Evening star., 1943-01-22
Traffic Council
Urges Stricter
Pedestrian Law
Commissioners Asked
By Leory to Act on
3-Point Proposal

Adoption of a more stringent pc
destrian control regulation was ad-
vocated today by the Traffic Ad-
visory Council at hearing before
the Commissioners on traffic safety.
All high-ranking police and traffic
officials and two members of the
Senate District Committee attended.
Chairman McCarran of the COM
mittee and Senator Burton of Ohio
participated in the discussion and
statistical analysis Of last years rec
ord traffic toll,
At the conclusion of the session,
Whitney Leary, head of the council,
asked the Commissioners to act
within a few days on three pro-
posals: Adoption of more string
ent jay-walking ban; a proposed
increase in the safety education
fund for the next fiscal year to
$4,000, and to call a traffic safety
meeting for all the public in the
near future.
Civic Groups Asked to Help.
In connection with the last rec
ommendation, the council asked the
Commissioners to call on civic
groups to devote a full meeting to
pedestrian safety at some session
within 60 days, and to designate
representatives to attend the pro-
posed mass meeting.
Commissioner John Russell Young
promised decisions by the Commits
sioners within day or so.
The Advisory Council spokesman
with vigorous dissent from Harry
Wender, president of the Federation
of Citizens Associations-urged the
adoption of a regulation which
would make it illegal for pedestrians
to cross at places other than cross
walks in blocks where the adjacent
intersections have traffic control
signs in operation. The proposed
rule would permit pedestrians to
cross to and from streetcar loading
platforms at places other than the
marked croSSWalk.
Opposed by Wender.
Mr.. Wender opposed this sugges-
ton and said the Commissioners
should order public hearing on it
If they consider its adoption. He
insisted the best move would be to
inspire" Washington police to put
on the heat" for enforcement of the
present jaywalking rules which
makes it illegal for a pedestrian to
cross in the middle of block if it
constitutes hazardous or reckless
walking
Mr.. Wender protested this rule
had brought only one arrest and |
in that case conviction had been |
obtained. Mr.. Wender emphasized |
that of the 10 pedestrian deaths re-
corded last year, SO were pedes-i
trians who, in his opinion, were |
RECKLESS jaywalkers."
While declaring that the 81 pedes-
trians probably would be alive today
had they obeyed the present jay
walking rule, Mr.. Wender asserted
Wasf1ington's auxiliary police could
be put to no better use" than being
assigned to stop pedestrians from
jaywalking. Recently, the Commis-
sioners issued formal order to pre-
vent auxiliary policemen from en-
gaging in any activity as civilian
defense workers other than blackout
duties.
1912 Toll Up Ia Per Cent.
The conference opened with Traf-
fc Director William A. Van Duzer
presenting statistics on last year
which showed that while traffic &C
cidents declined 27 per cent from
the total for 1941, traffic deaths in
creased by nearly IA per cent and
pedestrian deaths by nearly 13 per
cent. The record also showed that
with 81 persons killed in streetcar
accidents, the increase in this clas-
sification was 1873 per cent over 194l,
when nine persons were killed by
streetcars. Eight persons were killed
last year in bus accidents, as COM
pared to three in 1941.
On this point, Mr.. Wender sug-
gested the reason for increasing
deaths in streetcar accidents may be
that the new streamlined cars are
quieter and faster in operation and
unlike the noisy old cars do not give
pedestrians as much warning of
their approach.
Senator McCarran asked about
the maximum penalty under the
present jaywalking rule, and Mr..
Wender said he thought it is $780,
Abiding to the So persons Mr.. Wen
der had thought were killed because
of reckless walking, the Senator re-
piled: 1T would seem the maximum
penalty was death"
George E. Keneipp, council
spokesman, declared new regula-
ton was needed and that he thought
the proposed new rule was mot un-
reasonable"