COPELAND ASSAILS CARELESS AUTOISTS

The New York Times
November 23, 1922

Senator-Elect Tells Safety Leaders All Drivers Should Undergo Examination.

RAPS "EASY-LICENSE PLAN"

Urges Proper Laws to Control Traffic That Cost 1,100 Children's Lives Here.

The recently organized United States Human Safety and Road Educational Association held a dinner last night in the Hotel Commodore for the purpose of acquainting the public with the aims of the sponsors in conducting safety campaigns along national lines. Many automobile manufacturers are represented in the association, the officers of which are as follows: president, Joseph Grondahl; vice presidents, George C. Van Tuyl Jr., and Inglis M. Uppercu; secretary, Henry Birrell.

United States Senator-elect Royal S. Copeland believed the evil of automobile accidents was attributable to a large degree to the ease with which licenses could be obtained. He advocated drastic examinations for fitness.

"Every individual who goes for a license should be tested rigidly for vision and hearing," Dr. Copeland said. "We should exercise careful control over those who operate automobiles for gain. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs should be considered on the basis of their physical, moral and mental qualifications. Proper laws along this line would eliminate many unfit drivers. Something has got to be done to cut down automobile accidents. Right here in New York 1,100 children were killed by machines last year."

Marcus S. Dow, representing Special Deputy Police Commissioner Barron Collier, told of the plans of the Bureau of Public Safety, recently opened by the direction of Commissioner Enright. He said that in conjunction with the Board of Education a special campaign would be conducted in the public schools of the city to stimulate alertness on the part of children in adopting "safety first" and "always look" policies.

Mr. Dow said such an organization as the association was greatly needed to wage a national safety fight. He said when one read that 14,000 persons were killed last year in auto accidents throughout the country it was time to begin thinking of ways to preserve human life and limb.