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ONNECTICU
OTOR. V tirilC'Lij
GI Q T
1919
CONNECTICUT
MOTOR VEHICLE
E G I S T E R
REVISED TO APRIL 15th, 1919
Motor Vehicle Department
STATE CAPITOL
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
Published by the State
1919
[Copyright, 1919, by C. H. R.]
FOREWORD
T^HIS book, with two supplements, one to be
* ready July 1st and the other September 1st,
is published upon a subscription basis. It is a con-
tinuation, in a more practical form, of the publica-
tion of 1918. The edition is five thousand-. The
price of the book and supplements is two dollars,
delivered.
MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTER.
THE DEPARTMENT.
General.
The Motor Vehicle Department of the State of Connecticut was placed under the direction
of a Commissioner by the Public Acts of 1917.
The Commissioner took ofBce June 1st, 1917.
The Department is a public servant ; its resources and operatives are for public service ; its
forces and influence are attempted to be directed toward efficiency and to make motoring safe.
, Criticisms, suggestions and co-operation are earnestly requested.
A booklet of the law and rules of the road will be sent on application.
Personnel of the Department.
The personnel of the Department is as follows :
Commissioner
Mr. Robbins B. Stoeckel
Deputy Commissioner
Mr. John A. Macdonald
Chiej Clerk, Mr. F. J.
Wetstine
(Reporting to Comm
issioner)
Chief Clerk's Stenographer
Supervisor
Miss Lynehan
(Bridgeport Branch)
Miss Redding (Assistant)
Miss IMatthews
Miss Greiner (Assistant)
Clerks
Supervisor
Miss Sullivan
(New Haven Branch)
Miss Fitzpatrick
Miss A. M. TwohiU
Miss Woods
Clerlts
Miss Jones
Miss Flynn
Miss C. G. Twohlll
Miss Aheam
Miss Conlclln
Assistant Chief Clerk, Mr.
(Reporting to Chief
Chief BUllng Clerk
Miss Rich
Clerks
Miss Bolger
Miss Keeney
Chief Bookkeeper
Miss A. L. Burns
Clerks
Miss M. E. Bums
Miss Jackson
Miss Welch
List Clerk
Miss Egan
Shipping Clerk
Miss Holmes
Chief File Clerk
Miss Moffltt
Clerks
Miss Greenstein
Miss Hurley
Miss LeGeyt
Miss Fay
E. B. MUNSELL
Clerk)
Chief Marker Cleilt
J. Sayers
Clerks
T. Sexton
J. Myer
Chief Mail Clerk
Mrs. Dunn
Clerks
Miss O'Hearn
Miss Martin
Miss O'Connor
Miss Kelley
Miss Shapiro
Miss King
Miss Noonan
Mrs. Phelan
R. Southergill
Stock Clerk
Miss McNamara
Chief Window Clerk
Miss Griffin
Clerks
Miss Pinell
Miss Walsh
Miss Gilbert
Miss Stoddard
Miss Kane
Hearings and Accidents
(Reporting to Commissioner)
Miss Pine
Miss Traver
Miss Cairnes
Chief Inspector, Mb. V. F. Gidman
(Reporting to Commissioner)
:. Smith
. Wightman
[. Bradford
I. Langley
.. Stebbins
. Connor
:. Ellis
. Marsh, Jr.
Brooks
. Carbo
. Devnew
.. Thatcher
A.
Fuller
B.
B. Driscoll
D.
A. Viets
W
H. Brennan
F.
L. Kirk
W
I. Smith
C.
â– W. Covert
1.
L. Trbwbridge
K.
C. Toung
Registration (all
classes)
Operators (all
classes)
Other receipts .
Fines ....
Total . .
Per cent, increase
Receipts of the Department, 1912 to 1918.
1912. 1913. . 1914. 1915. 1916. 1917. 1918.
5195,673.39 S247,6S5.26 $316,697.13 $416,101.41 S600.231.54 $827,009.94 S953.530.41
52.482.00
3.990.50
2.978.17
$255,124.06
.108t
64.846.00
4,129.50
4,135.76
8320,796.52
.257t
77,440.00
3,752.00
8,734.21
$406,623.34
.267t
105,964.00
5,911.00
8.993.68
$536,970.09
.325t
t Receipts for 1911
143,960.00 207,627.00 218.176.00
9,175.50 12.141.50 59.965.36
15,360.87 33,810.23 53.492.50
S76S.727.91 51,080,588.67 51,285.164.27
.431 1' .507t .189
â– ere $230,120.89.
