New-York tribune., 1921-11-06
Many Motorists
Regard Reckless
Driving as Sport
The Driver Who Appreciates
His Own Safety Will Slow
Down at All Crossings;
Pedestrians Careless. Too
BY Fl. Clifford Brokaw
Technical Director, West Side T. VI
c.. a. Automobile School

w pelHg ucatH lnaLLer, SO reChteS
do they risk life and limb in the pur-
suit of their detectives.
The other day such spcedhouud
caught up with me as | was driving
along country road. He drew up
behind my car just as l was rounding
A sharp curve. Without moment s
hesitation he undertook to pass me,
paying no attention to what might
be on the highway ahead. Another
car was coming toward me. SO that
the three machines were scheduled to
be abreast at the same time on q
road that was only wide enough for
two. Although | gave up my side of
the road until was in ditch. the
car coming toward me was forced to
occupy the ditch on the other side
while the offender against the rules
Of common sense in driving got by on
the smooth surface of the middle of
the road. But he was taking q reck-
less chance, for without the quick ork
of the approaching driver there would
have been in all probability serious
accident, in which the chancetake
would have got the worst of it,
favorite outdoor sport of some drivers.
There are railroad and streetcar cross
ngs. The possibilities of danger at
these points is we'll known and con-
sideratlon is generally given them, cx-
cept by the most foolhardy. There
are street and road crossings, thou
sands of them, and because these
danger points are much more common
than railroad tracks they are not
usually given the careful attention
they deserve.
The driver who isn't interested in
taking chances will slow down a little
on approaching any street or road
crossing or sharp turn or curve, and
he will look and listen for appoach-
ing cars. If he has the right of way,
he will not necessarily take full ad-
vantage of it to beat out an approach
ing automobile by the skin of his teeth.
II he does not have the right of way,
he should be all the mope cautious.
A Narrow Escape
No one can blame a driver for want
ing to take in the landscapes, espe-
clally during the autumn days, when
the leaves are turning into thousand
beautiful colors. But the driver who
takes in the grandeur of the scenery
at the expense of giving the proper
amount of attention to where his car
is going is taking chances. I recently
observed an owner who stopped at a
roadside tank for gasoline. His car
was completely off the macadam high
way. yet another car missed his ma
chine by a hairs beadth because the
driver was not paying any attention
to mis- car and the road. Instead he
was taking chances by becoming alb
sorbed in conversation with a fellow
passenger.
Having resisted the temptation Of
occupying the same space of a railroad
train at the same time, or street
car or another automobile. the driver
OF car has thousands of temptations
to take chances with human beings,
who are simply pedestrians going
about their respective occupations. 1t
must be remembered that the pedes-
TRAN on the highway has greater
rights than the motorist. 1t is popular
TO talk about the "rube,' to curse the
fellow who gets in the way and to
assume that he ought not to be where
ne IS, but the fact is, according to the
United States Supreme Court, that this
pedestrian has the first right, and no
amount OF trailc rules and ordinances
can affect this right.
Without respect to the wisdom of
doing it, the man afoot has the right
to travel in the middle of the ROAD
II he chooses, and it is the duty Of
the driver to keep out of his way
Most pedestrians, however, having a
general desire to prolong their exist
ence IN It's present state, are fairly
sensible when it comes to keeping out
Of the way of motor traffic But
thnSa f0lkS bovo
reach as we'll as the autoist and should
be given fair chance when their paths
happen to lie along or across a high
way or street. The driver who takes
chance with human life is making
q bid for damage suits and perhaps
imprisonment.
Forefathers Used Foresight
In the early days Of American life
cautious forest ght was a characteristic
OF the new race. Then caution was a
necessity as we'll as a virtue, for the
pioneer never knew behind what tree
or rock death lurked. There were
savage Indians TO consider, there were
wild animals TO avoid, so that to look
ahead, to watch for signs of danger
and to approach points of peril with
every sense alert, was second nature
Then there was no thought of taking
chances. Z
We are only a generation or two
from those things even at the crowded
centers of population, but the last two
generations that have grown up in the
cities, and millions who have come
from other lands during the same
period, do not have this inbred caution.
Men who are in peril daily from one
cause or another incident to city life.
and who continue to escape day after
day scot free" cannot be expected to
get excited about danger possibilities
which in time become so familiar Is to
breed contempt
1t may be we'll ts,t this is so, for
the urbanite who lived in constant fear
OF this or that accident happening to
him would soon be a nervous wreck.
And this doubtless accounts in part for
the fact that it is difficult for the city
driver of an automobile TO exercise
great caution in operating his car. This
condition probably has something to
90 with his frequent willingness to
take chances when driving.
A little more of the spirit and eau
ton OF our forefathers injected into
the present generation Of automobile
drivers would tend to improve the cur
rent questionable habits of manv mo.
torlsts. It would tend to lessen the
frequency with which folks in +bo an