Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-09-01
AUTOS ON COUNTRY ROADS.
Some Sensible Observations Con-
corning Drivers Both of Auto
mobiles and Horses.

| well written articles on automobiles
: and country roads. One from a
farmer who complains that the driv-
ers of horses do not have a square
| deal with the automobile drivers.
The other says he knows that the
| farmer is the road hog and not the
automobile driver. On these two
sides Wallace's Farmer comments as
| follows:
There you have the two sides of
| the picture, and we think both of
them are reasonably true to life.
| The fact of the matter is that hui
man nature is pretty much the same,
whether the man is sitting behind the
steering wheel of an automobile or
driving a spirited horse. There are
some men whose natures seem TO un-
dergo a complete transformation
after beginning to run automobiles.
They become speed maniacs and tear
over the country without regard to
the rights of other people on the
road or to the safety of the people
who are riding with them. These
men, however, are comparatively
few. The average driver of an auto
mobile is a level-headed man who
Is just as cOnsiderate of the rights
of the travelling public as the aver
age driver of the team. There are
exceptions and extremes in both
cases. There are some men who
drive teams with no regard what
ever apparently for the rights of
anyone else on the road, except as
they are compelled to observe them.
Speaking generally, there are three
classes of men who drive automo-
biles. First, and by the largest,
the owners of the cars, business
men, professional men, and in some
cases farmers. Second, professional
chauffeurS, who are usually expert
drivers, but not as cOnSideraIe of
others as they should be, and not
as responsible, for the reason that
they are not driving their own cars
and are not paying their own bills
Third, young men who are driving
| the cars owned by their fathers and
who are more or less wreckless; for
tunately there are not so many of
these. The members of the first
class, the owners Of the cars. are
usually careful drivers. They have
no desire to go at the rate of speed
which endangers their own and the
lives of others with them or which
is likely to injure the car, which is
costly vehicle. They have a decent
regard for the rights of other peo-
pie and will not willingly do any,
thing to cause inconvenience or in
Jury.
The law in the state of Iowa gives
quite adequate protection for the
drivers of vehicles. Briefly, it pro-
vldes, first, that, the owner of an
f.ut )mobile must register it with the
secretary of the state and take out
number, which must be displayed
prominently on the car. Second, it
forbids anyone driving a motor veh-
icle at a rate of speed greater than
is reasonable and proper, having re-
gard to the traffic in use of the high
way, or to endanger the life or limb
of any person. Upon approaching
a crossing of intersecting public
highways, or bridge, a sharp curve
or steep descent, the person oper-
ating the car shall have it under
control and operate at safe rate
of speed. Third, any person operat-
ing motor vehicle shall at the re-
4
OF the hand of a person riding or
driving FESTIVE horse or other
draft or domestic animal, bring such
motor vehicle Immediately to a stop;
and If travelling in the opposite di-
rectioh remain stationary so long as
may be reasonable to allow such
horse OF animal to pass. And in
travelling in the same direction, use
reasonable caution in passing such
horse or animal. and the operator
and occupants of any motor vehicle
shall render assistance to the party
having in charge such horse or other
draft animal in so passing.
Folks who are driving FESTIVE or
nervous horses should, on meeting
an automobile, require an observance
OF the last provision of the law. If
the horse gives symptoms of fright
the thing to do is to get out of the
buggy, take the horse by the bit and
raise the hand to stop the approach
ing car. Nine auto drivers out of
every ten will promptly give any as
sistance they can in cases of this
sort. The reckless driver should
be prosecuted to the full extent of
the law. The number on the car
furnishes the means of identified
| ton.
| The automobile question will be a
reXing one for several years. The
automobile has passed the expert
mental stage. 1t has come to stay.
1t will increase in number very
rapidly during the next five years
and will be common in every county
in the corn belt. Gradually horses
will become accustomed to them and
pay no more attention to them than
they do other vehicles they meet.
In the meantime the driver of the
automobile and the driver of the
team must exercise mutual forbear.
ance and good sense. They have
equal rights to the road, and both
are bound to respect these rights.
There will always be drivers of au.
tomobiles who go careering over the
country at dangerous speed, and
without comfort of the other peo-
pie using the roads; and there will
always be drivers OF teams who are
road-hogs" and will give no more
consideration to the rights of others
Than these reckless automobile driv>
ers. But the great majority of the
drivers OF automobiles and of drivers
Of teams are decent folks who use
the roads together in peace and