The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-05
AUTOMOBILE LAW.


How TO deal with the automobiles is
question that has for long time,
been a burning one with municipalities,
and also those who have the care and
use of the roads everywhere. It is
true that for the most of the auto
mobile traffic the danger to the public
is llght. and the need of stringent and
rigid rules is not very urgent, for in
careful hands the automobile is not a
public danger. But, unfortunately,
there is large number Of automobile
lists who arc reckless. who are so hard
cned in mind that they care nothing
about the injuries which they innict,
but viii run over people and leave
them lying in the road helpless and
PERHAPS dead. Speeding away without
responsibility or care. For these cal,
ous. reckless ones. the adoption of
rules and the enforcement of rceula
tions is absolutely necessary; and vet
thus far there has not been the prac-
teal success attending the laying down
of rules or the enforcing of regula.
lions that could be hoped Large num-
bcrs of distressing and often fatal ac
cidents are reported, causcI by auto
mobiles, and the callous indifference Of
some of the chauf'eurs is the subicc.
Of universal rcprobatlou.
Attempts to get the automobile use
basis have been made often; but in the
very nature Of the case the automo-
bilcs, by their speed. arc able, where
driven by reckless and hardened ruff.
Iians, to escape The speed Of the auto.
mobiles defcs the efforts of those who
would apply the rules and the reguIs
tlons against offenders. Interest is
therefore awakened in Chicago's effort
to control the reckless automobilist.
Under It's new automobile code. which
has been prepared after several months
of careful study, since the city has been
stirred up by number Of bad acci-
dents, several of them due TO au.omo-
bilcs striking passengers aIighiiug
from street car. the effort has been
to provide as idea a system Of safety
as is possible. Motor vehicles are re
CURED 10 stop for standing trolley
ear, and they are required also 10 give
ample space between thc alightlnc place
of passenger from street car so AS
to assure absolute safety. With rc. |
gard to the automobile signalzcr. the |
Chicago ordinance reads:
EVERY motor vehicle and hotorcycIo. |
it,
public places of the city. shall he pro- |
Nldcd with suitable bell. horn or other |
device, and 1t shall he unla wful for any |
person To use any device which VIII not |
produce an abrupt sound sufficiently loud |
10 give an adequate warming OF danger. |
and ii shall he unlawful for any person |
operating ans motor vehicle or motor |
cycle 10 make or Canac 10 bc made any |
unnecessary noise with any such Lcll |
horn or Other signal device or to usc |
the same except as a warning lof dan |
ger,
That seems TO bc good idea so far
as IT goes; but, since we have phono.
graphs, what is tho matter with re.
auiring artomoblists 70 have phono-
graphic warnings, such as s'Warc au.
"Staud stillt' "Moyc 10
the right Get out of the way,''
ANA so on, using each warning in it's
appropriate place We have such per.
feet photographic devices now. that it II
would seem that some sort of phono-
graph or graphophonc could be applied
TO automobile warnings in place Of .'hc
crude and barbarous horn which re-
minds one Of nothing So much as tho
old fashioned stage. coach horn Of moro
or less blessed memory Eut. for an
np-to-date machine TO recur to the an.
cient method of warning by horn or
hell, Is an anachronism that should not
be permitted in modern traffic. Let the
automobiles get photographic warn
lngs instead Of the bnrbaric yawps
which they now deliver. use them. iu-
and bc careful and Jealous
for Ie' public safety.