Evening star., 1956-12-26
Arrayof Bills
On Traffic Due
.InMary|and
Legislative Council
Has II Measures
Ready for Assembly

ANNAPOLIS, Md, Dec. 26 (F1.
The Maryland Legislature will
hardly open shop next week be-
fore it gets a batch of bills aimed
at sweeping revisions Of the
Motor Vehicle Code.
If you're Maryland driver.
here's how some of the proposed
changes would affect you:
/. Every three years you would
be required to turn in your
license and submit to re-exami-
nation to get another one.
2. Your automobile or truck
would be subject to annual in
spection for mechanical defects.
3. Your license plates would be
"reflectorized." or Of a type
which would be visible for at
least $500 feet in the beam Of
standard headlights, and would
be issued for periods of at least
three years.
4. Chemical or "drunkometer"
tests could be used as evidence
Iif you were involved in a drunken
driving case.
5. If you were involved in a
fatal accident and accused of
manslaughter by automobile, the
State would merely have to prove
you were guilty Of driving in
reckless disregard of safety" in
stead of in disregard Of human
life"
8. You would be required to
carry liability insurance.
These are among 81 motor
vehicle proposals which will be
introduced by the Legislative
Council at the outset of the ses-
sion. They account for more than
one-third of the rs pieces of
Legislation screened by the coun-
Gil since the last session of the
General Assembly.
Many Controversial Issues
Those which pass this be-
tween-Sessions screening theo-
retically have a running start
toward passage when the law
makers meet in Annapolis. But
there are so many "hot pota-
toes" or controversial items, in
this group of motor vehicle pro-
posals that the council sent the
entire kit to Annapolis without
Recommendation"
All except the proposal on
compulsory insurance were
drafted by a committee under
Delegate Edgar P. Silver, Demo-
crat of Baltimore, fifth.
| A 37-year-old lawyer who has
clerked in Baltimore Superior
Court for l3 years, Delegate Sill
yer is a freshman legislator but
has few illusions about his pro-
grams overall chances for sue
cess. Many Of its features have
been showed into the legislative
mill before. only to die there.
But this is life-saving prop
osition." Mr.. Silver says, "and
we've got to start somewhere.
Maryland's traffic death toll this
year is already over 535-about
as ahead of last year. Another
$4,000 will be among the injured,
many Of them manned for life.
When you talk about traffic
accidents. you're talking about
an epidemic. We know there1l
be opposition to some OF our
proposals because they'll incon-
venience all Of us to some extent.
But when you have a polio epi-
demic you don't mind the m
convenience Of a needle in the
arm to wipe out the epidemic,
do you?"
Re-examinati0ns Stressed
Mr.. Silver said he personally
considers the driver re-examina-
ton bill the most important Of
the lot because Maryland is the
only State in the Nation with a
permanent licensing system.
Nowhere else in America" he
said, do you hand a l6-year-old
boy a drivers license and tell
him. This is yours for life"
| Mr.. Silver said more than 200
motorists, church. civic, frater-
nal and other groups already
have Endorsed his committees
proposals.
He pictured the legislative
program as a move toward get
ting Maryland acceptance Of a
uniform vehicle code for the
entire Nation. a project backed
by the National Committee on
Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordi- /,
nances.