The Washington times., 1924-12-02
With The
Abb Artists
A Cross Section Of the
/ Daily Grind in Judge
McMahOn's Court
Read EN- and Weep.
BY DONALD MacDOUGAL
Whercin w MAKO Good.


regulations in our traffic code
that We're ridiculous. The next
day a friend OF ours asked us
how about it, so we looked into
the question, and darned, IL we
didn't find we were right!
Wed like to elaborate on some
OF these regulations, but we're
a little Ieary on the job. It's too
much for us. We're not up to
that kind of stuff, but we'd enjoy
seeing 1t done by the authors OF
Pinafore." We've half notion
10 copy that code with a Corona
typewriter and send it to a New
York producer as a three-act play.
Bet 1t would knock 'em dead. It's
been knocking EN- dead here for
the last ten years.
Take that scene about the right
or way at street intersections, for
instance, where the heroine, in a
low, tense voice, utters these
pregnant words:
SEC. 9--Right of Way-ta)
except as herein provided, when
two or more vehicles approach
Ing at the lawful rate OF speed,
reach the building line at
highway intersection at approx.
mately the same time, the
vehicle approaching such inter
section from the right shall
have the right OF way over the
vehicle or vehicles approaching
from the left.
Gives Scene A Touch.
We like that word approximate
ly"-it gives the scene a touch
OF happy go-luclxy uncertainty that
adds wonderfully to the dramatic
content. You haven't the remotest
IDEA what's going to happen next
until the nurse tells you the doc.
Tor says you can sit up next Wed,
nesday II you don't have q relapse
What is approximately? II two
cars reach the intersection so
nearly at the same time that one
slams the other, you'd think they
must have reached the building
line at approximately the same
instant, wouldn't you? Then the
man on the right had the right OF
way, you'd think. Running al
the legal speed over crossings
twelve miles an hour--a light We.
nicle would get half way across
the average street in a little more
than two seconds. The whole
thing is over in approximately nc
time. In the several hundred col.
tision cas0s we've noted during
the last two years, there's lust
about as many right hand defend.
ants convicted as left hand ones.
Differences In Speed.
That doesn't look fair, you saw.
When the man on the right has
the right OF way IL both arrive
at approximately the same time.
and they must arrive at approxi.
mafely the same time to have a
collision. :
Quite true, IL streets were ALI the
same width and vehicles all ran at
the same speed. But suppose one
car Is crossing a 160-foot street at
twenty miles an hour and the other
is crossing an 85-foot street at 10
miles an hour-say PENNSYLVANIA
avenue and Tenth street north
west.
"Oh well. that car was going in
excess Of the legal speed@ Sure.
but what of it? That doesn't mean
a thing to the right of way rule.
: That rule tells you who has the
right OF way when two or more We
hicles approach at the lawful rate
OF speed-a thing that seldom hap.
pens.
II vehicles approached at the
lawful rate of speed, about rs per
cent of the collisions wouldn't oc-
cur. The right OF way law lays
down on the job when it's most
needed. Who has the right of
way when one or more vehicles
approach at an unlawful speed?
The regulation hasn't word to
say about that. nor is there, any
where in the code, a syllable, SEN
tence, phrase, paragraph, hint or
suggestion that in case of a col
lision between a careful driver4 and
speed maniac, the latter shall SUI.
fer any legal disadvantage what.
soever because Of his excessive
speed.
Might Have Economical.
Whoever framed the right OF
way rule might have saved sew,
eral lines of composition, and
thus have rejoiced the budget
bureaus heart, by saying sim
ply, THE right Of way belongs
to the one who gets there first
speed or no speed" The effect
of this rule is to encourage
drivers to speed up at intersec
tions, the place Of all places
where they should slow down
While other parts Of the code
are attempting to discourage the
speeder with threats Of Jail sen
fences and hints of $3.50 fines
the right Of way rule winks the
other eye and tells the driver
IT guess that's true, but the
right Of way belongs to the one
who gets there first, and may
the best man win" And over
80 per cent Of collisions occur
at street intersections.
Further, there is nothing in
the drivers field of view to indi
cate the building line, he has
his eyes full watching .vehiculal
traffic running four ways, and
pedestrians running any ole
way. To keep tab on two build
ing lines in addition, is asking
more than the average permit
holder can deliver. On the whole
the striking out bodily of the
right Of way rule would probably
result in a noticeable decrease
In the number OF collisions, and
save something in nrinter,s billy