THE 1968 UNIFORM VEHICLE CODE 461

SON

LV

worse than lack of uniformity . Therefore , the UVC is reexamined periodically and revised when necessary so that , within the frame work of underlying principles and limitations imposed by time , it is in step with current thinking and experience in the traffic law field .

However , it is amended only for important reasons and after a thorough review . The governing rules of the National Committee require that its members be fully informed of existing state laws to assist in determining the proven merit of any given change and the extent to which existing laws would have to be changed by state legislatures , as well as the extent to which drivers or pedes trians must learn a new rule or different behavior pattern .

Such a review and revision of the Uniform Vehicle Code and Model Traffic Ordinance has recently been completed . The National Committee met in July and December of 1968 , and the revised editions of both documents were published and distributed early in 1969 . Some of the most significant revisions approved by the National Committee in 1968 are reviewed below . 2

The 1968 revisions in Chapter 1 ( containing definitions ) are generally significant only in the context of other substantive pro visions . However , the definition of " bicycle ” was amended to reduce the wheel diameter so that persons riding the popular new “ highriser ” models with small wheels must comply with rules of the road . A new definition of " driver ' s license " and changes in the definitions of " license , " " revocation , ” and “ suspension ” were all related to deleting the long - standing distinction between oper ators and chauffeurs .

Chapter 2 on “ Highway Safety Administration " was expanded to include new provisions defining the authority and responsibility of the state governor and providing for the coordination of highway

VCC

1 . The single volume containing both the 1968 Code and the 1968 Ordinance can be obtained from the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances , 525 School Street , S . W . , Washington , D . C . 20024 , at a cost of $ 5 . 00 per copy . It should be noted that previous editions of the Code and Ordinance were published in separate pamphlets .

2 . The 1968 revisions in the Code are discussed in greater detail in the following publications of the National Committee : “ Rules of the Road - Revised , 1968 , ” Traffic Laws Commentary No . 68 - 1 ( October 31 , 1968 , 43 pages ) ; “ Driver Licensing Revisions , ” Traffic Laws Commentary No . 68 - 2 ( November 29 , 1968 , 45 pages ) ; “ 1968 Revised Code and Ordinance Available Soon , ” NCUTLO Report ( February 7 , 1969 , 5 pages ) .