Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-02-25
Right of Way for Motorists
Al Intersecting Highways

"The question as to who has the
right of way at intersecting ways,
when driving motor or other vehicles,
under our traffic laws is one that is
constantly being propounded to the
department" said II. a. Shorey, Jr.,
chief of the Division of Enforcement
Of Motor Vehicle Laws, State High
way Department 1T is common
belief that at interesting ways the
vehicle on the main trunk line has the
right of way. l have searched the
statutes through and ] am unable to
find any authority for this belief.
1T is true that in one of the first
drafts of this law there was section
which provided that at intersecting
ways a vehicle had he right of way
over another vehicle approaching
from the left and should yield the
right to vehicle approaching from
the right This section does not ap-
pear in the final draft and 1t has al
ways been matter of regret that
! there is not some provision of statute
to cover this point.
"The only provision as to right of
way that | know of is in the case of
fire trucks, ambulances, etc. The
statute only gives these vehicles the
right of way when responding to
calls. Although I know that it is
commonly exercised, l do not believe
that these vehicles should have any
more privileges than others when re-
turning from fires or ether emergency
calls.
at intersecting ways the law pro-
vides that a motor vehicle when
turning to the right should keep to
the right of the center of the inter-
section of the center lines Of the
wrought section of the road and when
turning to the left shall pass to the
right of these interesting lines.
Il had a telephone call recently and
the party on the other end of the line
said: Suppose I get out of gasoline
down at the foot of hill and have
to back up the hill. Which side of
| the road do l take?'
another man called me up and in
a very excited voice asked: Has a
fellow got a right to pass me from
the rear on the right?' Where were
/ L
the extreme left hand side of the
road he said, and l couldn't con-
vince him that he Didn't have any
kick coming.
AS to the right of way, ! believe
that every man should exercise every
precaution, particularly at intersect-
ing ways. = little time lost and a
little consideration for the other fell
low may be the means of saving a
life or preventing a manned and
F.. bruised body-and isn't it worth it?
i was riding last fall with q PUB
lie car driver out on the Winthrop
road when a fellow shot by us from
the rear without sounding his horn
or giving any alarm whatever, He
nearly ditched us, but sped on his
way utterly oblivious of his dis
courtesy and recllcssness. After we
had got squared away my driver re-
marked: If a fellow hasn't got time
to go anywhere. why in hades don't
h1 stay at home?
At Top Of Hills
- provision OF the new law, which
perhaps is not very clearly under
stood, is to my mind excellent. / re-
fer to the section which provides
that no operator shall pass a moving
vehicle from the rear at the top OF a
NIL or on a curve, when the road
ahead is in any way obscured. When
we took our first man into court for
violation of this section a howl
went up from Fort Kent to Eitterv.
because it was thought that it was
meant there should not be any pass
ing from the rear anywhere on the
| hill. This is not the. idea at all. 1t
simply refers to the brow of the hill
where a vehicle coming from the op-
posite direction is obscured from
view"