Evening star., 1925-05-03
Regulations, Modernized, Exx-
pected to Reduce Street
Accidents Toll.
RULES FIRST REAL TEST
WILL COME TOMORROW
Police to Be Lenient With Minor
1nfractions-Reckless Will
Pay Heavily.

Washington will undergo today It's
initial experiment with a new and
modernized traffic code, designed pri-
marily to reduce street accidents and
at the same time facilitate the move
ment of traffic. The old book Of regu-
lations which for years has governed
traffic in the District was relegated
into history last midnight.
Although the new traffic code is now
in effect, it will not be given an ade-
quate test until tomorrow morning,
when the great armada of automobiles
heads for the business area at yirtu
ally the same hour. Then, too. the
new parking rules will confront the
motorist for the first time.
Confusion Expected.
The Police Department is mindful OF
the fact that the new set of regula-
tions inevitably will cause some con-
fusion for a time. and has given en-
phatic instructions that police officers
must be lenient with the puzzled mo
torist for the first 10 days. No mercy
will be shown, however, to the driver
who is intoxicated or 10 the driver
who is reckless. These are ineXcusa-
bic offenses. according to the police.
the city will apply likewise to the pub
lie parks. Lieut.. Col. Clarence Q.
Sheriff., director Of public buildings
and public parks of the National Cap
| ital announced officially last night
that the park traffic rules have been
amended so as TO correspond with the
new District traffic code.
Speed Limit Raised.
The 22-mile-an-hour speed limit is,
| perhaps, the most radical Of the
changes in the regulations. 1t gives
! the motorist an opportunity to move
at a little faster pace than the old ] s
mile-an-hour limit, but places him in
| almost constant fear of being arrest
! ed for reckless driving. There is a
| clause attached to the new speed regu-
/ lations which says that no vehicle
| shall be drivep.l) recklessly, (2) at a
j rate of speed greater than is reason
able and proper. having regard to the
width of the highway, the use there
! of and the traffic thereon, or (3l as to
| endanger any property or individual,
| or t4) so as unnecessarily or unreaso
ably to damage the public highway.
! The new regulations also abolish
the limit of II miles an hour At in
| tersections, but require a machine ap-
preaching an intersection TO slow
down and be kept under such control
as to avoid colliding with other We
| hicles.
Trucks Speed Specified.
/ Trucks with pneumatic tires may
speed up under the new traffic code
/ to Is miles an hour, while those with
| solid tires are allowed Is miles an
hour. The rumbling tractor has
15-mile limit placed on its speed. In
alleys, however, all machines must
/ not move at a faster rate than
miles an hour. and must come to a
! complete stop before crossing the
| sidewalk. They must creep out of
garages or places of business at d
| speed not in excess of miles an
! hour.
| AS under the old regulations, the
vehicle approaching from the right
has the right of way, but clause has
been added which says that vehicles
intending to turn at an intersection
must give the right of way to We
hicles going straight.
The new regulations permit the
| motorist TO draw a few feet closer TO
a street car loading or unloading pas
sengers. Under the old rules ma
chimes were forced to stop 10 feet
behind a street car. The new rule
reduces this to feet Machines do
| not have to stop where loading plat
forms or safety zones are located.
signaling Changed.
The old system of arm signaling
went into the discard with the former
traffic regulations. Instead of three
different signals, all the motorist has
to do now when he intends to turn,
| stop or pull out from a curb is to
extend an arm straight out.
Under the new regulations the
pedestrians rights at intersections are
| preserved-they have the right of
way-except where a traffic officer is
| stationed. Between intersections We
hicles have this privilege.
Headlights and footbrakes have On
! important place in the new code.
| The new rules require lights suffi-
| ciently bright to show an object 200
/ feet ahead. DINNERS may be used
on streets lighted sufficiently or In
going over the brow of a hill. The
new rules specifically ban dazzling
headlights and say that all head
/ lights shall be so adjusted that the
| beam will not rise horizontally
throuShNthe center of the lamp. Bulbs
! of 81 candlepower are called for in
| the regulations.
Brake Standards Fixed.
| The rule concerning footbrakes
| says they must be capable of stop
! ping a car within so feet going at
| speed OF ~ miles an nOur. nanu-
| brake Is supposed to stop car with
! in rs feet, going at the same speed.
Written into the new code is an out
| line of the congested area, which is
bounded on the north by X street
! from Seventeenth to Ninth, north on
! Ninth to Mount Vernon place. east TO
| Seventeenth street and along New
| York avenue to Sixth; on the east by
! Sixth street south to B, on the south
/ by B street to Tenth, north on Tenth
! to Pennsylvania avenue, west along
| D street to Fifteenth, north on Fif-
| teenth to Pennsylvania avenue, west
along the Avenue to Seventeenth
| street, and on the west by Seven
| teenth street to X street.
At a number of busy points in this
| congested area, left-hand turns have
| been abolished. These points will be
marked by signs.
| To prevent congestion in the bust
ness district during the morning and
afternoon rush hours, parking will be
prohibited on certaif. tbaroughfares
| These also will be marked with signs
| The restricted parking zones dssax-
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