Evening star., 1924-11-09
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.


With uniformity in State laws and
traffic regulations becoming more
and more improbable. progressive mo-
torists are turning to the plan of
learning how to be equal to any oc-
caSion as their best way to alleviat e
the confusion and danger now re-
sulting from misunderstanding and
excessive variation in motor rules.
This plan is said to be growing in
favor as a result of a. recent state
ment to the effect that uniformity in
s. automobile laws is neither
po lie nor desirable. The motorist
is hearing the other side of the ar
Eument as well, but it appears to be
clear to him that regardless of how
matters turn out eventually he can
spare himself lot of trouble by
adopting a plan of unifying his
methods of approaching strange con-
ditions in traffic.
AS one driver puts it, TT isn't a
question of knowing every rule and
regulation througout the country.
but of knowing how to get on to
strange traffic and new conditions.
He contends that there is no reason
why a good driver should violate a
traffic rule even if he never heard
of it before. In his opinion 1t is a
question of knowing how to know
what is permissible locally and what
isn't.
Follow the Leader.
A safe rule to go by, it appears,
is to learn to follow the leader when
on unfamiliar ground. A driver is
almost certain TO get into trouble if
he starts to make a turn where no
one else is turning, and if he parks
where there are no other standing
hA &c Ia
The point that many are trying to
make plain to the average motorist
is that it isn't necessary to be puz-
zled over the fact that motor vehicle
laws are not uniform.
One driver. for instance, says that
he can tell whether he is parking his
car in a restricted or unrestricted dis
trict without even taking the trouble
to look for the time limit sign or ask
ing the natives All he does is to
look at the local cars that are parked
there. If there are persons sitting at
the wheels of these cars. if a motor
or two is running. if the cars are
parked hastily and irregularly and if
there is constant shifting of machines
he knows without asking that it is
no place for him to leave his car for
the morning. On the other hand, il
the cars are mostly without drivers
or. passengers, neatly parked, and if
tho closed cars have their windows
closed he knows that there is lib
eral time limit on parking or per-
haps no limit at all. He promptly
leaves his car there.
Can Simplify Problem.
There can be no question but what
travelling by motor would be great
ly simplified If all rules and regula-
tions Were uniform, but just because
such uniformity is not as Yet pos
sible there is no reason why motor
lists should overlook this opportunity
to simplify their problem.
AS a matter of fact. there are many
motorists who consider the great
variation in traffic regulations as an
incentive to progress. They explain
that they actually welcome new ideas.
believing that every new regulation
they encounter helps to round out
their experience and make them more
efficient drivers.
At present much consideration is
being given to the method of making
left turns at police regulated cross
ings. The country is divided between
those cities where motorists are re-
quired to pass to the left of the
officer and those where they are re-
quired to go around him. Travellers
complain loudly as a consequence, but
those who see in the divergence of
these laws an opportunity for the
development of something more pro-
gressive than the adoption of either
plan as standard throughout the
country are learning how to do the
right thing in either type of traffic
without worrying about it.
Watch Tire Marks.
They note, for instance, that pass
ing in front of the officer is inva ria bly,
popular where the streets are not
wide enough to justify passing around
the officer. They watch the tire
marks on the paving as further