Evening star., 1922-05-14
HIGHWAY PATROL .
SYSTEM MAKES ROADS SAFER
With All Trunk Lines Improved, Link
Construction Increases States
Paving Contracts.

manner. By building one shoulder at
a time. traffic was interfered with but
little.
Widening pavements with concrete
at intersections and curves to permit
longer turning radii has been another
source of great Improvement, for
whom motor traffic displaced horse
drawn vehicles. sharp turns became
dangerous and source of dissatisfac-
ton. Curves have been made still
safer by placing tall posts In the
bitches straight ahead. SO that the
lights of an automobile approaching
along the tangent will pick up the
alternating white and black bands
painted on the post.
Prevention Of Accidents.
Accidents do happen in spite of all
the precautions that are taken to
make driving SAFE Maintenance pa
trolmen are required to make detailed
are furnished to insure that all the
desired information is secured. On
the back of the report blank four dia-
grams of typical road sections are
printed. These represent tangent,
simple curve, reverse curve and
man is required to indicate the exact
location of the accident on the appro-
pirate diagram and to give the dis
tance Of the point from the nearest
town. The reports as received are
recorded on a large map of the road
senting different kinds of accidents
From study of this map and the re-
ports it has been found that nearly
all Of the disasters which overtake
motorists are due to their own reck-
lessness. Most of the accidents have
western Maryland nor at sharp
curves, but on straight sections
where the apparent safety has led
the driver to excessive speed.
In order to make the highway sys-
tenn render the most satisfactory serv-
ice, the state roads commission has
begun to erect signs that will inform
the traveller where he Is and will in
dicate the directions and distances to
points along the main and intersect-
ing roads. At town limits a 10x10-
foot sign map is erected for his guild
ance. This map shows tho main
routes through the town in white and
the secondary routes in gray on a
black background. On the map there
is red star. followed by these words:
You are now at this point" The
star on the map corresponds to the
location OF the map on the ground.
At the top of mountain grades in
the western part of the state large
Signs have been erected, telling the
motorist the number OF miles down
the mountain, warning Of curves and
giving concise instructions as to the
Then at the state line large signs,
15x25 feet in size. inform all visitors
who will take the time to read of the
salient features of the Maryland mo-
tor vehicle code. so that they may
know exactly how to comply with the
laws of the state
Work Of State Police. Z
In addition to entering upon this
established force charged with the
enforcement Of the motor vehicle code
the state police. These men have
done much to preserve the roads from
damage by thoughtless operators of
heavy vehicles, and to protect the
travelling public from reckless driv-
ers and other dangers Of the roads.
Permanent scales have been installed
on some of the principal routes, and
flying parties pick up overloaded
trucks on other roads with loado-
meters.
For the winter of 1s2o-1s21 the
commission adopted the policy of re-
moving the snow from the main
routes Of the state. and the same prac-
tice was followed last winter. Spe-
cial warnings OF snowstorms are sent
out by the United States weather bu-
reau to the district offices. so that
equipment may be started at the be-
ginning Of the storm, for it has been
clearly shown that snow removal can
be carried on effectively only when
work is begun Immediately. At some
points in the mountains where drifts
occur snow fences are necessary. The
snow removal equipment consists of
Nash Quad and F. w. D. trucks, fitted
with Champion snowplows, supple
mented where necessary by horse
drawn road machines and gangs of
laborers. AS snow removal makes
possible the year-round use Of the
main roads, it is justified econom-
ically and has come to stay.
With road construction, maintenance.
protection and regulation Of traffic.
snow removal and traffic study all CO.
ordinated, Maryland is in a position
to enjoy the advantages and econo-
mics resulting from carefully
worked out system Of highways
Concrete Highway Magazine.