OCR Text |
Show I Fixing Responsibility 4 ; t ..-rpORMAL-invesiigatloa by a-qualified court should follow every automobile accident attended by fatal results. Not every accident Is caused by the negligence or recklessness of the driver. Often the victim is responsible. respon-sible. This fact has led to a system which . brders a court investigation in one case and not in another. Of course, this discrimination Is based on Informal Investigations by police and prosecuting authorities. Perhaps their judgment is sound and their findings may be the same 'as might be had from a formal hearing in court ' r Nevertheless the system is subject to criticism criti-cism because, in theory at least, it is open to the assaults of influence. In fatal accidents the arrest of the drivers should follow as a nuiter of form, thereby fixing responsibility for determining the- cause of accidents with the courts. The driver, as well as the victim's family, Is entitled to 4his consideration. It would not follow that every man arrested ar-rested would be convicted of negligence resulting re-sulting In death. The hearing would provide a record of the accident, and in a good many cases it would give the driver official exoneration, exoner-ation, something he does not have under the existing system. A man involved in a fatal accident, under the custom of today, might escape prosecution. He, however, would not - be able to show a complete lack of responsibility. responsi-bility. A formal investigation by a qualified court would eliminate this deficiency and tend to reduce the number of fatal accidents as well as the litigation which generally follows. |