Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-11
The Human Factor

As Director Of Vehicles and
Traffic. my primary concern
is with the safety Of both
motorists and pedestrians on
the streets of the District OF
Columbia. I am, Of course,
appalled, by the sharp increase
in traffic fatalities In 1855.
The tragic upturn in traf-
fic fatalities is not limited
to the District of Columbia;
it is Nationwide.
Like other traffic safety Of
ficials, I ask myself what
more we could have done to
make our streets safe. We
have set up reasonable "rules
Of the road" based on the Uni
form Vehicle Code adopted by
all Of the States. We have
attempted to make our driver
permit examination even more
rigid In order to eliminate
those who would become haz-
ards II they were allowed to
drive. For example. we have
introduced a new straight test
for side vision to eliminate
those people who can see only
straight ahead and would not
be able to see vehicles APP
preaching to either side OF
them.
We have adopted the Point
System as a fair method OF
taking dangerous drivers of
the road. We have tried to
use this Point System to "edu-
cate" drivers with poor traffic
records before they become in
volved in serious accidents re-
sulting in personal injury or
death. We have adopted the
Safety Responsibility Law
which adds to a drivers re-
sponsibility by making certain
that he will pay for any dam
age or injury he may cause
while driving.
We have continued at a high
level our program Of automo-
bile inspection to make sure
that the vehicles on our roads
are in safe mechanical con-
dition with good brakes and
lights and other safety de-
vices in proper working or
der. We have tried to make
travel safer for both motorist
and pedestrian by making use
Of the very latest techniques in
traffic engineering, by hun
dreds of investigations and
studies of the need for traffic
signals. stop signs. markers,
turns. one-way streets, park
ing regulations, and other
safety controls.
Our Office of Traffic Safety
Education has conducted a
day-in. day-out safety pro-
gram through press. radio.
television. movies and other
mass media, to secure the sup
port of motorists. to make
them want to be safer drivers
by accepting courtesy as their
code of the road. All of this has
helped the District win ma
tional traffic safety awards
year in and year out.
Then. why the increase in
traffic deaths in 1855? In
spite of all we have done, can
it be that we have failed to
reach the key to the problem:
The human factor? I think
that no one will challenge this
basic fact: safety on the high
way is determined by the atti-
tude Of the driver. If we can
not convince the driver that
he must, in his own and in
the public interest, drive more
carefully, then we will never
reduce traffic accidents.
The three Els of traffic
safety: engineering. enforce
ment. and education have
worked in vain when a man
leaves a bar staggering under
the influence of alcohol and
gets behind the wheel of his
car. The three Els have worked
In vain when a child rushes
out into the street from be-
tween parked cars or when an
elderly pedestrian crosses the
street against a red light. The
three Els have worked in vain
when a youngster roars down
the highway to see how fast
his car can go. And the three
Els don't seem to have made
a dent in the rude. the crude,
the rowdies on the road.
With all the sincerity at my
command, I urge all our
drivers to make this New
Years resolution: MAY cour-
tesy and common sense be my
code of the road throughout
the coming year"
George E. Keneipp,
Director Of Vehicles and