Evening star., 1946-12-17
Advisory Board
Urges FuII-Iinne' !
Traffic Judge
Also Asks Low
For Chemical Tests
Of Drunk Drivers

EnOrtS to OBTAIN leglSlaClOn IRON
the new Congress giving the District
q full-time traffic judge and fixed
standard chemical tests for drunken
driving will have support of the
Commissioners Traffic Advisory
Board.
The board voted last night to re-
state the plea of predecessor ad-
visory bodies that the present ro-
tatiorl system for supplying traffic
judges be abolished.
Action came on a joint report of the
Law and Legislation and Enforce.
ment Committees which supported
recommendations of the recent
Traffic Court Conference. As ap-
proved by the full board, the report
asked that one of three proposed
additional Municipal Court Judges
be assigned permanently to traffic
cases.
6-Month Minimum Proposed.
Pending authorization Of the new
judges, 1t was urged that present
judges be seated in Traffic Court
for periods no shorter than six
months. It was asked that they
attend meetings OF the Advisory
Board while so serving.
After extended discussion Of pos
sible constitutional complications in
any legislation which made chemical
tests for drunken driving compul-
sorry, the board decided to approve
proposed legislation which did not
include the compulsory feature.
In general, the type OF law in
dorsed would establish percentage
standards based on alcohol content
of body fluids. These could be used
to determine intoxication on the
basis of laboratory reports of tests.
This would eliminate necessity of
using expert witnesses in each case
to explain standards to jury.
Action on portion of the COM
mittee report referring to permit
suspensions or revocations in cases
which ended in acquittal in court
was deferred pending further study.
Illegal Penalties Seen.
Chairman Nathan M. Lubar OF
the Law and Legislation COMMITTEES
declared the Board of Permit Revo-
cations and Suspensions had been
acting illegally by penalizing drivers
who had not been convicted IN
court. He said a decision OF the
United States Court OF Appeals had
established this.
TRAFFIC Director George E. Keneipp
said it was his understanding the
Traffic Act gave the Board of Per-
init Revelations and Suspensions, as
agent of the Commissioners, the
right to act without regard to any
other proceeding.
In other actions on committee
reports the board indorsed institu-
ton of driver training as required
course in all high schools: referred
to the Engineering Committee q
proposal for placing all streetcar
loading platforms in the middle OF
blocks and expressed an opinion the
Judges of Municipal Court have
been entirely too lenient" in I'M
DOSING ScIlbSllCCS Oll VI bAAnSAA NAAsS~S'
Honor Eldridge.
A standing vote of appreciation
was given Assistant Traffic Director
M. o. Eldridge, who retires Decem-
ber 81. It was voted to ask the
Commissioners to name him to the
board after his retirement, If nee
essary by creating an additional
place.
Mr.. Keneipp told the board three
of every four vehicles now are being
rejected on first appearance at IN
spection stations here.
He reported the Capital now is
in fourth place among large cities
in the safety standings with respect
to ratio of traffic fatalities to ve-
hicle registrations. Washington is
in first place when deaths are COM
pared to population, however, he
added.
Mr.. Keneipp cited arguments for
and against the snow parking ban,
now in effect, but no action was
taken by the board.