Evening star., 1953-08-27
Plan 10 Stiffen
School Bus Law
Gains Impetus
; Maryland Groups
Urge Inspections and
Higher Standards
By Hermon F. Schoden

SS"SSS"
The effort to eliminate unsafe
school buses and unteSted
drivers from area roads got the
green light on three approaches
today.
In Montgomery County, where
a make-Shift day camp bus ran
off the road and killed a boy last
month, delegates to the General
Assembly began studying a
concrete legislative proposal.
Approaching from another
angle, Montgomery County
delegate to the State Association
of County Commissioners was
preparing to submit resolutions
urging support for Statewide
motor vehicle inspection and
broader bus safety standards.
And at Baltimore Motor
Vehicles Department officials
bespoke the need for some sort
of inspection system, and for
tighter control of vehicles of less
than 10 passengers which haul
children without license or
financial responsibility.
Law Now on Books.
The Motor Vehicles officials
have shown no disposition to re-
activate an inspection-permitting
law now on the books, giving
lack of operating funds as an
excuse.
Recently they've been consid-
ering a kind of rowing inspection
I system which would rule out
both the State-operated station
and private garage types of in
spection employed by other
States.
w. Dana Rudy, deputy COM
missioner of Motor Vehicles, said
the idea appealed to him and to
Commissioner Thomas E. l..
Mudd, as far as they had gone
into it.
Generally, it would call for
perhaps IS or 80 inspectors pa
trolling the counties in automo-
biles. Responsible to the Motor
Vehicles Department alone. they
would act as sort of super traffic
cops, not only enforcing traffic
regulations, but serving as an in
Spection station on wheels.
Viewed as Deterrent.
They could stop cars obviously
in need of repair or some safety
device, and summarily usher the
driver to a garage for immediate
compliance.
"These special investigators
not only would catch up with a
lot of offenders, but the knowl-
edge they were on the road also
would serve as a deterrent to
other careless motorists" Mr..
Rudy pointed out.
State legislation would be nee
essary to set up a budget for
such system, he said.
Other longtime advocates Of
State inspection weren't so sure
this was the answer. One was
Arthuer E. Miller, Montgomery
County safety director, who saw
it as another enforcement agency
which we have too many of al
ready"
Mr.. Miller will attend the con-
vention of State county commits
Sioners at Ocean City Saturday
to assist council member Stella
B. Werner in presenting two res
olutionS.
Seek Stronger Laws.
One will ask the State aSSocia-
ton to back adequate and prac-
tical legislation establishing a
program of motor vehicle inspec-
ton at the earliest date"
The other will ask State asso-
citation backing for State legisla-
ton strengthening and Clarity
ing driving permit licenses.
At the request of J. Douglas
Bradshaw, chairman of the
Montgomery County delegation
to the General Assembly, Mr..
Miller furnished the chairman
with suggestions for amending
the present State law on drivers
permits.
They would prohibit any one
under 18 years of age from
transporting passengers in ve-
hicleS obviously used for COM
mercial purposes, and would de-
mand special chauffeur's licenses
for those 18 years and older.
The special licenses would be is
sued only after the applicant had
demonstrated his ability to drive
safely the vehicle for which the
license was intended.
Few Curbs at Present.
Under present laws" Mr.. Mil
! ler pointed out, ANY 16-year-
old can drive any kind of vehicle
save a public school bus. a taxi
cab or common carrier"
Mr.. Bradshaw said he has
sent copies of the Miller letter
to other members of the Mont
gomery delegation, all of whom
believe legislation is urgently
needed.
After similar suggestions are
received from the Montgomery
County Safety Board and the
Allied Civic Group, Mr.. Brad
shaw plans to convene the dele
gates in a general legislation
planning discussion.
Further guidance will come
from the third annual Rockville
Traffic Court meeting october 8.
Mr.. Rudy and other experts will
discuss the licensing and inspec-
ton problems on panel headed
by Delegate Kathryn J. Lawlor.
an ardent advocate of sitter
safety laws.
Experts agree most public
schools and many private ones
operate safe vehicles and driv-
orc Pl1t tho law in the District