Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-13
RULES GOVERNING "THE ROAD
If Observed It is Believed There
Would Be Fewer Accidents.

"If pedestrians would do just the oppo-
site to what is usual there would be fewer
accidents in this city and fewer persons
would be run down by automobiles and bi-
cycles" said member of the bicycle
squad to a Star reporter recently.
Instead of trying to dodge the machines
or the auto cars, allow the operators to
steer clear Of you. They will do so
in nearly every instance. 1t is the lodging,
king jumping forward and retreating,
or trying to do all these acrobatic perform
ances at once, as about nine out of ten
pedestrians do, that causes the operator of
the machine to go to the left when he
thinks you are going TO the right. You
think he is going to hit you from your
standpoint, while he has such control over
his machine that he knows that he can
pass you easily from where he thinks you
will be at the time his machine reaches that
particular point. But on the instant you
change your mind and go to the left or go
backward; he supposing that you are going
to the right or forward, as the case may
be- runs you down.
.'If in doubt remain stationary; he will
clear you, close shave, perhaps. but he
will get by you all right, whereas it is al
most certain, so curiously do these things
happen, that he will hit you if you hesitate
and then go just the contrary way that
you originally intended. We see this eX-
emplified in our daily street patrol score
crossing and big machine coming to-
ward you to turn the corner from where
you are walking, 1t seems almost GER
tainty that you will be run over. II you
walk on, the operator who has his eye on
you adjusts his course according, but II
you play hide and seek with him, II he
doesn't hit you he will ran over somebody
else in his efforts to get around you, o- by
reason of the swerving of the machine.
In this connection 1t is astonishing the
number of elderly people upon the streets
unattended, and how very careless they
are-apparently more so than the younger
generation. Only this morning an elderly
lady stopped on 14th street between the car
track and the curb and paused to read
some notice on the side of a building. Along
came big machine footing its horn. The
chauffeur shouted at her, while yelled out
a warning which was more stentorious than
polite but 1t saved her from being ground
under the wheels, for when she turned she
did precisely what 1 told you at the outset
went Just the opposite to the right direc-
ton for safety Yet she made a complaint
to me about the reckless manner in which
the chauffeur had driven his machine AS
q matter of fact the man and the machine
were where they had right to be and
were proceeding we'll within the limit of
city speed, while the fault was hers In
pausing In the highway without giving
heed.
'If you will observe the reports of street
accidents of this kind you will see that
large percentage of the victims are elderly
people They should always be accompa-
MED by younger member of the family,
but IL they will go out unattended. 1t be-
hooves them to pause for an instant at
each street crossing, and when once on
their way across the street to be alert as
to vehicles approaching In both directions.
AS for very young children their parents
are culpable and the fact that city children
have only the streets for Fairgrounds is no
excuse and does not absolve them from
their parental responsibility.