Executive Order 1489

by President of the United States

By virtue of the authority vested in me, I hereby establish the following order for the Canal Zone.

Section 1. No automobile, motor cycle, or bicycle shall be driven or operated over the roads or streets of the Canal Zone at a speed exceeding fifteen (15) miles an hour on straight roads, or at a speed exceeding eight (8) miles an hour when approaching or traversing curves, forks, or cross-roads, or when traveling over the streets of any city, town, or village of the Canal Zone. The owner of an automobile, if within the car, shall be held responsible for its speed; in the absence of the owner, the person actually driving the automobile shall be held responsible. The person operating a motor cycle or bicycle shall be held responsible for its speed.

Sec. 2. In the operation or employment of automobiles, motor cycles, bicycles, carriages, wagons, and other vehicles over Canal Zone roads or streets, the following rules shall be observed, viz: All such vehicles, in meeting and passing other vehicles, or in being overtaken and passed by other vehicles, shall keep to the left of the road; and in overtaking and passing other vehicles they shall keep to the right. The owner of an automobile or other vehicle, if riding therein, shall be held responsible for the driving or operation thereof, agreeably to the provisions of this section; in the absence of the owner, the person driving or operating such vehicle shall be held responsible. In the case of any motor cycle or bicycle, the person operating same shall be held responsible.

Sec. 3. Any person violating any provision of this order shall be punished by a fine not exceeding One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), United States currency, or by imprisonment not exceeding thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

Sec. 4. The Executive Order of February 27, 1908,^[1] relative to the speed to automobiles on Canal Zone roads is hereby repealed.

Sec. 5. This order shall take effect thirty days from this date.

Wm. H. Taft.

The White House,

February 28, 1912.

Notes

1. Not a presidential executive order; issued by Secretary of War William H. Taft "by direction of the president". The speed limits and penalties were the same.[1]