Evening star., 1951-12-28
Liability Query
Raised in Snow
Traffic Plans \
Pool of Tow Cars
To Clear S. Key
Streets Explored

dScO NcillClcS ana compensation
for tow truck operators have
temporarily snagged District plan
ming for the opening Of main
traffic arteries in the event of
another snow emergency. But a
subcommittee of the Commission
ers' special committee on snow
storm traffic has been directed to
report before January Is on
whether the automobile clubs and
private garages can work out a
plan for pooling public and pri-
yate towing facilities, to clear IS
key streets.
Traffic Director George E.
Keneipp, chairman of the COM
m/tee, set up-the smaller group
yesterday. after hearing indorse-
ment of the snow storm traffic
plan from representatives of ad-
joining communities in Virginia
and Maryland. The suburban
spokesmen, for their part, promised
to get to work promptly to CO.
ordinate plans with those of the
- District to avoid such a traffic
tieup as occurred in the Wash
ington area on December IA.
Opinion on Liability.
Mr.. Keneipp said Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West has given
3 an informal opinion that garages
are Liable for damage to cars that
might be moved, even under a
policemansS direction, to clear
streets. Sometimes it is necessary,
he said, to break glass to get into
o locked car to release the brake
and shift the car out of gear so
it can be. moved. In some cases,
q weakened bumper may break
when lifted by q crane. he said.
Mrs. s. Gordon. of Reds K-F|
Sales Co., one of the two round
the-clock towing services here,
confirmed this. She said her firm
has contract with the Park Po-
lice to remove cars along Consti-
tuition avenue and Memorial
Bridge. Her company now is set
ting a claim for damages by the
owner of car that was moved
during the December IA storm, she
said.
Mr.. Keneipp said the subcom-
niittee. in obtaining sentiment on
what the private tow truck oper-
ators would be willing to do. would
have to presume that the garages
are legally liable. 1t was suggested
that their compensation should be
sufficient to cover claims that
could be anticipated.
k Primary Responsibility.
Charles F. Pratt of the American
Automobile Association and Err
nest r. Brett Of the keystone Au-
tcfrobile Club agreed they have
primary responsibility. to their
members to answer their. calls
first.
William F. Xanten, superintend-
ent of the Sanitation Division,
which would be charged with
clearing the streets, declared:
Suppose you couldn't get to your
members? We're talking about a
problem far worse than existed on
Friday December 14). Then, we
were tied up for a matter of
hours, but if we had had a 10
inch snowfall while those cars
were tied up, we'd have been held
up for several days. What then?
Mr.. Brett and Mr.. Pratt ex-
pressed the opinion that private
garages would be willing to help
out. provided the question of liza
x bility could be solved. They also
said tow truck operators should
be compensated.
Fire Equipment Problem.
In response to a question, Fire
Marshal Raymond Roberts said
the fire department would pre-
fer having main arteries cleared,
even if the vehicles are towed |
to side streets and left blocking
the roadway.
That is," he added, provided
we could get to within a block
of a fire. The last time we had
pieces of equipment that couldn't
even move"
Chief w. H. Boswell, super
intendent of machinery in the
fire department said his division
has the only peice of towing equip
ment in the city capable of lifting
heavy trucks and buses.
Inspector John j. Agnew, In
charge of the Traffice Division,
said the police have four crane
type wreckerS. It was estimated
that about 200 would be needed
to clear of the $50 miles of key
streets IN the event of a heavy
snowfall after a widespread traf-
f1c tie-up, such as occurred two
weeks ago.
S. Streets Restricted.
Mr.. Keneipp has ordered that
the SIS streets be restricted to
certain emergency and public
service vehicles and to private
vehicles equipped with skid chains
or snow tires during a storm
| emergency.
IF the plan does not work, "
said K. w. Spencer Of the Public
Utilities Commission. then the
commission is going to recon-
mend something more drastic. I'll
seems to me that 1t behooves
everyone to make the present re-
gulatiors work"
The problems that are purely
local to the District were discussed
in the second phase of yesterdays
conference. The first phase was
devoted to working out program
with the suburban jurisdictions.
Named to Subcommittee.
Named to the subcommittee, in
addition to Chief Boswell, Mr..
Pratt, MIR. Brett, Mrs. Gordon
and Corporation Counsel West,
were William O. Hermann of Call
Carl. the second 24-hour towing
service; r. j. Murphy of the Wash
ington Automotive Trade Associa-
ton. and w r Rneder staff en-,