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

N1StIl$l SWII
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
a 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 Cow
ernment's inspection stations be
used to the fullest extent in carry
ing out OPA regulations, the
Council named 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 8 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-disappro of the pro-
posed OPA inspection formula was
voiced.
Howard Startling 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 a grand gouging
by unscrupulous auto repair and in
spection stations" might result, in
asmuch as it is impossible for the
District Government inspection sta
| finrc n
cars holding A cards three times a
year, and $4,000 B and C card hold
ers six times year. Fees would be
charged by private inspection sta
tions, 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 by
the accident investigation unit Of
the Metropolitan Police be required
to submit to eye examinations 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-
duction of traffic accidents, the
councils Regulation Committee
would again consider the advisable
ity of requiring re-examination of
eyesight of all operators once every
three years. No legislation is
needed for adoption of such
policy, it was said.
Await Data on Pedestrians.
The council requested the Com
missioners 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 SUBJ
NIT recommendations at the regu-
lar November meeting. At its Sep
tember meeting the council rescind-
ed July action to the effect that
no pedestrian shall cross any
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
difficult 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
mittee 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 or
stooges for any group"
l
ICitizens Elect O'NeiIl