The morning call., 1893-09-24
RULES OF THE ROAD.
Things That Every Driver Should Know.

/ driver must be like helmsman on ship,
/ quick to see prompt to act, with cool
! nerves and level head. He must not pull
Il st one way, then another; he must have
| thorou2hly established that coordination
| between hand and brain that makes the
action almost simultaneous with the
thought, and avertS catastrophe. a we'll
| broken. well-bi;ted horse should answer
10 touch on the rein as ship answers to
the rudder, but he can easily be spoiled by
careless or lnatlentlVe driver. Every
! pedestrian knows the driver who pulls up
to let BIN pass after nearly running him
down, and who, as soon as the startled
| footpaSser has made up MS mind that it is
safe TO proceed Gu his way, starts up
again, causing him to dodge back again
| for his life.
There are careless pedestrians, to be
sure. The calm manner in which some
J people will stroll across street without
! apparently ever giving thought to pass
| Ing vehicles is enough to turn every
| drivers hair gray. but The dangers of the
SITUATION could be very materially lessened
! If both parties would remember that the
! duty of the pedestrian, as the lighter
! equipped, more easily controlled craft is
| to keep out or the way. In France he
would be compelled to. The driver of a
vehicle that ran him down would not only
| be ex0nerated from any blame in the case,
/ but would actually bring suit and recover
/ damages against him for getting in the
/ way. This sounds like the ouin ssence
of arrogance. out there is a reason in the
apparent Injustice.
! 1t is not that the presumably opulent
/ owner or driver OF a horse and carriage
! has the right of way over the more humble
pedestrian by reason of any superiority of
wealth or position, but that the pedes-
| trlan, being unhampered and able to turn
and avoid collision more easily, and hav-
| ing wider range of choice as to where he
! shall walk, Is better able to keep from un-
/ der the feet OF a horse than the driver OF
/ the animal is to turn and avoid running
him down. Ii we had some fixed rule IN
this matter danger would be greatly less
ened. There is, however, a Jacit under
/ standing. with a deep foundation in COM
nonsense, that the thing for The
/ pedestrian to do is to stand still and for
the driver TO go ahead or around him.
! The lodging match that otherwise so fre-
/ Quently ensues is as painful 70 spectators
as it must be TO the participators.
a good driver never travels at brisk
rate close behind another vehicle that is
moving rapidly. We see people doing this
thing every day. but they are not good
! drivers. l saw one such greatly discom-
nted some time since. He was driving so
! close to a vehicle that his horses nose was
almost touching it, Both rigs were NOV
ing at rapid pace. when suddenly the
leader pulled up sharply to avoid runa-
way Taken by surprise, the second
I "
tail of tine leading wagon, backed to avoid
it, reared and came down with both feet in
the wagon-box. Just then the leading
horse started on again. and there was a
general mixing up of horses, vehicles and
drivers.
Always, in questions of precedence and
favor between drivers, the lighter rig
should be the one to give way. This.
/ partly because 1t is the more easily stopped
and partly because. in the event OF an ac-
I tofd - -, tI hot ~ 1ko5, r.
greater damage. Given two equipages
meeting at cross roads or streets, as often
| happens, each coming promptly and dis
/ covering each other suddenly, the heavier
vehicle should be sent directly on, while
! the occupant of the lighter rig should pull
| up. So, on a narrow road, he who travels
/ light gives way and turns out for the
/ heavier load, even though he may really
/ have the right OF way.
There is one exception TO the rule for
passing on the left, in overtakiDg. If the
| party in front is leading horse you should
| pass on the de away from the led animal.
as q led horse is very apt to kick at auy
| passing object. and Is TO be avoided.
| For equeStrians the same rules hold as
| for drivers, and, in fact, should be even
more rigidly enforced, for the reason that
| the equestrian can more easily take care
/ of his horse and himself than he who
| drives from vehicle. In all cases a Vehi-
/ Gle has the right Of way, unless the driver
/ is Oh the WrOuS SLUG OI LIjO IO8Q. Even
/ then ii is usually much easier for the rider
| to waive bis privilege than to take it.
/ EQueStrians have many inexcuSable tricks
/ in dealing with other people. | saw a
| party of young men come down a city
street at full gallop not long ago in Oak
land, causing such q pulling up of driven
horses and such scattering OF pedes-
trians, nuFsemaids and perambulators
that one would have thought cyclone
had struck the town.
Many driving horses. particularly those
| that wear blinds and cannot see what is
coming, are rendered nervous and exeita-
bic by the sound of a galloping horse
coming up behind them. Young draught
animals are particularly apt TO be thus
affected. When rider sees that this is the
| case he should pull up and pass vehicle
drawn by such an animal On g trot
The English have a rule which requires a
gentleman on horse back TO pull up and
pass a lady. il alone, at walk, whether
she be afoot or on horseback. and this rule
should be enforced upon all who indulge
10 equestrian exercise In passing all pedes-
trlanS. 10 gallop past an overturned
vehicle, either In park, street or on coun-
try road, should be made misdemeanor
In meeting a driver the horse has chance
TO see what is coming and prepare for it,
but the animal who hears the clat;er of
hoofs and sees flying steed suddenly flash
by him usually feels an irresistible i'm
pulse TO join in the chase, and is pretty
apt 10 jump and plunge if he does DOT run
If a lady is driving him she is always
startled, if not more seriously frightened.
Whether we ride. or drive, or walk our
aim is to do as little harm as possible 10
all about us, aud to sustain no unaVoida-
bic hurt ourselves. Tie rules of the road
are simple and few, but little closer at
tention to them would result in decided
lessenng of the accidents that occur
through the use of horses.
MISS RUSSELL