boyce motor lines argued december decided january regulation promulgated interstate commerce commission provides drivers motor vehicles transporting inflammables explosives shall avoid far practicable driving congested thoroughfares places crowds assembled street car tracks tunnels viaducts dangerous crossings statute whoever knowingly violates regulation subject fine imprisonment petitioner indicted three separate occasions operated holland tunnel truck carrying inflammable carbon bisulphide indictment alleged available practicable routes shipments petitioner well knew shipments violation regulation held regulation void vagueness district dismissed counts indictment based thereon pp reasonable degree certainty demanded language prohibition contained criminal statute unfair require one deliberately goes perilously close area proscribed conduct shall take risk may cross line order convict government must prove petitioner taken another route commercially practicable appreciably safer also petitioner knew practicable safer route deliberately took dangerous route tunnel petitioner willfully neglected inquire availability alternative route pp criminal prosecution petitioner district ground invalidity regulation dismissed counts indictment based upon alleged violations regulation interstate commerce commission supp appeals reversed granted certiorari affirmed archie dawson argued cause petitioner brief joseph glavin harry moore robert ginnane argued cause brief solicitor general perlman assistant attorney general mcinerney beatrice rosenberg leander shelley russell watson filed brief port new york authority amicus curiae supporting justice clark delivered opinion petitioner charged violation regulation promulgated interstate commerce commission regulation provides drivers motor vehicles transporting explosive inflammable liquid inflammable compressed gas poisonous gas shall avoid far practicable feasible prearrangement routes driving congested thoroughfares places crowds assembled street car tracks tunnels viaducts dangerous crossings indictment counts charges petitioner three separate occasions sent one trucks carrying carbon bisulphide dangerous inflammable liquid holland tunnel congested thoroughfare instance truck en route cascade mills new york brooklyn new york third trips load carbon bisulphide exploded tunnel sixty persons injured indictment available practicable routes transportation said shipment petitioner well knew transportation shipment carbon bisulphide holland tunnel violation regulations promulgated interstate commerce commission allegation feasibility prearrangement routes petitioner charged omission respect district dismissed counts indictment based upon regulation question holding invalid ground words far practicable feasible vague indefinite make standard guilt conjectural supp appeals third circuit reversed holding regulation interpreted conjunction statute establishes reasonably certain standard conduct granted certiorari criminal statute must sufficiently definite give notice required conduct one avoid penalties guide judge application lawyer defending one charged violation words possess precision mathematical symbols statutes must deal untold unforeseen variations factual situations practical necessities discharging business government inevitably limit specificity legislators spell prohibitions consequently reasonable degree certainty demanded unfair require one deliberately goes perilously close area proscribed conduct shall take risk may cross line sproles binford principles applied upholding words criminal statute similar us chief justice hughes speaking unanimous said shortest practicable route expression vague understood requirement reasonable certainty preclude use ordinary terms express ideas find adequate interpretation common usage understanding use common experience glossary necessary meet practical demands legislation statute punishes knowingly violate regulation requirement presence culpable intent necessary element offense much destroy force argument application regulation unfair must held invalid evident consideration effect requirement case sustain conviction government must prove petitioner taken another route commercially practicable appreciably safer avoidance crowded thoroughfares etc one follow must also shown petitioner knew practicable safer route yet deliberately took dangerous route tunnel petitioner willfully neglected exercise duty regulation inquire availability alternative route effort give point argument petitioner asserts practicable route trucks might followed pass places required avoid true congestion surrounding lower hudson practicable way crossing river avoided points danger substantially greater extent route taken petitioner violated regulation plainly matter proof trial conversant routes area may facts record us assume allegations indictment false thus distort judicial notice concept strike regulation adopted much consultation affected penalizing knowingly violate prohibition therefore affirm judgment appeals remanding cause district directions reinstate counts indictment affirmed footnotes interstate commerce commission shall formulate regulations safe transportation within limits jurisdiction explosives dangerous articles including flammable liquids flammable solids oxidizing materials corrosive liquids compressed gases poisonous substances shall binding upon common carriers engaged interstate foreign commerce transport explosives dangerous articles land upon shippers making shipments explosives dangerous articles via common carrier engaged interstate foreign commerce land water regulations shall accord practicable means securing safety transit covering packing marking loading handling transit precautions necessary determine whether material offered proper condition transport cfr whoever knowingly violates regulation shall fined imprisoned one year death bodily injury person results violation shall fined imprisoned ten years sixth paragraph lanzetta new jersey nash hygrade provision sherman petrillo sproles binford provision challenged upheld concerned basically requirement distance requirement applying within necessary limits practicability regulation challenged concerned basically avoidance designated points danger within like limits practicability stat stat amended stat stat cfr see regulations transportation explosives cfr drivers motor vehicles transporting inflammable liquids shall avoid far practicable driving congested thoroughfares places crowds assembled street car tracks tunnels viaducts dangerous crossings far practicable shall accomplished prearrangement routes section amended present form fed reg compare petrillo miller strahl baltimore ohio interstate commerce screws ragen gorin omaechevarria idaho officers agents employees every motor carrier concerned transportation explosives dangerous articles required become conversant regulations applying transportation cfr case review granting motion dismiss indictment necessary mention familiar rule stage case allegations indictment must taken true justice jackson justice black justice frankfurter join dissenting congress apparently found comprehensive regulation needed transportation explosives inflammables intricate detailed processes delegated task framing regulations interstate commerce commission made knowing violation criminal federal crimemaking power delegated body justified requiring considerable precision exercise kraus regulation prohibit carriage explosives presupposes must transported therefore attempts lay rule choice routings petitioner admonished avoid congested thoroughfares places crowds assembled streetcar tracks tunnels viaducts dangerous crossings nobody suggests possible avoid carrying shipment origin destination regulation require one avoided except far practicable disagree opinion chief justice hughes sproles binford context used shortest practicable route expression vague understood basic standard prescribed definiteness distance ordinarily prevail departed trucker prepared offer practical justifications regulation us contains definite standard one start calculation duty leaves routes equally open equally closed carrier must choose practicable sproles case weighing distance obstacles passage may course take judicial notice geography delivery goods impossible except passing many congested thoroughfares either tunnels viaducts bridges explosion equally dangerous equally incriminating guidance gleaned regulation one reasonable certainty make choice routes comply requirements said however definiteness may achieved trial expert testimony advise jury routes preferable defects solution twofold first standard direct confine test expert opinion testimony second none guide jury choosing conflicting expert opinions suggested defendant protected indefiniteness conviction authorized knowing violations argument seems jury find defendant knowingly violated regulation finds knew meaning regulation accused violating exception screws rests particularized basis knowledge requisite knowing violation statute factual knowledge distinguished knowledge law suppose intends suggest petitioner knew nothing existence regulation ignorance constitute defense regulation prescribes duty terms degree care must exercised moving shipment utmost care protect defendant prosecution one learn duty terms reasonable care high degree care course one may sure whether trier fact find particular conduct measure requirements law may learn least must strive learn regulation question indictment circumstances might feel better case proceed trial decision reserved review conviction one results trial give us better information whether regulation contains sufficiently definite standards definition crime acquittal disagreement leave unworkable indefinite regulation standing guide matter badly needs intelligible rather tight regulation remain least extent incoherent barrier state enactment enforcement local regulations subject public interest well interest justice petitioner pronounce vague regulation invalid responsible supervision dangerous traffic go business framing regulation specify intelligible standards conduct