The Bozeman courier., 1925-05-13
PRESENT DAY "TRAFFIC COMPLEX"
ISDECLARED MENACE TO SAFETY
President of American Automobile Association Says Cities Are
Prone to Make the Driving Rules
Too Complicated

Observation-Disclosures in many
cities are suffering from a neuro-
pathic ailment known as the traffic
complex" Traffic is being regulated
and legislated to a point where the
AVERAGE driver becomes confused, at
tAe eApense Of safety, because Of the
multiplicity of rules, signs, direc-
tions, signals ard sounds inaugurated
as part of the national campaign for
greater safety on streets and high
ways.
Too Much Experimenting -
This is the opinion Of American
Automobile association officials, ac-
cording to a statement just issued
pointing out that unless there is less
experimenting with traffic and more
attention paid to simplifying it, there
viii be no genuine progress in the
work of minimizing the excessive
number of traffic accidents.
Commenting on the tendency of
many cities to attempt to legislate
accidents off the streets, Thomas P.
Henry, president of the association,
said:
"Too many cities are eXaggerating
their traffic problem to point where
they feel obliged to complicate the
situation unnecessarily. When given
a choice between a successful plan
and an experiment direction too many
are prone to adopt the latter.
while favoring a progressive uni
formity of traffic rules and regula-
tions, the A. A. A. does not approve
Of a simplicity in regulations that
woul1 only be up to the level of the
poorest drivers. On the other hand,
the 4. A. A. does not favor the pres
ent plan Of virtually requiring the
average driver to be a traffic expert
"Not a few drivers are paying so
much attention to signs, lights, bells
and other traffic signaling devices
that they actually forget about safe
ty. The average driver cannot think
of traffic puzzles and safety at the
same time. You cannot overload the
motorist with too many rules and ex
pect him to drive at his best. Some
thing will be neglected in the process
and everything seems to prove that i
is safety"
Lack Consistency.
Attention is called N the statement
no. only to the endless variety @
methods of confusing drivers IN di1
ferent cities, but particularly to tn
lack of consistency in the traffic d
rection methods within the cite
themselves. One A. A. A. officii
tells Of having found three differe1
methods of traffic direction with
single town of $4,000 inhabitants
Mr.. Henry also commented upon Il
findings of the motor vehicle cOmmi
sioner of Connecticut, revealing tn
122 accidents in that state in 19
were the result Of confusion. T
state cited as a cause Of this co
fusion CROSSED mental wires"
"For fear of making making sol
error in negotiating left turn" &C
tinued Mr.. Henry, "many drivers
ten go completely around the bio
proceeding in the desired direction
means of this primitive expedie
Then they try to make up for
time by driving hastily, and Il
.jeopardizing pedestrians and TAX
unwarranted chances.
cleft turns have been treated
too many traffic officials as m
ace. This is an unjustified ind
ment. The so-called problem Of
left turn is an admission of ins
quate traffic control. Left turns
a stop to the 'round-the-block b
ness.
Suffers from Complex
3The average driver is made to
that traffic is a sort Of contest
which a false move will mean an
rest. The driver comes to fear
officer, with the result that he
rives at the crossing in hi,
nervous state, suffering from trs
complex"
Three-A officials are urging
officials to adopt only such syst
as will make it easier for the a
age driver to get about. If tn
is to be regulated effectively,
maintain, the traffic system mus
revised with q view to simplh
matters for the average intellgl
otherwise traffic accidents viii b
the increase and safety win 81
as q CONSEQUENCE of fear and lLmI