The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-08-09
Numerous Accidents Show
fragrant Disregard of the
Present Code.
RECKLESS TENDENCY
HARSHLY CRITICISED
Clubs and Owners All Over the
Country Are Now
Aroused.

Do automObiliSts understand the rules
Of the road? This question has been
brought prominently before many auto
mobile clubs within the last few days
in view Of the increasing number Of
accidents, some resulting m fatalities
both to motorists and other users Of
the highway.
In many cases these accidents have
been due either tc ignorance OF the or
binary rules Of the road or to the SUI
preme Carelessness of automobile drivers
in ignoring the simple regulations that
cOnduce to safety. So fragrant has this
tendency to recklessness become. in
spite Of the efforts being made by the
leading clubs throughout the country TO
cooperate with city and county officials
in observing the legal regulations, that
word Of warning has been sounded by
President Lewis R Speare, Of the Amer
lean Automobile Association, and his en-
deavors TO control the present wave Of
reckIessness have been seconded by the
other officers and chairmen of the vari-
Gus A. A A. boards.
Accidents Avoidable.
MANY Of the recent deplorable acci-
dents might have been avoided by the
observance Of the simple road rules and
sane driving" said President Speare.
There is also too much recklessness in
crossing railroad and surface car lines,
as well as passing electric cars in city
streets when passengers are, alighting
Again, many autoists In descending hills.
even If not very long or steep ones, per
sits in keeping practically the full power
aF- Of -
would throttle down the engine, or to-
tally disengage it while descending a
him, the number Of accidents from this
/ source would be materially decreased.
When the motorist suddenly finds
/ himself in a tight place while descend
/ ing a hill under full power or even paf-
tally so. and he loses control Of his
/ car. II is the most natural thing in the
world to attribute the difficulty to the
/ failure of the steering gear to work
properly, whereas there would probably
have been no trouble at all were the
machine allowed TO coast down gradu-
ally under its own momentum"
Rules Listed.
Some Of the ordinary rules of the road
which every motoTist ought to know by
| heart and invariably observe are:
keep TO the right when overtaken
/ by a passing automobile or other vehicle
going In the same direction.
2-Keep to the left when about to
pass another vehicle going ia the same
! direction; IN other words, the automo-
bilist should pass another vehicle going
/ in the same direction on the left-hand
side OF the vehicle passed.
3.-Pass to the right when meeting a
/ vehicle moving in the opposite direction
Among the clubs that have recently
/ been aroused to renewed activity toward
] preventing this widespread tendency to
/ reck4 essness are the automobile clubs Of
/ Cleveland, Rochester, and Syracuse. A
/ vigilance committee has just been ap-
pointed by the Rochester Club, whose
/ object is 10 deal severely with members
/ and chauffeurs who persistently exhibit
/ recklessness and caTelessneEs IN driving,
/ and a vigorous campaign is also 10 be
/ Waged against autOists carrying ficti-
/ tiOus numbers.
! President W F BonneH, of the Cleve-
/ land Automobile Club. has issued a gen
/ eral letter to all Of the members, calling
/ ordinances are being violated every day.
/ So fragrant has this become that the
I chief Of police in Cleveland has order
! ed that bulletins shall be issued every
/ forty-eight hours giving the numbers of
/ cars which have been recklessly operat.
! ed President BonneH requests the mem
/ hers 10 cooperate with the officials to-
| ward suppressing this evil. "Co-opera-
ton in this" he says. will be helpful
/ TO the automobile manufacturers, the in
| divldual owner o& a car, and 10 citizens
! IN general