Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-08

Automobile drivers from other cities
who are in Washington-and there are
plenty of them nowadays-say unhesi-
tatingly that it is more difficult to
drive car in the National Capital,
notwithstanding it's wide streets, than
in any other city in the country.
A New York chauffeur remarked to
a local driver on F street the other
day that he had completely lost his
nerve at the wheel since his boss
brought him here, and added that he
had been driving in the metropolis for
ten years.
Neither the automobile drivers nor
the pedestrians. he said, pretend to
obey the traffic regulations in force
here.
Il can drive a car as we'll as any
body he remarked. but it keeps me
guessing what the other fellow is GO
ing to do. And this guessing business
has got my goat"
Pedestrians complain that the driv-
ers of motor cars are careless, and the
drivers make the same complaint about
pedestrians. And they are both right.
Washington is full of inexperienced
and even deliberately reckless drivers
and also of thoughtless pedestrians.
Huge Loss in Smash-Ups.
Thousands of dollars are lost every
week in snaSh-ups in this city. There
would not be anything like the num-
Der of accidents there are if the man
at the wheel would obev the regula-
ton. now inaSorce for many months.
which giveSfhe right of way to the
car coming from the right. and also
II the man or woman who is walking
would cross the street at the cross
ing instead of in the middle of the
block.
Between and 9 o'clock in the nro---
ing the streets are full of automobiles
and pedestrians. Young war workers
hurryine to the departments cross
biles. not only endangering their own
lives. but causing constant alarm to
the drivers. who should have to look
out for pedestrians only at crossings.
And the worst Of it is" said an
automobile man, that they won't
even look around when they do cross
street, and many car has been
smashed to avoid hitting one of them.
tinued. that when two women are
crossing a street together and see
car coming one starts forward and
the other backward? Then the one
who originally started forward will
suddenly reverse and the other will
start forward again, so that the man
at the wheel gets ratified and per-
hans hits another, car. And SO 1t goes
Il personally believe If the streets
were narrower the accidents would
be fewer. because everybody would
have to be careful.
Disregard for Car Behind.
For instance, the other morning
18th street was crowded with automo-
biles heading tow I'd the business
section. The cars ERE not in single
file. as they. should have been. AL
though none were speeding. some.
however, were going faster than
others. A gust of wind carried of
the hat of some one sitting in one
of the cars and the driver, without
warning. drew over to the sidewalk
and stopped. paying not the slightest
attention to the cars behind him.
Fortunately. the man Immediately In
the rear had his car well under con-
troll. and. by slapping on his brakes.
Just Eianaged to avoid collision.
just consider such thoughtlessness!
For the sake of recovering hat in
a hurry. he endangered the lives Of
several people.
"a few nights ago I saw four auto
mobiles and a motor cycle damaged
by collisions on wide 18th street. well
out beyond the city limits. and not
at street intersections. either.
Washington Is seriously handicapped
No matter what care he exercises he
must always be guessing what the
careless driver may do.
Many Accidents Could Be Avoided.
There are hundreds of collisions
that never get reported by the police.
because Of the slight damage done,
and they could so easily be avoided.
], in light car, and much nearer an
intersection than a big car or truck
coming on my left, have had the latter
deliberately race me to the crossing,
although had the right of way, even
il not quite SO near as 1t was, hold me
up and. while / threw on emergency
brake. sail past me. Just because 1t
felt able to get away with the stunt
"A couple of days ago, at 18th and
X streets, this happened. the offender
being a military car bearing two Of
f1cers. 1t was nearly half a block
down toward / street and / was al
most at the corner. going west on K,
but with a derisive blast of the horn
it swept by about six inches in front
of my bumper. If il had ever touched
me both cars would have been
wrecked and some of US. at least, Sc
riously injured ! was amused, how
ever. at the comment of a street ur-
chin who saw it from the curb. AS
the officers flashed past him he cupped
his hands and yelped:
Hey, youSe, de wars over"