STATE OF CONNECTICUT.
Accident Filing System.
Each person concerned in an accident involving personal injury or doing property dam-
age of over ten dollars is required by law to report the same within twenty-four hours to the Depart-
ment.
Statistics of accidents collected are as follows:
Yearly Schedule of Automobile Accidents
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Registrations and Operators' Licenses.
On account of the large increase in the number of motors in general use and the consequent
additional registrations and operators' licenses required to be issued, the Department was; in 1917,
reorganized on a larger scale.
It now consists of a main office occupying a suite of rooms on the third floor of the Capitol
at Hartford, and of two branch offices, one in the Police Headquarters Building on Court, Street,
New Haven, and one in the Police Headquarters Building on Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport.
Inspection System.
Inspection Districts are laid out on a basis of population and of highways to be covered,
so that each inspector may be located at a convenient enforcement point.
Inspectors have charge of the examination of new operators and also do enforcement work.
Cases are heard at convenient centers in each county.
At present public hearings are held regularly in New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Hart-
ford and New London, and, as occasion demands, in other centers.
DEPARTMENT RULINGS.
The following interpretative rulings of the Department cover matters often inquired about.
Suspension of Licenses.
The power to suspend operators' licenses or owners' registrations is vested only in the Com-
missioner and Deputy Commissioner and no other person is authorized by law to take up a license
STATE OF CONNECTICUT.
or registration. It often happens that the Commissioners ask Inspectors or Officers operating
under their direction to actually perform the act of taking up the license or registration for for-
warding to the office, but in general this subject is only dealt with by the Department.
When a license is suspended the effect is that the party whose license is so taken cannot drive
at all during the period of suspension and is not allowed to operate a car under any conditions
whatever during that period.
Operator's Age.
The law is mandatory to the effect that no person under the age of eighteen can be granted
an operator's license. The Department receives a great many inquiries as to whether this rule can
be waived. It cannot. Any person over sixteen can drive a motor vehicle without having an
operator's license, provided some one holding a license is present in the car.
This does not apply to any operator whoss license has been suspended or revoked.
Foreign Cars.
Any person operating a car within the State of Connecticut for a period over thirty days,
not necessarily consecutive, will be required to take out an operator's license and the car so operated
vsdll be required to be registered under Connecticut law.
Mirrors.
A mirror is required to be installed upon any commercial motor vehicle where the driver's
view of the road to the rear is obstructed. This means that a truck on which the driver's seat
is enclosed or where the load obstructs his view needs to have a mirror.
A close case would need to be judged by the facts and would be determined as to whether
there was a reasonable opportunity for the driver to see what was coming from the rear.
A mirror must be placed so that the driver can actually use it with effect. A mirror that
is broken or out of order or out of place or not located so the road to the rear is shown therein does
not comply with the law.
Pleasure cars do not need to have mirrors.
Trailers and Tractors.
Trailers are required to have rubber tires.
Tractors are not granted registration except that a tractor with rubber tires may have a
registration limited to one trailer.
Right-of-Way Rules.
In the interpretation of any right-of-way rule the limitation must be considered that the
party entitled to exercise the right of way is required by law to exercise it reasonably and not to
insist upon it where it would bring anyone else in danger. This is a limitation which applies to
all rules for governing conduct in driving cars.
Speed.
All driving must be at a reasonable rate of speed. What actually constitutes a reasonable
rate of speed in one place may not even approximate it in another. The determination of what
is a reasonable rate of speed in any particular place is a question of fact and each driver must
decide this for himself.
MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTER.
ENFORCEMENT AND CO-OPERATION.
The problem of enforcement of any such general law as that governing motor vehicles must
necessarily depend for its eflFectiveness mainly upon two factors.
The first is that the people who are to be governed by the law must definitely understand
the reasons back of the particular prescriptions, and must be absolutely 'familiar with the opera-
tive portions. In other words, the law must appeal to their reason and common sense, and they
must know enough of its requirements to actually put it into practice.
