operation of his vehicle, there can be no substitute for the ultimate
solution to highway deaths. The final answer lies in driver motivation.
Given the right motivations for driving safety, coupled with strong
penalties for traffic violations, I feel certain that the normal driver will
respond. For I am sure you will agree it is just as easy to drive safely as it
is to drive recklessly, perhaps easier.
The men and women you elected to represent you in the General
Assembly are also gravely concerned with our growing highway fatalities.
I am proud to report that they too are aware of the important role that
the drivers' motivations play in our traffic accidents and deaths. There-
fore., they went right to the heart of the matter during the 1966 legislative
session and passed a bill requiring the youth of our State to participate in
30 hours of driver education courses before obtaining their licenses to
operate motor vehicles. As you undoubtedly know, boys and girls ages
16 and 17 are in a very impressionable stage of their development. There-
fore, if a conscientious program of driving instruction can motivate them
into becoming mature safe drivers at this early age, then I think it is
correct to assume they will remain properly motivated and will become
the safe, sensible motorists in Maryland's future.
Now, if this solves the problem of motivating our youth correctly, we
are still faced with the appalling situation of careless adult drivers. We
can't force our adult citizens to go back to school and take a course in
driver education. So how do we motivate these reckless menaces into
observing speed limits, yielding the right of way, using the proper signal
and so on? In such cases, where adults have not been motivated into
observing sane driving practices, punitive measures should be employed.
Laws punishing traffic violators are being strengthened and each year
sterner measures against reckless driving are being enacted in the Legis-
lature. In this respect, it is unfortunate that certain bills in our safety
program failed of passage in the recent session of the General Assembly.
I was greatly disappointed that we failed to pass the implied consent
measure for accused drunken drivers. But fortunately, legislation for
better traffic safety is not the only answer. We are a government of the
people by the people, and so in matters of grave public concern we can
turn to you, the people for help. Here is where we, in positions of
responsibility for traffic safety, call upon the Safety-Health Conference
and the many other fine organizations like it within our State.
Many State departments and agencies are already participating in
efforts to reduce the deaths that occur in Maryland's disaster area...
the highways. Our Traffic Safety Commission, State Police, Department
of Motor Vehicles, traffic courts and numerous other offices are all
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