Evening star., 1924-11-17
HEADLEY PROPOSES
PEDESTRIAN LAWS
Traffic Chief Would Regulate
Walking Like Driving-Ap-
proves Film Lesson.

Safe and sane traffic conditions will
never be obtained in Washington un-
til the Police Department Is given a
law authorizing it to regulate pedes-
trlans with the same severity that It
regulates vehicles, and at least 200
additional men TO enforce such law,
is the opinion of Inspector Albert J.
Headley. chief Of the traffic bureau.
Admitting that there are many
street intersections in the heart of
the city that are left unguarded be-
cause there are not enough policemen
to take care of them. Inspector Head
ley declared that he was confident
the traffic bureau is doing the utmost
that could be expected Of 1t in the
absence of an adequate force.
"School, Is Probosed.
The suggestion was put forward to
the inspector that 1t might prove
beneficial to select some busy, down
town intersection, and make of il a
School" where careless pedestrians
would be taught TO walk right, and
motorists TO drive right. The idea
was to place policeman at the
semaphore and an additional man on
each corner to control the pedes-
triarS.
Under this plan the men at the
corners would compel pedestrians to
move only as the vehicular traffic
moved-with the policeman's sema-
phore. Although heartily approving
of the idea, Inspector Headley gave
| two short but sufficient reasons why
it could not be worked out-"no au-
thority, and no men" Celebrating,
he Continued:
There is no law or police regu-
lation that authorizes US to regulate
| the movements of pedestrians who
are walking along in the peaceful
pursuits of their business or pleas
ures. I could send out the men--if
I had them-and the pedestrians
could promptly tell them to go to the
devil; and we would not have a leg
to stand on.
Wants Law for Pedestrians.
What we need right now, and
should have without delay, is a law
that would authorize us to arrest a
pedestrian who walks out past the
officers semaphores, just as we now
quite readily arrest a motoriSt for
such an offense. Until we have such
statute you need not expect much
better than we now have.
Then, too, we need 200 more po-
licemen right now If l sent two or
four men out to handle some corners.
to make a school of 1t, l would have
TO take them from intersections that
need them badly. The need for more
men IS pressing. This morning there
were 1s9 privates and 16 sergeants
on the streets in every precinct in
Washington.
"They were not just traffic men.
Those figures cover every uniformed
man that was out on duty for all
purposes-and many of them were
obliged to spend most Of the day
down in Police Court. We are doing
the best we can right now with the
material we have. When we get
more men and needed laws We will
try to do better"
The Stars Film Approved,
Inspector Headley heartily ap-
proved the idea of showing the mo-
tfon picture of Washington traffic
conditions. which was filmed by The
Star, in five Of the city's leading mo-
ton picture houses. The pictures will
appear in the regular bill Of the Co
lumbia, Palace, Metropolitan, Rialto
and Tivoli theaters for a week, be-
ginning next Sunday.
This picture shows actual scenes
as they were caught by an expert
cameraman in the midst or trafhc.
1t brings home in a most effective
manner the dangerous chances Pc
destrians and motorists alike take in
their haste to cross streets that are
little less than deadly under the
present pressure of traffic.
1t will appear at every perform
ance at the five theaters named, and
II is not unlikely that more than
one needless pedestrian or reckless
salt 40
ing through the traffic and, seeing
just how close he came to serious
injury or possibly death, may be
more careful the next time. It was
in an effort to bring this lesson home
to washington that The Star had
the picture filmed, and the motion
picture houses are cooperating in
the drive to improve conditions in
the National Capital.