Evening star., 1925-09-01
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

driver, the reckless or the inexperi-
enced or the stupid and slow-witted,
plunging into the midst Of thronging
thoroughfares2
During the first six months of 1924
there We're In Washington 43 deaths
from automobiles, and during the cor
responding period this year there
were only 3S4deaths. This reduction
becomes more significant -in>the light
of the, fact that the number of auto
mobiles Increased 27 per cent in the
year. If the Increase of machines be
considered, the comparative number
of deaths is decreased more than so
per cent.
In the same six months, last year.
there were 1855 accidents, and con-
sidering the q per cent increase of
machines, there would be required
this year, as normal compared with
last year. STA accidents in the first
six months but. in fact, there were
only 4,75S, a comparative reduction of
about 10 per cent The traffic
management administration was in
existence only during one-third of that
six months, and it naturally takes
considerable time to gather any data
on which to formulate plans.
The Improvement of automobile
| lights has been a great factor in re-
ducing accidents, ard much, is. now
Under. way. toward better street
lighting. BY October / the new
system of .synchronized signals will
be installed, at least along Sixteenth
street. This is dependent upon the
introduction of the new high-power
| street lights which are now being put
| in AT each corner, on each side of
the street, will be. signal lights of
three celors. = Red will mean stop,
yellow, a warning that the signal is
about to change; green go ahead.
When the yellow shows all along the
street, all machines everywhere will
slow down; when the red shows, all
will stop. At the time the red shows,
on the boulevard, the green will show
at all crossings for. the cross streets.
| Instead of this system slowing traffic,
it will speed it, for a motorist will
know that he need. fear no cross
| traffic while the signal is set for him
to go ahead, and; he can speed eup,
perhaps trayel four or five blocks
before the next stop signal.
~ Y *
| In the office Of the traffic manager
| there is a large map of the city to
receive pins. I'm thiss4nap is stuck
white pin at The point of every
accident: If <the accident happened
at night the Write pin head has a
black dot A red nth Indicates where
any fatal accident occurred. Thou
/ sands of pins are already in that
map. and they crowd together in
| certain localities, thereby pointing
out danger spots to be reformed.
The issuing of licenses to drive
/ will be much more closely safeguard
ed hereafter, and reckless, inconlpe-
| tent drivers will be eliminated All
| license cards will bear a personal
| description of the holder-color of
eyes and hair, age and other marks
| of identification. The practice of
buying and selling licenses will thus
| be checked.
| The courts are cooperating with
the Traffic Bureau by heavy fines,
especially in cases of driving while
drunk or without a license. In May
| there were four fatal accidents; two
| drivers were indicted by the grand
| jury, charging murder. In June there
kwere six accidental deaths, in one
case resulting in indictment for sec
ond-degree murder. In July there
Ewere seven deaths-all declared by
/ the coroner to have been accidental
OF the victims this year seven We're
children under 10 years of age, play
| ing on the streets. Traffic Manase
| Eldridge believes that accidents will
never be adequately curbed until say-
walkers are prohibited, or arrested.
tCopyriEht. 1895. by Paul Y. coiins)