Milford chronicle., 1956-08-17
Hope To Make Traffic
Laws More Uniform
By Years End

In an effort TO halt the nation S
headlong rush into the most calami-
tous traffic toll of all time by the
end of 1856, the National Commit
tee On Uniform Traffic Laws and
Ordinances, for the first time in its
history, is calling on state legisla-
ture throughout the country to es-
tablish absolute maximum speed
limits and give law enforcement
officers more sweeping on-the-spOt
arrest powers.
This action was taken at meet
ing of the Committee in Chicago
and was announced today by Thorn
as N. BOate, a committee member
and Accident Prevention Depart
ment manager of the Association
of Casually and Surety Companies.
The committees approval of these
changes in the Uniform Traffic
Code coincided with the National
Safety Councils announcement that
traffic fatalities in the nation have
consistently increased for the six
teenth consecutive month and are
threatening to reach an all-time
high of 42,000 deaths for 1856. This
action is considered as particularly
significant by traffic accident spec
ialists because the committee MEM
bership consists of the official rep
resentatives of federal, state and
municipal traffic law enforcement
executives as well as business and
industry interests.
The first of the two major chang
es calls for the abandonment of
prima facie speed laws i'm favor of
absolute limits and would greatly
simplify enforcement of speed
laws. Under the newly recon-
mended system, any motorist ex-
ceeding the maximum speed estab-
lished by law would be guilty of
a traffic violation. Under the prima
facie law, a motOrist charged with
speeding cannot be judged guilty
of a violation unless the arreSting
officer is able to prove that, under
the conditions existing at the time
of the arrest, such speed was un-
safe.
At the present time, 10 states
have established maximum speed
limits, II have prima facie limits
and eight have limits designated
only as reasonable and prudent" +"
To facilitate enforcement, in
crease the safety of the highways
and bring about uniformity of traf-
fic laws" the committee voted to
urge all states to adopt absolute
limits 1t further recommended that
under the most favorable circum-
stances, the maximum speed should
not exceed 60 miles an hour i'm
rural areas or 30 miles an hour in
built-up areas, with downward zon-
ing to meet local conditions.
The second major change recon-
mends broadening the authority of
enforcement officers to allow them
to make on-the-spot arrests of per-
sons who are reasonably believed
to have committed such violations
as reckless driving, negligent homi-
eide, driving while under the influ-
ence of alcohol or drugs, leaving
the scene of an accident, refusing
to give information, or refusing to
aid accident victims.
Under most existing systems,
these offenses are considered mis-
demeanors rather than felonies. I'm
der the common law rule, an Off
Ger can make an on-the-spot arrest
of a person suspected of committing
a misdemeanor. The time lapse in
III 81 0afcy
to sober up (if drunk or to leave
the scene of the accident. If the
suspect is from out of state, he can
often escape trial completely by
returning to his home before a war
rant can be issued.
The new law allowing officers to
make on-tke-spOt arrests of per-
sons charged with nlisdemeanors,
traffic safety leaders pointed out,
wOuli thus make possible the APP
prehension of many viOlators who
now frequently escape prosecution.
This system is already in effect in
several parts of the nation.
The Uniform Traffic Code is a
set of pattern" laws designed for
adoption by state governments in
order to provide uniform and more
effective traffic regulation through
out the nation. The National Com
mittee periodically revises the code
to keep it abreast of changing traf
fic conditions. The recent meeting
was timed to allow revision of the
code to be completed well in ad
vance of the opening sessions of
1857 state legislatures. which may
adopt or reject the recommended
tions.
Commenting on the important
new revisions, Mr.. Boate said:
"The recommended laws will dis
courage traffic violations and will
make law enforcement more effec-
tive. Both changes have long been
favored by most of the nations
courts ard enforcement agencies
and have been backed repeatedly
by capital stock casualty insurance
companies and their representa-
tiYes.
"Our traffic problem is bOlting
away at headlOng speed. Already
we are approaching 100000 acci-
dents a year at a cost of some $5
billion. .5n0 Geo injuries and A.
900 deaths. The strengthening of
traffic laws must nc longer be de-
layed if we are to halt this trend.
1t is clearly evident that the
broadening IF police arrest powers
and the tightening of speed laws