitted
New York this year abandoned two
plates in favor of single plate.
Referred to the Regulations Com.
mlttee was a suggestion that auto
MOBILE owners surrender steel
bumpers and substitute wooden
bumpers, to help provide steel mills
with scrap. 1t was stated that three
agencies-OPA, ODT and OCD-are
seeking to ascertain public opinion
on the question, although the Bu-
reau of Standards has advised
against adoption of the suggestion
on the basis of the safety angle. the
cost OF processing this type of steel
and the fact that replacements
would require critical materials also
Harry Wender reported that the
Commissioners had accepted the
councils recommendations with re.
spect to continuing the work of the
Accident Investigation Unit of the
Police Department. 1t showed, he
said, that the Commissioners are
broad-minded and that the council
members are mot rubber stamps OF
stooges for any group"