Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-05-05
ROAD TRAFFIC
STATE LAW IN
EFFECT MAY 6
New Regulations Will Super
sede Old Laws Tomorrow and
Create Standard System.

The new State traffic law goes into
effect tomorrow 1t repeals automal-
ically all of the ordinances of the city
of Newark, as we'll as the ordinances
Of other cities on the subject of trat-
fic. 1t was drawn by special COM
mittee composed of President of New
ark Board of Trade A. V. Hamburg
Commissioner of Public Safety oi
Trenton George b. q. Barr and for
mer Commissioner of Motor Vehicle
LOB. II, zIippincott.
Fhe new law IL the first act Of it'
kind adopted by any State of the
Union. Its effect will be watched
with interest. Formerly all of the
traffic regulations were contained in
local ordinances. and the ordinances
of one city differed in material re-
spects with the ordinances of other
cities.
Automobile tourists, because of the
varied local laws, seldom were aware
of the exact conditions required of
them in operating their cars. In con-
sequence there were a number of ar
rests and much police interference
with persons wholly innocent of any
Wrongdoing.
Newark rs standard.
The provisions in the new traffic
law appear to have followed very
closely the Newark ordinance, so that
it is pointed out that the regulations
so successfully enforced for years in
Newark will apply to the whole State.
In the report of the committee it
will be remembered that Newark was
the city upon which the committee
worked as standard.
1t took the committee four months
OF hard work to frame the law in its
final form, and it is undoubtedly a
model upon which other States are
expected to act
Its effect in Newark will be that
the police will now enforce a statute,
instead of an ordinance, and there
will be some important changes in
the provision in the statute from the
old city ordinance.
Passing Trolley.
For instance, the provision applying
to the relation of driver to trolley
car is defined as follows:
Every driver or operator of any
vehicle following a street car when
passing such street car while 1t is
stopped to take on or discharge pas
sengers shall only pass such street
car on the right and shall keep at
least eight feet from the right-hand
running-board or low step of said
car, and shall give an audible indica-
ton of approach to said car and shall
exercise due precaution not to inter
fere with or injure passengers getting
on or of the car"
Formerly the ordinance provided
that a standing trolley car could be
passed at a radius of four feet in
Newark, and every other town of Es-
sex county had a different rule.
The law goes on to provide that IL
by reason of other traffic or narrow
ness of street the distance of eight
feet cannot be preserved, then the
vehicle shall stop and not start until
the car is again in motion.
Again the law goes further than the
old Newark ordinance and provides
"a vehicle proceeding in the same
direction as a street car operated on
tracks In the centre of any public
road, etc, when passing a moving
street car shall pass such car on its
right, provided, however, when
through narrowness or road or street
or through congestion of traffic
standing at the curb or side Of such
road or street, 1t is impossible or un-
safe to pass such street car as above,
then by the exercise of exceptional
caution the vehicle may pass on the
left of such car" This section ef-
fectiVely disposes of disputed ques-
ton upon which the courts have
ruled both ways.