Evening star., 1925-04-22
CITY HEADS ADOPT
NEW TRAFFIC CODE
EFFECTIVE MAY 3
Speed Limit, 22 MiIes-Pe-
destrians Given Right of
Way at intersections.
HEADLIGHT AND BRAKE
REGULATIONS STIFFENED
Temporary Permits for Beginners
at Driving-Four Definitions
of Recklessness.

of Recklessness.
/ The new traffic code, which is to be-
| come effective May 3, was adopted by
the District Commissioners today. 1t
| constitutes a complete revision of the
| existing regulations with the follow
! ing outstanding changes:
| A new speed limit for the entire
| District of % miles an hour instead
! of IS miles an hour, except on arte-
rial highways to be designated at a
later date.
A regulation requiring machines to
| have headlights that will make an OBJ
! ject clearly visible 200 feet in advance
! of the machine.
/ A rule requiring vehicles to have
| foot brakes that will stop the car 60
| ing 20 miles an hour within so feet,
and hand brakes that will stop a car
within 75 feet.
! Pedestrian Right of Way.
Pedestrians are given the right of
| way at all crosSwalks except those
! controlled by traffic officers.
! Vehicles are given right of way over
! pedestrians between intersections.
| While there is no special speed limit
| for crossing an intersection. the new
! code provides that a vehicle approach
| ing an intersection shall slow down
and be kept under such control as to
avoid colliding with other vehicles.
! Vehicles approaching an intersec-
| ton from the left shall give the right
of way to vehicles approaching from
! the right, provided that a vehicle in
tending to make a right or left hand
I yt,,1 cViv- he rio nf NIsgaNr fn
! through traffic.
Parking of automobiles will be pro-
j hibited on certain specified streets dur
J ing the morning and evening rush
! hours. Where such special restrictions
are not indicated. the present one
| hour limit in the congested section will
remain in effect.
Two new one-way streets are estab-
lished in the code as follows:
Two New One-Way Streets.
H street from Massachusetts avenue
to Fourteenth street, for westbound
! ira ffic.
ssachusetts avenue, eastbound traf-
| fic only.
/ In the new code Sixth, Tenth, Eigh-
teenth and Nineteenth streets are
abolished as one-way thoroughfares.
A number of short blocks in the down.
| town section such as E street, be-
| tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets, are retained as one-way
streets.
! Issue Temporary Permits.
| Under the new code, new drivers
1 will be issued a temporary permit for
| ten days to permit the traffic office to
determine whether they are proper
persons TO hold a permit regularly.
H., r,w,1 lAr1
! stration will still be required before
| issuance of the temporary permit.
Instead of the present rule reQuir-
| ing three different hand signals for
stopping, turning to the right and
turning to the left, the new code pro-
vides only for the extending the arm
straight out as a warning to vehicles
in the rear in all instances.
The definition of reckless driving
and speeding in the new code reads as
| follows:
mo individual shall operate motor
vehicle over any public highway in
the District-frst, reCklessly; second,
/ at a rate of speed greater than is rea-
sonable and proper, having regard to
the width of the public highway, the
use thereof and the traffic thereon;
/ third, so as to endanger any property
or individual; fourth, so as to unnec-
essarily or unreasonably damage the
| public highway"
| Speed Limits Defined.
In addition to the general speed
limit of % miles an hour for pas
senger vehicles, the code provides for
a speed limit of Is miles an hour for
commercial vehicles with pneumatic
tires: Is miles an hour for commercial
vehicles having solid tires; l5 miles
an hour for tractors; no vehicle shall
! be driven in an alley faster than z
miles an hour and no vehicle shall
emerge from an alley, garage or place
of business faster than miles an
hour, and must stop before crossing
a sidewalk.
reads as follows:
"AIl vehicles in motion or at rest
| on any street or within any public
reservation within the District during
the period from one-hah hour after
| sunset to one-half hour before sun
rise and at any other time when there
is not sufficient light to render clearly
discernable person, vehicle or other
substantial object the size of small
child on the street 200 feet ahead
shall display lights as follows:
Motor vehicles other than motor.
cycles shall be equipped and lighted
with at least two headlights of type
approved by the director, mounted on
the front of the vehicle, one on each
side. and fitted with lamps of the
same rating, giving approximately
100 candlepower. No red or green
lights shall be visible from the front.
A lighted lamp shall be mounted at
the rear, arranged to show a red light
visible from the rear at a distance OF
500 feet and to illuminate by white
light the rear license plate in such
manner as to make the numerals leg
ible for at least so feet from the rear
of the vehicle. When trailer Is used
in conjunction with motor vehicle,
the trailer only shall be required to
display a rear light"
Dimming of Headlights.
The section under which dimming
of headlights will be permitted reads
as follows:
THE headlamps shall be so con-
; structed, arranged and adjusted that
they will at all times under normal
atmospheric conditions produce ample
driving light so as to reveal any per-
son, vehicle or other substantial OBJ
ject the siSe of a small child on the
street 200 feet ahead, except when
the motor vehicle is operated on a
street so well lighted that any sub
, stantial object on the street 200 feet
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