Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-08-23
TwoBegiin Term!
In D. {. Traffic
lawCrackdown
Bourd Nav Order
Periodic Eyesight>
Tests for Drivers

Director George E. Keneipp an.
nounced that I'VE are after the
per cent of motorists who have
given Washington a mounting &C.
cident toll"
Speaking at the Cosmopolitan
Club yesterday, Mr.. Keneipp sale
95 per cent of District motorist.
are safe and competent drivers, but
that the other per cent are re.
sponsible for the serious condition.
here.
THE recent campaign has done
much to make them less lethal,
he added, in appealing to driver.
to exercise still greater care to keer
the accident toll low.
May Order Eyesight Tests.
He disclosed that the Traffic Ad-
visory Board is planning more severe
penalties for driving while drunk
and expressed the possibility that
all licensed drivers might be given
eye examinations every six months
In continuing the court breakdown
on violators, Traffic Court Judge
Aubrey B. Fennell late yesterday
meted out the stiff sentences to a
Fort Belvoir soldier, convicted OF
driving while under the influence
OF alcohol, and 24-year-old col
ored man, charged with four traffic
violations after a chase through
Northwest Washington.
The colored man, Harold Maxwell
OF the first block of r street NE.
was sentenced to serve seven months
in jail and to pay a fine of $3.50
plus an additional two months il
the fine is not paid.
Pleads Guilty.
Police arrested Maxwell Tuesday
night in an alley near Eleventh anc
Irving streets NV. after a chase
during which he hit a police car
q bus and tree. He pleaded guilty
before Judge Fennell to two cases
of leaving after colliding, rockies!
driving and driving without a Dis.
trict permit.
Maxwell was ordered held for the
grand jury last Wednesday il
$4,000 bond on a charge of unau.
thorized use of the automobile HI
was driving. Police maintained i
was stolen from garage in thu
HOO block of Seventh street NV
shortly before the chase began.
The soldier. Lindsey r. Roderick
20, who said he recently re-enlisteo
in the Army and was on a 90-day
furlough, was sentenced to serve sc
days and pay 500 or serve another
80 on the charge of driving while
under the influence of alcohol. He
also received a $25 fine or 10 days
on a charge of driving without a
District permit
Tells of Drinking Beer.
Roderick told the court he had
returned from SO months in Europe
where he served as a corporal with
tank destroyer outfit.
His version of the incident Tues
day night, which resulted in a col
lision with a truck on Bladensbure
road NE, was that he met friend
in a downtown tavern and after q
few bottles of beer went riding
When the friend became too intoxi-
Gated to drive, he took over thu
wheel, the soldier said. When hi
attempted to stop for a light, hi
testified, he found his friends foo
tangled with the brake AS a re.
suit, the car collided with the truck
Special Court Urged.
Creation Of separate violation.
bureau in the Municipal Court t.
compile comprehensive records or
each local traffic violator is one O,
the measures advocated by the
Junior Board of Commerce to help
curb the recent wave of traffic &C.
cidentS
Other proposals by the board in.
clude the establishment of single
permanent traffic court Judge who
would be an expert in traffic Law
enforcement, elimination of thu
present system of frequent rotation
Of judges, and additional measure.
to solve the Districts parking prob.
lem.
In another statement YESTERDAY
Police 1t. William j. Liverman. heac
OF the Accident Investigation Unit
said the campaign is producing re-
suits with drop in the accident
toll since August 7 of 9 to 10 pc,
cent.
Carelessness Is Chief Factor.
Major offense arising from acct.
dents this week has been the fail
ure OF drivers to give full time ano
attention to the operation of thei,
vehicles, he said. OF 119 accidents
IN that period, "a drivers were
charged with failing to give full at
tention, % with failure to yield the
right of way, and Is were accused
OF following too close in the paths
OF preceding vehicles, he disclosed.
Continuing their drive against
speeders, police said 40 persons hac
been arrested from 8 a m, YESTERDAY
to 8 pm, today. OF that number
81 were charged with driving AZ
miles or more an hour, and weft
liable to automatic suspension O.
their permits. Total number OF
speeders arrested since the drive
began on August was 554, of which
273 were going 40 miles an hour O,
faster, police said.
New Plan Gets Trial.
Meanwhile, an experimental traf.
flc law enforcement plan designed
to reduce accidents by making VIC.
lations and penalties for rockies.
driving uniform over a multi-cit,
area is being discussed here. The
plan was devised by the Michigan
Police Chiefs Association and put
in operation recently in five neigh.
boring Michigan cities.
In another development yester.
day, the American Automobile AS
ISOLATION reported to President Tru.
man that the Nationwide traffic &C.
cioent toll is on downward trend
Citing recent traffic accident fig
ures which show substantial i'm
provement" in May and June as