Evening star., 1920-02-29

Washington has been rife among au-
toists and traffic officers since the
publication of the Recommendations
of the special committee of the Board
Of Trade in regard to changes in the
traffic regulations. The consensus OF
opinion. on one point at least. seems
to be that no new rule should be put
into force in regard to the turning at
intersections; that the regulation in
force at present can adequately take
care of heavy traffic, having been sue
cessful in other large cities. and that
change of regulation would work
untold confusion.
Recomme ndations Urged.
The regulation and change in re-
fEard to turning at intersections, as
recommended by the special commit
tee. of which Rudolph Jose is chair
man. is as follows:
The method required at present
in making left turn of vehicle
around a traffic officer. with or without
"A semaphore. should be improved (See
illustration No. ..
AT present vehicles about to make
the left turn pull in close to the Of
ficer. blocking the car tracks. OBJ
structins his view. hiding the posi-
ton Of the officer from the other mo-
torists and pedestrians. compelling
stopped vehicle, and compelling pc
destrians to cross in the stream OF
moving traffic.
This can be obtained by requiring
all vehicles to stop at the property
line only when a red or stop signal
Is shown. When the red or stop sig
nal is shown approaching vehicles
must stop back of the property line,
thus permitting pedestrians to pass
uninterruptedly in front between the
property line, and the curb line Of the
intersecting street until the signal is
changed.
Vehicles desiring TO turn either to
the right or left should keep close to
the curb line. and on. the go or white
signal. should line up along the curb
street intersection and the near-side
crosswa1k until the next turn of the
soma phofe. when this waiting line is
tho first to move right or left. This
waiting line of vehicles forms an ad-
ditional boundary and safeguard for
or 'iaywalking.' (See illustration No. ~
This system of turning corners
lends itself to rigid discipline. and in
. cities where il is practiced has be-
with precision and practically without
friction. This regulation is incorpo-
rated in the state automobile law of
Ohio
Rule stated BrieAy.
This method of turning can be con-
densed into the following rule:
IAN drivers OF vehicles desir-
shall approach the street intersection
bclose to the curb line. On the go
signal they shall move their vehicles
into line along the curb line extended
across the street Intersection and the
near side cfosswalk. and remain
nj hn f,vH, Of hn
signal. when vehicles waiting to turn
are the first traffic to move in the new
direction" (See Illustration No. 1)
Automobilists in tfffsscfey who have
entered the discussion seem practical
ly unanimous in retaining the old way
of turning at street intersections, be
1ieving that 1t makes for freer run
ming traffic. less confusion, and Of
great aid to the traffic officer. (See- il
lustration No. -
Moterist Discusses Objections.
One motorist, whose home is in ST.
Louis. bDt who has driven car here
for considerably more than a year. SAYS:
Taking up the objections to the
system outlined in the report, the
f.st is that pulling in clos" to the
correct position Of a. car about to
make the turn does not block any
thing. The car is stopped just short
of the tracks with it's nose pointed in
me OlJSCIlOn IL "lSneS TO go. (See IL
1ustration No. -
The next objection is that the car
IL this position hides the officer from
other motorists and pedestrians. Is
there any car made today that is high
enough and broad enough to obscure
completely traffic officer on one Of the
y ised traffic stands at 18th and F.
streets or at 18th street and New York
avenue. or is there any car that can
overtor one Of the traffic sema phoreso
ILLUSTRATION No. -
Pnssins to the Right.
: Taking UP the next point, that ve-
, hicles have to pass on the right of
3 in any city that a motorist can possibly
turn to his left and in doing SO not
have the vehicles that continue
straight down the street pass on his
right?
The last objection deals with the
pedestrian. and states that the present
way OF turning compels the pedestrians
TO cross in stream of traffic Traffic
Is only moving one way at time. and
Whether the cars about to make the
'ett turn were halted on the side of the
street or near the officer it would hard
~ create stream of trafic II
seems to me that there would be the
same amount of danger to a pedestrian
az busy corner no ma tier which way
the autos were stopped
eShi,S S'oh - dH exceptionally hard
Guy 10 drlfe in, on account of the
heaFy traffic at rush hours and great
amount OF pedestrian traffic Driving
! In close to the traffic officer at inter-
sections, TO my mind. has three distinct
advantages. First of all. you are on
the outside of traffic. near the middle
OF the street. and in slowing down at
the corner your intention to turn is
perfectly clear to those in back of YOU.
second. without even blowing your
horn to attract the officers attention
" hen you stop near his sign, your in
fention TO turn is automatically made
known to him. And third, you leave
the streets perfectly free for traffic
are blocnadlng no one. and are close
enough to the officer to watch for his
signal to turn.
The way of turning recommended
by the special committee (illustration
No ID. in my opinion. would cause
roth A blockade and waste of yalu-
able time. In pulling up to the oppo-
site curb. away from the officer in or
der TO make the turn. the driver could
not have his car entirely out of traffic.
This would he one means of a blockade.
hecause no two people drive the same
and some would get their cars in one
position and some another
suppose three cars were in the DO
sition advocated by the new rule
which states that this line of traffic
would be the first to move. Those
three cars would then have to cross
TO the opposite corner. one at a time
while traffi" which would ordinarily
move at that time would be abso-
lutely held in blockade until these
cars made the turn. II would cause
very slow moving of traffic in crowd
I'd sections.
Furthermore. in pulling in close
TO the officer, on the go signal both
lines of traffic could move stimuli
tancousiy those making the turn and