Evening star., 1954-05-30

Beginning Tuesday, speederS on
Virginia's highways no longer can
feel safe from arrest just because
the rear-view mirror shows no >po-
lice patrol car in sight.
On that day, the unseen eye Of
radar will be checking auto speeds
on the 48.462 miles Of State-main-
tanned highways. Virginia police
confidently expect the Is radar ma
chimes will save hundreds OF lives a
year-or at least substantially reduce
the figure of 904 highway deaths in
1858.
If a demonstration conducted on
Shirley highway a few weeks ago is
any indication, they have good rea-
son for their hopes. The mere sight
of the radar equipment slowed driv-
ers to under As miles an hour in
55-mile-an-hour zone.
How 1t Works
The radar speed check works this
way: A tranSmitter at the side of
the road sends out electrical i'm
pulses to passing automobile, which
reflects the impulses to a receiver.
A computer calculates the speed of
the automobile from the reflected
signals. A recorder charts the infor-
nation for court action If necessary
or desirable.
North Carolina, with over $4,000
miles of State highways, has been
using radar and the Speed Watch,
another electronicS device, since last
summer. Edward Scheidt. State mo-
tor vehicles commissioner, gives
electronicS full credit for saving
some $50 lives since last September.
And the figures bear him out. From
January l to May Is. 1853, 406
drivers were killed on North Caro-
lina'S highways. In the same 1854
period, the number was reduced to
324. The April. 1853 figure Of 80
deaths dropped to 65 in April, 1854.
The North Carolina enforcement
methods break all traditional rules"
of the cat-and-mouSe game between
motorist and patrolman.
Across the State are IS radar and
"live" Speed Watch sets whose evil
eye may be just over the hill or
around the next curve. They may
be spread out along 200 miles Of
U. S. Route 301 on Monday. Tuesday
may find them concentrated two or
three miles apart along IS miles
of Route II, Route l, or on any link
of a busy country road. On WedneS-
day, the devices may be set up at
varying intervals along 500 miles OF
several east-to-weSt highways. This
way, the persistent speeder might
win five tickets in five miles, for the
gadgets may be anywhere the little
signs reading Speed Electronically
Timed" are placed. These warnings
are the only concession to the heavy
footed driver.
But the live" sets don't do the
Job alone. Warning signs often are
placed at spots miles from the near
est live device, and two dead lines,
which under the accepted rules"
should betray the presence OF a
patrol car nearby, are laid across
the road.
Drivers Kept Guessing
But the motorist never knows
which are the dummies and which
are the "whammies," as the radar
sets are called locally.
Until recently, North Carolina
State highway patrol cars were all
of one make and painted a shining
silver. But today, the Plymouth in
the rear-view mirror may be q
farmer, a Schoolteacher-or one of
the $50 State highway patrolmen.
In the old days North Carolinian
could always spot a trooper three
brimmed garrison hats that are part
of the uniform. But now. many
patrolmen stalk their prey bare
headed.
Despite all the deception, Mr..
Scheidt says there have been few
complaints. A recent survey showed
an average Of only one complaint in
every 402 speed arrests. State auto
clubs favor the program-radar, de-
ception and abby a 5-1 member
ship vote, Mr.. Scheidt reported. And
the newspapers Of the State are
solidly behind the program.
AS for the deceptive measures,
Mr.. Scheidt, former FBI agent,
says: I'm saving lives. we don't feel
obligated to- play anybody's game.
It isn't q game; it's deadly serious
business. You might as well say it's
unethical to be arrested by q detec-
tive because he didn't have a uni
form on. even though you've COM
mitted murder. What we want to
do is to get the motorist to obey
the law so we can save his life"
In 1853, North Carolina high
ways took the lives Of 1.117 per-
: