Evening star., 1953-09-09
Action 10 End
Suicides on
HighwaysAsked
Maryland OfficiuI
Is Shocked by lo
Holiday Deuths
By Hermun F. Schoden


way traffic Suicides over the
Labor Day weekend, a State
safety official today called for
quick remedial action.
"Those 19 deaths tied us for
fourth high in the entire coun-
try for traffic accident fatali-
ties" said Paul E. Burke, di-
rector of the Maryland Traffic
Safety Commission.
"Only Ohio with "a, Michigan
with % and New York with 20
reported more traffic deaths.
California also had 19 killed.
And we aren't even in the same
league with those States when
you figure their highway miles
against ours"
Districts Record Cited.
Mr.. Burke noted that the Dis
trict of Columbia, which has
mandatory automobile inspec-
ton and other safety laws un-
known to Maryland. escaped the
week end without traffic fatali-
ties.
"It's true that a couple of Dis
trict residents had to come into
Maryland to comit hari-kari, "
he added.
Mr.. Burke has joined others
in insisting the Maryland Legis-
lature do something about State
inspection, tighter speed and
drunken driving laws and better
control of vehicles and drivers
transporting children of school
age.
Need for tighter regulations,
not only in Maryland but in Vir-
ginia and the District as well,
has been shown by The Star
since an inadequate day-camp
bus, operated by a 17-year-old
boy. ran off a Montgomery
County road in July, killing one
passenger and injuring II others.
Area Meeting Next Week.
Mr.. Burke saw a chance for
progress at the Metropolitan Area
Traffic Councils annual confer
ence here next Wednesday at
the United States Chamber of
Commerce Building.
I'VE need the 12-point pro-
gram which a subcommittee will
present there" he said. The
group. headed by District Traffic
Director George E. Keneipp, is
urging a uniform set of traffic
laws for the entire area.
After the conference, Mr..
Burke is calling the Is members
of the Maryland Traffic Safety
Commission in a meeting pre-
liminary to asking Gov. Nc
Keldin to set up a conference of
all State agencies, police, schools
and others interested in traffic
safety.
"We must impress on the leg
islative council the need for get
ting something through the
short-term Assembly next win
ter" he said.
Montgomery Group Praised.
Mr.. Burke congratulated the
Montgomery County delegation
for its avowed intention of push
ing for State inspection and bet
ter control of drivers in the
short terms session. He credited
the group with steering through
important highway safety legiS-
lation in the last term.
Most experts blame nine
tenths of all traffic deaths on
high speed and drunken driving
and one-tenth on faulty me-
chanisrn," Mr.. Burke said.
He agreed that speed and
ing were the worst killers, and
pointed to the need for better
laws in those respects. But he
also saw an increasing need for
a general yearly inspection.
I'm sure the rate of faulty
mechanism is higher than gen.
orally suspected" he said. Even
new cars sometimes have defects
which never are discovered with
out an inspection"
Power in Inactive Law.
Mr.. Burke said a present, in
active law giving the Motor We
hicles Director the right to set
up a State inspection would be
better than nothing.
But we really need a new law.
The old one was too weak, had
too many evils and had no teeth
in it. We need law that really
would get tough with violators.
And we also need something
done right away about requiring
special licenses and qualifica-
tions for drivers of buses trans
porting children" Mr.. Burke
concluded.