Laws and Regulations

Touring for pleasure is widespread and considered by many as one of the distinguishing characteristics of contemporary Ameri can life. Even during the depression, well over a million workers were engaged in sales and service to the vast motoring public. Service in the United States is largely on a different basis from that of Great Britain and the Continent. However, there is an or ganization—the American Automobile Association—which is the world's largest motor federation—composed of Boo motor clubs and 750,000 members. Another organization, with 300,00o mem bers, is the American Motorists Association.

for the purposes of distribution and collection. There are approx imately 3,000,00o families in the United States who own more than one automobile.

There is a network of over 3,100,000 miles of highways connect ing every community. Most of the work of improving the major system has been finished. The state highway system comprises about 346,00o rural miles, 280,000 surfaced miles and 96,00o im proved roads. About 600,000 persons are normally employed in highway building and maintenance. There are 1,400,00o miles of improved (Federal) rural mail routes (45% of total highways). The motor owners are taxed about 1,200 millions of dollars annu ally and over 600 millions is spent on roads.

Another aspect of motoring in the United States is the practice of travelling to and from business by motor car, which has led to a very considerable extension of suburban territory. In cities of less than 200,000 population, this method of travelling to work is quite usual. In larger cities parking problems, as yet not com pletely solved, offer an impediment to this practice.

Touring for Recreation.

The extent to which motoring is undertaken on a pleasure basis is indicated by the fact that Amer ican motorists expend annually over three thousand million dollars in vacations. In many parts of the nation hundreds of thousands of passenger cars move in and out of the larger cities each week-end with a new group of "visitors." Week-end motor ing for pleasure varies from "5oo mile non-stop trips" to the more typical four-score mile jaunt, accompanied by a night stop at a small inn or tourist camp. Typical urban users of cars take one or more long trips each year to distant points of interest. In

addition there are thousands of tourist lodges which will accom modate persons for as little as 5o cents per night.

It is interesting to note that 95% of all American motorists own cars selling for less than $750 (wholesale). Nearly 99% of all cars are closed body types and of these closed types the most popular are 4-Door Sedans, 2-Door Sedans and Coupes respec tively. The average life of the American car, contrary to popular notion, is relatively long, being 81 years.

Accidents.

Motor travel increased with great rapidity in the period following the World War, and resulted in a great increase in the number of fatalities as is indicated by the following: The use of motor cars for pleasure has been traditionally com bined with the need for intermediate transportation, especially in rural communities. From the beginning a most important class of purchasers has been the farmers.

In 1934, there were 833,163 new passenger car registrations on farms and towns under 1o,000 and 1,055,394 such registrations in cities of over io,000 population. Farmers use about 25% of all trucks. The 1930 Census of Agriculture showed 5,035,000 vehicles on farms. At least 2,500,000 vehicles are owned by corporations The annual total of fatal accidents is still rising. Casualties are greater from motors than from war, comparing America's part in the 1917-1918 conflict. Opinion varies as to the best ways of reducing the accident rate but experience on specific highways indicates that improving the design of the road is very effective; arterial parkways with grade separations providing that inter secting highways pass above or underneath the parkway and oppos ing lines of travel are proving of some value both as to accident reduction and as to avoiding traffic congestion. Tens of thou sands of policemen spend most of their working hours in assign ments related to traffic problems. Psychological roadways, e.g., well "landscaped" have better safety records.

Traffic Codes.

The national Government is co-operating with various national associations to simplify and unify the many different State and city motor vehicle codes. Most of the public schools include safety education in their curricula. "Stop" and "Go" signals are everywhere encountered; many are fully auto matic.