So far as this imposes a duty on the Motor Vehicle Department it is to educate the driving
public in these practical requirements, and when such education is comparatively complete an in-
creasing severity in enforcement must follow to eliminate that small percentage of operators who
are persistently ignorant, vicious or defective.
The other factor referred to is that of co-operation.
With a comparatively small body of ofiicers it is impossible to properly watch and control
any such number of operators as is now upon the highways of the State, unless owners and drivers
themselves will co-operate.
Considerable such co-operation has already been secured. There are many individuals in-
terested, and a large number of them are furnishing information. It is hoped to interest many
more.
Arrangements have been made and will soon be perfected by which motor vehicles approach-
ing railway grade crossings at a rate of speed so rapid that the driver would be unable to stop upon
signal, will be reported, also motor vehicles passing trolley cars which are standing for the purpose
of taking on or discharging passengers will be so reported.
Automobile clubs are providing a large amount of detailed information and advice, and as a
great deal of this is based upon the experience of members, it proves immensely valuable in its
critical analysis of the work of the Department.
The press of this State and of adjoining states has been quick to see and appreciate the
importance of co-operative work and has helped immensely by editorial comment and by news
articles.
To all of these the Department extends its thanks and acknowledges its debt.
STATE OF CONNECTICUT.
CAUSES OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.
The accident file records of the Motor Vehicle Department demonstrate that certain pre-
ponderating classes of accidents can be traced to their contributing causes.
The statistics of certain groups of collision accidents have already taken such form that
the Department feels justified in giving them publicity.
One such group occurs mainly in trunk line driving in the country. Any collision is inva-
riably traceable to the attempt of one vehicle to pass from the rear at an unsuitable place, usually
on a curve or on the top of a hill, while another vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction.
The law governing this kind of passing is clear and positive: — " * * The person overtak-
ing and passing to the left of the person or vehicle overtaken shall do so subject to the right of
way of those travelling in an opposite direction," etc.
The duty of especial care is thereby placed upon any driver coming up to pass from the rear,
to see that he does so in a suitable place, that is, in a place where he has amply sufficient clear
vision ahead of the car he is intending to pass to insure that no vehicle approaching from the oppo-
site direction will be met, until he has passed and safely returned to the right side of the road.
Some drivers seem to be temperamentally unfitted to stay in the, rear of any vehicle at all,
or until a proper opportunity to pass is presented. With such, and in general with all offenders
of this nature, the Department will be severe.
In the city, collisions take place most frequently at intersecting streets. Such are largely
due to "cutting corners" and to neglect to grant right of way to vehicle approaching from the
right, and to "cutting in ahead."
Of these three causes the first is the most common. A liberal use of silent policemen will
help conditions which occasion it, and town and city authorities responsible for placing such should
remember that it is poor economy not to use them freely.
The right of way to a vehicle approaching from the right is a good provision. It is probably
generally understood, but is hardly ingrained enough, as yet, to allow of a critical application of it
as an absolute criterion for blame.
"Cutting in ahead" is common and will receive severe treatment.
The adjudication of all right-of-way rules will be along the lines of reason and common sense.
That is, the person who is entitled bylaw to the right of way must exercise such right with limi-
tations. Just because he is entitled to the right of way will not be interpreted to mean that he is
entitled to the right of way irrespective of others. The use must be reasonable.
A case involving this princij^le has recently been decided in the Superior Court.
The memorandum of decision, by Judge Gager, in the case of Taylor vs. Kinner, Fairfield
County, says, in part: — "The rule of the road is designed to keep travellers out of danger. It
cannot be insisted on when its observance will manifestly bring one into danger."
The improper parking of ears is another cause which contributes to many accidents. This
is particularly true where a stop is made upon a through road for the purpose of changing a tire.
It is apparently the belief of many drivers that as soon as a tire is flat it must be changed at once
and that it is wrong to run a car even a short distance uport a deflated tire. This occasions stop-
ping wherever the tire has burst, which is often in the center of the road or on a curve, or in some
place where other cars approaching do not have a clear and uninterrupted view.
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