Norwich bulletin., 1914-10-17
SAFETY ZONES

directions; but let them wait! Us
 middle class people have no call to
 cater to them aristocrats! Ia adElse
 you, Auntie. to put cotton Tn your ears
 full way them motor drivers VIII swear!" This funny fellow claims, too, that
 Farmer Tight-Wad will remark slyly
 Poor Towser! Amt dog in this country as has killed tn woodchucks
 he has! But he's thirteen year old and
 ready fer tn dog heaven! It would cost a hull dollar, anyway, have vetrnary choloroform tn pore beast! There's a more merciful Gan a cheaper) way than that! We'll have our family pet electrocuted! Here, Towser, Towser! Here's nice bone fer YOU! Come, nice doggy! Follow master into the middle of the turnpike and do your gnawing there! Tn fust | orto that comes along will put you out'n your misery-an' master I'll col | 1ect a greenback from tn driVer! come Towser, TowSer!
 And my friend represents Farmer
 Tightwad's neighbors doing the same thing with their broken-horned, super annuated COWS.
 wonder if there is anything to what | he says? Not owning a car%myS Sel1, I'm not in a position to decide. But one thing this droll driver has | told me and that I want to relate to The Bulletin readers. It's the best safety idea I've ever heard of. He states that during recent visit l to Detroit be saw for the first time what they call there Safety Zones" On either side of every dangerous crossing, or point in that big city where ! there was certain to be congested traf- | fc at any time of the day, there were drawn on the street in white. after the way a tennis court is marked, two de- viding lines.
 These lines were renewed daily, so | that thay were always fresh and dis tinct looking.
 When cars of any kind, motor es | trolley, trucks, wagons, carriages, | reached such a line, the driver stopped. He never stopped within the zone-if | he were so careless or so criminal as | to do so, he was soon taught better! With this precaution, pedestrian | knew that he had assurance of a safe | crossing path. When the zone was | clear, the drivers moved over 1t. This
 system checked the mad dash about dangerous corners, past blind alleys, | through crowded squares.
 I inquired if auto speeders did not complain at having to pause, in the Detroit way The gentleman declares | there is the strictest compliance with ! the system Each motor car driver
 recognizes that the safety zone is as | much for his benefit as for that of the general public.
 "PeopIe won't believe it!" my ae- l cuaintance says. But I know men | who have never got over the nervous
 shock of running down child. or wheelman-through no fault Of the | driver of the car, most of the time, | tool
 "whatever it must cost to keep up | that system in Detroit. I'm sure every driver of an automobile is willing to | pay his share of it! Suppose we had | such a safety zone here in Norwich, say across from Rose Alley to Ferry | Street. at the bank corner, on Thames | Square, at the foot of Bath Street and | at other points where tragedies are | skipped by a hairs breadth every day Tn wager there isn't driver who wouldn't fall in with the plan!
 "It might take few minutes to slow | up; but they would be mighty few | compared to the time it takes to clean up after an accident, to answer for | what. is often wrongfully called in court 'carelessness.' or to set a driver l right before a coroner's jury!
 "Of course, there might be danger | of accident at night. when the white lines of the Safety Zone, could not be
 seen-unless some system Of lighting l them could be arranged; but such a l plan during the daytime would be the
 biggest help to the motor-traveling | craft and the biggest safeguard to the | public, that can think of just nowi | Maybe other cities besides Detroit have | tried it; but out there tSey think it | the greatest scheme ever."
 | THE DICTAGRAPH.