New Policy of Registry May Hurt Car Owners

The new enforcement policy of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles may result in fines of over $100 for student car owners, most of whom are unintentionally violating the Motor Vehicle Act, R. H. Parker, Chief of the Registry's Legal Section said yesterday.

"The law is on the books and will be enforced," Parker stated. He added that all law enforcement officers, especially Cambridge Police and Registry Inspectors operating within Cambridge, will see that the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act are enforced.

Meanwhile, Cambridge Police Chief Patrick F. Ready said, "In addition to spot checks, all students tagged for traffic and parking regulations will be required to show proper insurance and registration." He added that "we have very nosy and observant officers who get inquisitive once in a while."

Parker particularly noted that many students are violating the compulsory insurance regulations. "The law requires that the insurance policy be carried in the vehicle at all times," Parker said. He added that students who do not have the policies in their cars are subject to arrest and possible fines of $100 or more if they stay in Massachusetts for more than thirty days.

The law requires five and ten thousand dollars public liability insurance covering both the owner and anyone driving the car with his consent. "Students who do not comply with these provisions in every respect will be considered uninsured," Parker warned.

Registration Requirements

In addition to the insurance regulations, students should make sure that they have fully complied with registration and driver's license requirements. "Students whose cars are not properly registered will be considered trespassers on the highways," Parker said.

If a student is declared a "trespasser" he will be denied recovery for damages in an accident, regardless of who caused it.

Parker added that driver's licenses from South Dakota and Montana are void in Massachusetts, and that persons from these states driving any car except their own would be considered to be driving without a license, which is a criminal offense.

The legal chief continued that students who hold part-time jobs while at Harvard, whether with the University or not, will be required to register their cars here if their legal residence is Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, or Wyoming. In addition all students from Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Arizona should register their cars here within six months of their arrival in Cambridge.

University Police Chief Matthew J. Toohy pointed out that the University Police had tried to warn students about the Registry's regulations. He added that "although it is the student's obligation to see that he has complied with the law," the police and the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau had prepared a summary of Motor Vehicle laws, which was available at University Police Headquarters.