The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-21
TRAFFIC RULES
FOR IA HIGHWAY
UP FOR SIGNING
BY ERNEST NJ. HILL
United Press Staff Correspondent

Washington, May 81 CUP - An
other milestone in 10 years of plan
ming and working toward the COM
pletion of the Inter-American high
way will be reached July l when
representatives Of 81 American re-
publicS will have an opportunity TO
sign a document setting forth a
series OF international automobile
regulations.
The establishment Of the uniform
traffic regulations will put the 81
American republics in readiness for
the not too distant day when tourists
will have a completed highway
linking Alaska and Canada with all
republics of the hemisphere.
The convention on the regula-
ton of Inter-American automobile
traffic" was drafted by a .nree-
member committee and approved
by the governing board of the Pan
American Union. The document
will be opened for signatures July l
at the Pan American building here
Ten pages long, it included % ar
ticles dealing with regulations for
drivers licenses, size and weight Of
cars, international travel stickers.
condition of brakes, headlights and
tail lights and procedure in cases of
law infractions.
Urge Simplified Customs
To encourage Inter- American
travel, the convention states that
"the contracting states shall not al
low customs measures to be put into
effect which will hinder interna-
tionel travel. Simplified customs and
other regulatory measures which
have been or may be put into effect
by any contiguous states parties to
this convention, for the facilitation
of international automobile traffic,
shall be considered to be further
ance of this convention and shall
be encouraged"
The regulations were drafted in
Washington by G. E. Alfaro, ambas-
sador of Ecuador; E. Jaen Guardia,
former ambassador of Panama, and
Luis Guachalla, ambassador of b.
livia.
Some of the regulations include:
No driver less than 10 years old
shall be admitted to international
travel.
Automobiles shall display oval in
ternational registration markers in
dicating countries of origin.
Brakes shall be capable of stop
ping vehicles within distance OF
30 feet, or nine meters.
Cars must have suitable horns,
two headlights, red tail lights, muf-
flers and windshield WiperS in good
condition.
Law attractions shall be punish
able in conformity with the laws
and regulations of the country in
which committed.
Infractions must be reported by
the judge or magistrate back to
the country in which the driver orig
inally registered.
Countries signing the traffic
agreement must give at least one
years notice to withdraw from the
convention.
Hope for Quick Signing
ran American Union OluCldlS IOpe
that the representatives of the 81
countries will sign the document at
once. They believe that the state
ment of regulations at this time
will make it possible for a quick
and orderly beginning of tourist
traffic when the highway is opened
and when tourists are able to get
gasoline and tires for pleasure
travel.
Much of the highway already is
in use, but its most important func-
ton now is for the transportation
of supplies for the war effort.
Engineers express the belief that
the highway will be open all along
its 14,131-mile course by the end
of next year or early in 1915.