The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-19
"Cut- Outs" on Trucks Haue Bad Day But Glaring Lights
 Continue to Be All Right
Motorcycle Policemen Stage Drive Useless Noise of Ve hicles-Motorists Continue to Make Night Driving Unsafe by Refusing to Use Their Dim
 mers-Watch Out Avenue C

, just as bad if not worse, than at any time this summer. It's hard to snake the Birmingham motorist believe it, but glar- ing headlights cause no end of accidents. The Tn otorist who refuses to dim his lights places himself in dangerous posi- ton because the motorist approaching IS blinded and stands good chance ot running into him.
 UNSAFE TO DRIVE Any one who drives a motor car vtill tell you that the refusal of some Bir-
 mingham motorists to dim their lights at night is making 1t unsare 10 drive at night. Every motorist is busy these days and nights "cussing'' the other fel- low who is too lazy to reach over and turn o0 his dinners when approaching another car. But the merry whiry of you blind me and I'll blind you" con- tnues, and there is apparently no eff fcrt to stop it.
 The Automobile Dealers Association should be the first organization to make an effort to bring about a betterment of this condition, but so far the dealers have been too busy twiddling their thumbs. The Automobile Club is another organiza- tion with a wide field in front of it in this direction. And if neither one of these bodies cares to enter the scramble for safe and sane" automobile driving, some of the civic organizations could do it. SAFETY ZONES NEEDED Birmingham's greatest need. so far as automobiles and traffic are concerned, is dinner law rigidly enforced. safety zones placed on downtown cor ners so that people can board and alight from street cars with some degree of safety and ease of mind, parking re- strictions and more traffic officers so that the busy corners can be "officered twelve hours per day.
 There isn't city the size of Birming- ham in the country which permits an automobile to pass street car when the I car has it's gates open and is taking on l or discharging passengers. One of the greatest dangers in riding street cars in | Birmingham is getting on or off of them 1 in safety. With wide streets such as 1 this city has it would be an easy mat ter to establish safety zone on the downtown corners for the benefit Of the
 people who ride the street cars. If such
 zones are established, then 1t might be
 possible for motor cars to run between
 the zones and the curb at a modc2te rate of speed and in that manner keep the traffic moving.
 PRIVATE COPS" DON'T WORK
 A few weeks ago 100 private citizens were appointed to act as traffic cops and were given the power of reporting motorists who did not drive their cars in a safe and sane manner. These cit;- zens were deputized and were supposed to make walking and driving on tie streets a safer proposition. But they haven't done it.
 Talking with one of the 100 deputized citizens yesterday. he said: No, haven't made an arrest and ! haven't reported anyone for reckless driving. can't afford to. I'm in business and SD are the other ninety-nne men appointed and I suppose they feel about it the same way I do. I'm not going to have anybody 'pinched,' because l might make them sore'
 And there you are. Private citizens are not going to enforce the traffic laws That's due possibly to the fact that they drive cars themselves, and are some times guilty of glaring lights and cutting corners and hogging the road themselves But it is apparent that the only traffic officer who will enforce the traffic laws without fear or favor is the man clad in blue who gets paid for doing that very thing and isn't afraid of making some body sore.
 WATCH AVENUE G
 Two bad accidents have occurred on Avenue since that street has been paved. The paving work is hardly com plete as yet. but the smoothness of the part already paved has caused two ac-
 
 cidents Motorists driving north and south have not been accustomed to other motor cars rushing up or down Avenue C. That avenue heretofore did not call for automobile traffic Tn it's former con dition.
 And so it behooves the motorists to drive little more carefully as they pass Avenue G now. And it also penooves those driving on Avenue G to have look before they cross streets. a
 While dwelling upon the subject Of "cut-outs," which we were few para graphs back, something might also be said of the whistles that sometimes are found on motor trucks.
 If merely recalls something that truck salesman said the other day.
 Its easier to sell truck with whistle on it than if it has a horn.' said the salesman. There's something about the ungodly screech of a whistle on truck that appeals to nne-tenths of the truck drivers, and they'll fall for a truck