State government, I stated that it is common knowledge that most of the
traffic accidents occur as a result of violations of laws enacted to protect
the motoring public. I said that I did not condone the careless and reck-
less handling of motor vehicles on the part of any person, and least of
all on the part of persons operating State-owned vehicles. I called upon
State employees to obey all the laws scrupulously, and in particular
those applicable to traffic safety.

At the session of the General Assembly this year, numerous bills were
introduced relating to highway safety. Among them were measures
providing for a program of driver training in public high schools, for
motor vehicle inspection, for the point system for penalizing traffic
offenders, for chemical tests for drunken drivers, for raising minimum
eyesight requirements for applicants for drivers' licenses and others.

I instructed my staff to screen these bills carefully. In the end, my
Administration concentrated its efforts on the two measures we thought
would be most effective in the curtailment of accidents. One of these
was the so-called point system and the other the chemical tests for
drunken-driving cases.

Often cited in discussions of traffic safety is the paradox that drivers,
in the face of all the frightening statistics, refuse to believe that they,
themselves, can become the casualties of speed and reckless driving.
They cannot imagine death happening to them, and so, they read the
statistics and continue to drive in excess of a safe speed. But they can
conceive of losing their driving permit, and when they are confronted
with the threat of suspension or revocation of their licenses, they are
likely to drive more carefully. To be unable to drive in this automotive
age is a severe personal handicap. The great merit of the point system
is that it serves as a constant reminder to the motorist that he may lose
his right to drive a car.

The Evening Sun was correct in its statement that the system must be
administered efficiently. With that in mind, we postponed the operative
date of the measure until December 31, 1960, to give the Department of
Motor Vehicles an opportunity to set up an effective program of
administration.

I consider the point system a cardinal point in my traffic safety pro-
gram. Other measures will be examined studiously as time goes on, and
if they appear to be feasible, I shall ask that they be adopted.

Already enacted into law is the provision for chemical tests for
drunken drivers. It is an acknowledged fact that many accidents result
from excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages by the drivers of motor

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