The Washington times., 1915-08-26
Saws Motoring In Washington ls
More Dangerous Than In Any
Other Large City.

To the Editor Of THE TIMES.
As n motorist having had expert
ence In other cities as we'll as Washing
ton. and therefore suffering much irr'-
tation through the hamper!ng enects OF
the really absurd speed regulations.
would, naturally. welcome a revision Oh
those regulations, so far as they Apply
TO automobile traffic. II more liberal
repuIat,ons were compatible with safety.
A. the present time. a higher speed
limit. except In the outlying portions OF
the Residential, districts, would be aighiy
dangerous.
1t is quite true. as you point out IN
your article CT yesterday. that much
higher speed Is permitted In many citics
having narrower and more consested
streets. but the higher speed Is safely
! nermissible in those cities because
drivers of machines. no less than OF
| horse-drawn vehicles and pedestrians.
know what the regulations are and obey
| them. honestly endcavoring to CO.
| operate with the police to promote the
rap.d and safe movement OF trahic.
! In PhiladelDhia. particularly. may De
noted the cordial relations existing be-
| tw cen the police and the motorists, an
infr,ction of the traffic regulations be-
| ing followed by instruction and conr'
| teous warning or rigid prosecution. as
the infrac may appear 10 nave peer
| due TO lack Of Information and needless
ness, or knowing intent. Motor SIS are
not regarded. collectively, as presump'
tive criminals. and the traffic Officers
know their business.
| There are in Washington several traf.
tc Officers who will give a go-ahea I'd
signal before giving the stop signal tt
the crosswise ira fic. and not infreq
ly implicit obedience to the signals
would result in accidents. Eight out Of
ten drivers. both OF machines and Wag
ems, viii! make a left turn without an!
iintimation Of their intent to do so: ant
many, apparently. do not even kno"
| what is meant whom a driver holds ou
his arm. The practice or cutting corner
is almost universal.
Recently at the intersection OF Thir
teenth and / streets. within few min
utes l saw seven out OF eight Vehicics
three wagons and four machines, max
ing the left-hand turn into ] street, fai
to give any intimation of an intent t.
turn and at the same time cut tho cor
ner. The eighth vehicle, hurkste
wagon. turned around entirely on tn
right-hand side Of the street. suddenl,
and without giving any warning what
ever. \ woman. pushing a baby car
riage and without even glance in an
direction. crossed iagonally from on
corner to another. and two pedestrian
paid no attention whatever to the horl
|
wishing to make a right-hand turn int
street.
There are more pedestrians than woul
seem possible who through dcliberat
and petty maliciousness, Will ignore a.
approaching machine. even when the
are crossir. the street in the middle o
Il block in order to occasion the drive
inconvenience. and there are some mo
torsts who utterly ignore the rights o
pedestrians. The latter class Is, / ar
glad to say. small, Very few motor
men of street cars take the trouble t
} indicate when their cars are at
standstill. whether or not vehicle sha
cross in front Of them The playing !
the roadways of needless children Is
source of danger not only to them. bu
TO the machines which must try to avoi
them. All things considered. 1t Is ho
: strange that the percentage OF accl
: dents Is large I'm Washington, despite tn
, wide streets and light traffic.
Before an increased speed Is pernitte
in Washington. there should be cam
paign of education. Personally. ] woul
rather drive in the most crowded trafl
! of any city | know than In Washington
. for the simple reason that, no matte
D how careful ] may be, or how closely
4 Conform to the traffic regulations.
nsvsr know what the other fellow z