ADDRESS, MUNICIPAL POLICE ASSOCIATION BANQUET

RIVERDALE
January 23, 1962

As law-enforcement officers, I know you share with me a keen interest
in traffic safety, and this evening I should like to review with you some
of the activities that have taken place in this area of endeavor during
the past three years.

At the beginning of this Administration, the problems arising out of
the deplorable traffic safety record, then existing in our State, were given
careful consideration by my office. In discussions with safety leaders and
with members of my official family, two facts continually came to light.
The first of these was that the several State agencies charged with
responsibility for the public safety had few basic, long-range programs
that are needed to come to grips with modern traffic conditions. The
second fact was that these agencies lacked the required machinery—
namely, legislation and official policies—to put such programs into effect.

Armed with this knowledge, we decided to survey the entire State
safety program, with the view to enacting legislation and inaugurating
policies which would provide immediate, yet lasting, solutions to the
problems then facing us. After considerable study, we embarked upon a
14-point, two-phase program of traffic safety for Maryland. While both
phases of the program were launched simultaneously, each concerned
itself with different, though related, areas of endeavor.

The first stage was intended to create an environment within our
State departments—an environment lending itself to the continued
support of fundamental and long-needed safety programs. As a result
of the study given to this first stage, steps were taken to modernize both
the State Police and the Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as to
open the way for the thoughtful development of motor vehicle legislation.
Over the past two years we accomplished the passage of legislation which
made possible the complete reorganization of the Department of Motor
Vehicles. The salaries of State Troopers have been increased substan-
tially, and there have been annual increases in the strength of the force
since I took office as Governor.

In addition, a Motor Vehicles Committee was created in the Senate,
and the position of Commissioner of Motor Vehicles was placed under
the Merit System. Safety regulations governing the operation of school
buses were tightened, and the special position of Assistant Superintendent

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