Evening star., 1919-03-21
Commissioners fromuIgate
New Traffic Regulations
to Safeguard Public.
VEHICLE ON THE RIGHT
GIVEN ROAD COURTESY
0ne-Ton Conveyances Held to IL,
Others to 18 Miles Per Hour
Between Streets.

Radical changes in the Districts S
traffic regulations, including abolition
of the north and south right of way
rule for vehicular traffic and establish
Eent of new speed limits, were ordered
today by the District Commissioners.
Promulgated with a view to dim
inishing danger of accidents, the reg
ulations, effective within thirty days,
intersection at approximately the
same time the vehicle on the right
shall have the right of way.
In lieu of the two rates of speed
now permitted within and outside the
fire limits, that is. twelve miles an
hour between streets within the fire
limits and tewnty miles an hour out
side, the regulations divide vehicular
traffic into two classes, restricting
the first class, commercial vehicles Of
a capacity of one ton or more, to a
speed of twelve miles an hour be-
tween street intersections and re-
stricting the second class, all other
vehicles, to a speed of eighteen miles
an hour between street intersections.
On portions Of highways where
there are not more than two houses
between street intersections, a maxi
mum speed of twenty-five miles an
hour will be permitted.
To Be Strictly Enforced.
The new rules are to be enforced
stated when making them public this
afternoon. 1t is recognized that too
great discretionary power is given the
police in making arrests under the
present regulations.
The regulations that are to be dis
carded are Contained in an act of
Congress dated June %, 1906. Under
an act of Congress approved March
3, 1917, the Commissioners were given
authority to make and enforce all
regulations governing the speed of
motor vehicles in the District, sub
tect; howeysg-s. 70 the penalties pre-
The Commissioners. this afternoon,
issued the following statement, ex-
planning the changes:
Commissioners Statement.
Under existing regulations traffic
moving north and south has the right
of way over traffic moving east and
west This rule is difficult to apply at
circles and on diagonal avenues, and
1t has led to tendency on the part
of north and south traffic to disregard
the requirement that speed be re-
duced at street intersections.
The new nght-of-w rule, which
requires that when two vehicles ap-
proach an intersection at approx
mately the same time, the vehicle on
the right shall have the right -of-way,
Is In no sense an experiment. 1t has
been in use for at least six years in
some places and is now in general use
throughout the country. 1t is as intel
lgible to the stranger as to the resi-
dent, and it places clearly on every
driver the obligation to reduce the
speed of his vehicle at every street
while the changes in the speed
regulations include some increases
over the speeds now fixed by law,
the new speeds do not exceed the
speeds which have been permitted by
the police in the past Taken as a
whole, the changes are restrictive in
character and are promulgated with
a view to greater safety. The pres
ent regulations provide for one speed
within the fire limits and a consid-
erably greater speed outside the fire
limits. This is Objectionable for sew
eral reasons.
First, the fire limits are not known
to strangers nor are they known to
many of the residents; second, even
though the fire limits were well known
to all, there is no direct relation between
1re limits which serve as a restriction
On building operations and the speed of
automobiles in streets. and, third. there
IS as great need for careful driving in
the populous suburbs of the CITY as in
many portions of the District witnin the
ire limits.
Traffic Divided Info C1oeen.