Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-16
REGULATING THE AUTO


spective and humor.
Some Of the measures proposed for regulating
traffic in Honolulu, especially automobile traf-
fic, are not far from absurd and one of them is
the plan to make all autos, under all circum-
stances, come to full stop when abreast Of
q standing street-car. ~
Al communication in this mornings paper
from an auto-owner and driver is logical and
right to the point There should be reason in
al things. On the narrow and lcongested streets
II is not out Of place to enforce the full-stop
plan, but on broad suburban roads there is no
need for it. =
A little investigation of the traffic ordinances
III other cities would be of value To those inter
csted in Honolulus traffic problem Here are
q few typical examples:
In Chicago
'The driver Of a vehicle everlasting street-car
shall exercise the greatest care In passing not TO
Interfere with or injure passengers who may board
Or alght from said cars s
In New York 800 Il.
I'm overtaking or meeting a street passenger car
which has been stopped Tor the purpose Of receiving
Or discharging passenger or passengers, no such
vehicle aforesaid shall pass approach within eight
feet OF said sreet-car so long the Same stopped
and remains standing for the purpose aforesaid"
In ST. Paul full stop OF slivshicIes Is required
least ten behind steet-cars stopped for pas
sengers This applies to the area where the traffic
Is brisk
Since Chicagos ordinance, mentioned above,
Was passed, series of experiments showed that
d change was advisable and provision is now
favored by Mayor Harrison which requires
that space of at least eight feet shall be pre-
served at all times between a street passenger
car which has been stopped to receive or dis,
charge passengers, and any vehicle. If the space
o. eight feet cannot be preserved, the vehicle
must be brought to fun stop
In various cities the distances that vehicles
must keep away from a car stopping for passen.
GERS varies from four to twenty feet
Such are typical ordinances in American cit.
les. Reinforcing the sfull-stop'' or s.semi.stop"
provisions are other sections requiring vehicles,
PARTICULARLY autos, to move at a very slow pace
While passing street-cars; sections giving right
of-way to pedestrians on street-crossings except
for periodical movement of vehicular traffic;
sections requiring that autos and other vehicles
shall not follow one another in quick succession
except at slow pace and with five to twenty
feet between the front of one vehicle and the
rear Of the next preceding.
There Is no reason why Honolulu CANNOT
work out a reasonable traffic law, one that will
safeguard both the pedestrian and the vehicle.
The sfullst0p" ordinance is not practicable if
applied throughout the city and under all condi-
tons. What is needed is provision that will
require autos and other vehicles to travel at
particularly slow rate when passing streetcals
stopped for passengers, which will require We
hicles to stay safely away tperhaps ten feet)
from street-cars or else come to a stop, which
will prevent string of autos from racing along
tlicklypopulated streets and past cars from
which people are attempting to alight or which
they are attempting to board.
The reputable auto-owners can do much to
Eliminate the dangerous driver, but the police
and the police court can do infinitely more. In
Germany, according to recently gathered Stats
ties, there we're about 1900 people killed during
the last six-year period by autos and mOtOrcv
cles In the United States more than twice that
number were killed in the last year alone Ger
many has made a~feIharkably effective study of
vehicle traffic and it's regulation and the SPLEEN
did record set by the empire is dine, according to
the American Statistical Association, to an en-
forcement of the law that means something. The
Associations report for September, 1913. says:
ssThe certainty of accountability and the
knowledge that punishment will bc swift and
sure for disregard of the law must act as Il pow
erful deterrent and for the good use Of til"
streets and roads of Germany"
s g