South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-07-23
LETTERS OF THE PEOPLE

crossings where traffic officers are
There are two methods (if you
count South Bends there are three)
used by traffic squads generally, which
| may be referred TO as the Chicago
| system in use all through the east,
and the Detroit system" used in
Boston and in Europe, because of the
frequency of five and six street inter-
sections at a common point.
South Bend would do well to ac-
! cept one of these methods and there
| by avail itself of all the experience
that goes with it, Pioneering in po-
lice methods is expensive and danger
Gus TO everybody.
In the first place, the traffic police
| of all cities wear white gloves; this
is not an attempt to reach the height
| of affluence as il may be supposed but
! TO enable approaching traffic TO bet
| ter distinguish the hand of the officer
| A bare hand stands out rather dull
against the grey asphalt and at dusk
| The Chicago system is better for
| can scarcely be seen.
4 cities like South Bend where but four
| streets intersect and for that reason is
described here. The officer takes his
/ stand in the center of the street and
! thus forms the pivot around which
! traffic reVOlves. The right arm is al
ways used to indicate the clear" or
come ahead" signal and is waved to
signify motion. The left arm raised
| vertically or horizontally is the
CLOSED" or stop" signal and is held
motiOnless The stop signal is al
| ways effective in the two directions
that the officers arm can be seen as
| a semaphore.
Thus it is seen that the officer must
always present his face or back to
1t. 4 I,
! traffic is across his line Of vision and
parallel to the extended left arm.
In South Bend the officers signal
| stop" or clear" with either hand :
| furthermore the hand is waved for
clear and also waved for stop" A
! wave forward or back is exactly the
same motion except for the position
OF the palm of the hand and at thirty
| feet il is difficult to differentis.te be-
tween the back and the palm of a
mans hand. especially through a
J windshield. 1t is for this reason that
the right and left arms are used with
out regard TO the hands, the white
gloves merely serving as a prominent
contrast easily seen.
Under the Chicago system" vehic-
les approaching a stop" signal and
wishing TO turn TO the right may do
so without regard TO the signal mas
much as they are turning with clear
traffic; but such vehicles must assume
a position as near the right curb as
possible before making the turn. AL
traffic must be stopped in one direc-
ton before opening the transverse
movement. Vehicles approaching q
crossing when traffic is light and nc
signal is set by the officer must sigma
TO him the direction in which they are
turning and will receive in return
either the clear" with the right arm
or the stop" with the left
The South Bend officer has re-
peatedly signaled both directions the
clear" at the same time. using his
, judgment as to which car will eros:
\ the center first. This is wrong anC
dangerous Traffic laws should mo-
, be left TO the JudS ment Of officers bu
are hard and fast laws which bOtl
officer and motorist knows and which
both are sure will provide safety fol
= all if followed. In case OF accident
! | il is but necessary TO determine Wht
! disobeyed the law OF the road.
II should be a matter of no effOr
{ TO have an efficient traffic squad il
) South Bend Every driver of
I vehicle should support such move
At the present time there is no sys
TEN whatsoever; merely the chang
? ing judgment OF an officer who know
! very little about the operation OF al
! automobile He need not know tn
law OF the car IL he knows the Law
Z OF the road. because such a law /
Z impartial unrelenting, and exact ii
[ every case. At the present tim
e one crosses Michigan and Washing
! ton streets with far less assurance o
} safety e. far more effort than on