Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1947-07-03
Speeding And Reckless Driving
~ Challenges To Self Discipline

All SdIeCy specialists agree, and
the National Conservation Bureau
figures bear out their contention,
that the greatest single cause for
traffic fatalities is speed. We main
tain that most speed limits are now
too high for safety, but agree that
the question of what is sane in
speed limits depends somewhat
upon street and road conditions.
Since these conditions vary with
terrain, denseness of traffic and
especially with weather, it is up to
the man behind the wheel to deter
mine whether or net the existing
speed limit prescribed by law is a
safe driving speed.
Last year approximately 20 per
cent of the drivers in this country
involved in fatal automobile acct
dents were exceeding the speed
limit. Another to 8 FER cent were
exceeding safe speeds although
they were travelling under the sta
tutory limit, and still another
per cent wel2 driving too fast for
existing conditions where no speed
limit was indicated. Fatal acct
dents where speeding was a cause
|
We're almost twice as numerous in
cities as they were in rural areas.
Consider the statement: "Ex-
ceeding safe speed although travel
ling under the statutory limit"
When a driver, entering a long,
straight and broad stretch of
smoothly paved highway, sees a
marker indicating the speed limit
to be, say, As miles per hour, he
must consider that traffic engineers
have set that limit as the correct
speed for safest and best driving
conditions. If it is raining and the
pavement is slippery, certainly the
limit of statutory speed is not the
safe speed. If it is showing, or the
pavement is coated with ice, the
safe speed is far below the statu-
tory allowance. The same is true if
the road is crowded with holiday
traffic. Hence, driver can be con-
sidered speeding, especially in con-
gested areas, when he is driving
under Is miles an hour. The reali-
cation of this leads inevitably to
the conclusion that individual atti-
tude is the criterion of traffic
safety.
Next to speed, 1916 nationwide
figures show that driving on the
wrong side of the road, including
passing, is the most frequent traf-
ic violation. Driving under the in
fiuence of alcohol is rated as the
next greatest cause for traffic IA
talities. Following these come
long list of minor, but obviously
careless, violations such as failure
to give right-of-way, disregarding
traffic officers signal or stop signs,
improper turning. All are reckless
driving. They can be avoided if
each individual cooperates.
Frequent and prolonged suspen-
sion of driving privileges for traffic
violations would, it is agreed, prove
a great aid in creating whole
some respect for safety rules and
law enforcement. But self -disci-
pline on the part of the driver is
the most important factor to be
considered.
No matter how excellent the me-
chanical condition of an automo-
bile may be, no matter how ideal
weather and road conditions may
be, there is point where they lose
their effectiveness, because their
mastery depends upon the judg-
ment and control of the person be-
hind the wheel. The most reliable
safeguard against accidents is a
sane attitude toward safety, with
proper respect for law enforce
ment and the rights of others on
the highway.