Evening star., 1920-07-11
BY THEODORE p. MOVES.

| In connection with the seeming in
ability OF many District motorists to
drive close to the curb and keep to
the right, the question has been
| asked
| why shouldn't there be two-way
| passing here in Washington as in
| other large cities where the trafhc
Is heavy, such as in Philadelphia and
New York. two-way passing meaning
passing on either side of a motor We
htcle in front Of you?"
| There are many reasons why this
system would work out well In
Washington. say those favoring the
change. In the first place, the major
| ity Of the streets are wider than
! either Philadelphia or New York.
| thereby allowing more room, with
! less chance Of accident.
4 So many people here drive up the
center of the street. that in passing
another motorist one is in imminent
danger of head-on collision with
car coming from the other direction.
! because he Is forced over on the
wrong side of the street.
i How much easier would it be. in
stead of swerving out into the mid
i die of the street and on the wrong
| side, it is argued by those advocat-
ing the new traffic rule. to keep IN a
straight line and pass on the right
smooth running traffic.
Works Well Elsewhere.
4 trip to New York or Philadelphia
/ to watch traffic on 5th avenue or
II BROAD street will easily convince the
most skeptical that these cities prob
ahlv have more to contend with than
washington. and that whatever steps
| have been taken have been WORKED
i ont with a great deal OF care ana
have proved practical.
II So why should Washington be so 1aF
behind the times and hesitate TO 40
what larger cities have doneI
Now up steps the opponent and says:
"Rut in passing on the right side or
vehicles you will be passing on tne
wrong side" But in other cues ~ ~ .
not the wrong side, either side is the
right side.
"But that will make it just as hard
to turn to the right as it is to turn to
the left" walls the opponent.
certainly, but by following the 1un-
L close to the curb when making a
| right-hand turn and near the center
| of the street when making a lett
| turn it is not hard to make a turn
either way.
| Must Use Care I'm Turning.
"Well. some one is liable to turn into
you if you try to pass SIS them e,fartia on 'he
/
In driving in two-way passing traf-
| dc Won must keep in a straight line
down the street-that is, OF course
except to pass other vehicles. Ii the
vehicle in front of you Is near the
center of the street. pass it on the
right, and if it is near the curb. pass
it on the left, and there is no more
danger of any one turning into you
after people get acquainted with the
system. than there is OF people turn
IL. hnY n
ieft. ieh ou' 0
! or course, the same amount of care
must be used in turning to the right
as is at present used in turning to
the left, but care should be used at all
times, and in the opinion of many a
little more watchfulness would dc
many of the District of Columbia mo-
torists a great deal of good
Trafac Chief Gets Denomination
To demonstrate the efficiency of the
Isystem, and the ease with which II
imay be put into effect. the writer took
Capt. Headley. chief OF the tramc
SQUAD of the metropolitan police, for
a short ride through the crowded sec
tions of the city, and on 18th street
and Massachusetts avenue northwest
where the traffic. in the afternoon es-
lpecially, is much congested.
While Capt. Headley was non-com
initial on the adoption in Washington
of the two-way system. no less than
ten numbers were taken by him in the
course of a half hour, the numbers
belonging to cars too far over the
center of the street, making 1T i'm
possible to pass.
Capt Headley said that there were
not enough men on the force to make
motorists observe the law.
Well. then. If there are not enough
police to enforce the present law law
motorists will be able to pass on
either side Of vehicles. and then there
will not be any enforcement neces-
sary.
Unable to Enforce Law.
Why have law. asks the advocate
Of two-way passing. that the police
admittedly are not able to enforce
when there is a regulation which will
do away once and for all with the evi
and danger Of the center Of the stree q,
driving, which has been worked out
and found practical in cities with q
greater amount Of traffic than Wash.
ington.
70 make sure Of tho point, the next
time you drive on 18th street in thu
afternoon between 4:30 and 8 O'clock
take note Of the long lines Of car.
the street. and try to pass them. with
out almost having a collision with .
car coming from the other direction.
Note also that tho distance from
the curb to the center of the street
where the cars are. is large enough
to accommodate two extra limos OF
cars. and II the motorist was allowed
to pass on the right, how easy j
would be to pass this line, no matte,
how near the center Of the street 4
| was.
Philadelphia Rulc Cited.
Take Broad street at its intoraoo-
ton with Walnut street, IN Philadel
phta, for instance. 1t II q wide street
such as Pennsylvania avenue. There
are two lines OF traffic going each way
on this street.
| T,hara are two traffic of31ears noithey