Evening star., 1946-08-15
Street Accidents
|CutinCampaiiign,
Officials Believe
Meetings Scheduled
To Discuss Plans
To Extend Drive

Officials, after privately express
ing the opinion that the campaign
to cut down accidents Is working
wonders" have scheduled meetings
today and tomorrow to discuss fur
ther means of improving the traffic
situation.
The District Commissioners are
slated to discuss today a plan ad-
vocated by Commissioner Guy
Mason, under which the driving
licenses of persons convicted OF
speeding at more than IS miles an
hour would be revoked.
Commissioner Mason has told re-
porters IS miles an hour is too fast
for any one to drive here and that
the most effective weapon we have
is the power to revoke drivers
license"
Speed Limits Cited.
He pointed out that the speed
limit here is actually 25 miles an
hour, with 80 miles an hour per-
missable on important streets cut
ting through the city. Therefore.
he says, IS miles an hour should bs
the basis for revocation.
Traffic officials already have
adopted a maximum speed of 40
miles an hour as the rate at which
temporary revocation of licenses
shall be effected.
The other meeting, to be at
tended by traffic officials, will be
at 3:30 pm. tomorrow in Municipal
Center, with Traffic Director George
E, Keneipp scheduled to preside.
Among topics to be discussed will
be parking too close to corner, pass
ing red lights, turning on green
lights, pedestrian control, speeding
and removal of branches which OBJ
struct a motorists view of traffic
lights. Lights have been reported
partly hidden by tree branches near
the Capitol and on Connecticut
avenue.
Second Meeting Scheduled.
Besides the traffic officials, all Ac-
cident Investigation Unit men and
motorcycle policemen who can be
spared from their duties will be
asked to attend the meeting to give
their views, Mr.. Keneipp said.
He disclosed late yesterday that
after two slump" days. the num-
ber of persons who have passed
drivers road tests has increased.
Yesterday 81 out of 55 applicants
passed the tests. On Tuesday, 80
out of 80 failed, and on Monday 4s
applicants out of 80 failed.
| The Accident Investigation Unit
reported that in the 24-hour period
starting at 8 am. yesterday and
/ ending 8 am. today there were
Is accidents in which five persons
were reported injured and some
property damage incurred.
In the same period IS persons
were arrested for speeding and IL
OF them, who were accused of going
40 miles an hour or more and face
temporary revocation of their per-
mitS.
Accident Investigation Report.
The Accident Investigation Unit
also issued report based on an
analysis of records covering classifi-
cation of traffic cases duril.r the
fiscal year of June 30, 1945 to July
this year.
According to the records, the fol-
lowing 27,272 arrests, covering GER
tain specific offenses which resulted
In the majority of accidents. were
made:
No District permit, S97; reckless
driving, ST; driving while drunk, 2O7;
speeding, 1924; operating a vehicle
after suspension of license, and in
some cases after revocation of
license, 1876; failure of either a We
hicle driver or pedestrian to give the
right of way, 1,243.
Passing a stop sign, 3,741. fall
ing to give full time and attention
to the operation of a vehicle, 1,197;
passing regular red light or a
flashing red light. 8,24s; bad brakes,
345; leaving after colliding, 427;
passing a stopped streetcar, lis,
and colliding, 365.
Total arrests during the fiscal
year amounted to 115,849, and ac-
cording to the records, many of
the arrests unclassified in the re-
port covered illegal parking and
violation of pedestrian control laws,
also factors leading to accidents.
There was an increase of IS per
cent in arrests during the last six
months of the fiscal year over the
first six months, the AIU officials
declared. They said they believed
this was indicative of increased
carelessness on the part of motor
lists and pedestrians.
Wit -