Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-09
PRESENT TW0-LANE
HIGHWAYS ARE REAL
DANGERS TO TRAFFIC

''Who can truthfully say that
there is recreational value or any
thing. but constant danger ana
nervous strain in driving over our
nresent two-lane highways any
where within so miles OF our large
cities on holidays" asks w. o.
Thompson, consulting engineer 1or
the ideal section of the Lincoln
highway, discussing the specltlca-
tions for the section,
MIR. Thompson finds that opln-
ions on the proper width of high
WAYS differ widely. Many contend
that after traffic reaches a GER
tain density new highways should
be constructed parallellnS those
which have become congested'
however, vehicles usually follow a
certain road and for many years
attempts to divert traffic Tor any
reason outside the drivers Volt
ton will meet with resistance from
highway users. In future design
pavement width will continue to
be a matter subject to local de-
termination,
The specifications for the ideal
section provide highway wide
enough to take care of four lanes
of travel. Actual construction
work on the ideal section, made
possible through the donation of
funds by the United States Rubber
company, will begin in the near
future.
Mr.. Thompson continues:
IF economic reasons alone are
to govern highway design, provis-
ion for four lanes of traffic is in
defensible. However, in the death
registration area Of the United
States 5000 persons were killed in
motor accidents in 1920, a decided
increase over any previous year.
Many of those killed were pedes-
trians in cities, and many deaths
were due to causes other than
narrow pavements, but in the ag-
gregate they demand that we con-
slider the future, and its inevitable
increase in the number of vehicles,
particularly motor trucks, which,
due to their low speed, will large
~ affect the traffic capacity and
consequently the safety of the two
lane highway, unless provision be
made to minimize their interfer-
ence with high-speed vehicles. In
many localities the traffic prob
lem is not so much due to the
high-speed driver as it is to the in
reference by the cautious, mex
perienced, slow drivers and the
low motor trucks holding tena-
ciously to the ccNter of the pres
ent two-lane road. Collision, ditch
ing. overturning, injury and death
frequently result from attempts
to pass these vehicles on narrow
roads.
''In its discussion of this phase
of the subject the Lincoln high
way technical committee consider
ed not especially the problem of
today, but tried to visualize con-
ditions as they will exist 20 years
hence. If no motor trucks were
to be considered the committee
would have agreed on two or, at
most, a three-lane design.
Economic considerations must
always govern our highway poll
cies, but the motor vehicles is fast
reaching a place in the life of our
people where economic policies
will increasingly be tempered and
influenced by demand for greater
freedom from restraint, coupled
with safety, than is now possible
or practicable on our two-lane
highways. In the last analysis.
human safety is of paramount i'm
portance and should be subordi-
mated to no other element or con-
sideration in designs for engineer
ing works"