The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-08-03
With The
IAlibi Artists
Ban on Night Parking
Seen As Increasing
Risk of Accident
Taxes Pay for Street
By DONALD McDOUGAL

Looks like Washington auto
owners will have to do little
organizing and protesting il they
don't want to lose still further
use of the streets they've been
paying taxes on so long.
The Director is thinking of ban
ming al1-night parking so az to
reduce accidents.
That looks like stirring up a lot
Of trouble for no particular good.
Only last week the Director an
nouneed that night accidents had
been reduced from 81 per cent to
% per cent of the total.
If that's the case, then the
abolition of night parking cant
do very much more for us. Sup
pose parking causes ten per cent
of all the night accidents. That's
only a little over two per cent
of all accidents. If, instead of
parking our cars at the end Of
the day. we have to drive them
three or four miles to the garage,
that will increase the chance OF
collision, and very likely more
than offset the Two per cent.
That is, to ban night parking
would increase the chances Of
accident instead OF lessening them,
and would result in very serious
inconvenience to people who have
learned to rely upon their ears
to get down town in.
The parking ban would suit the
street railway companies down TO
the ground, no doubt. The Di-
rector says $4,000 cars are left
out front every night.
Investigation by the Bureau or
Roads shows an average OF two
and a half passengers per car,
or 1000 people for the $4,000
J cars. or 10000 daily fares lost to
the traction companies-which
Even If each Of the $4,000
vehicles carries oniy the driver
that means a loss to the traction
companies of $4,000 per week, or
considerably over half million
dollars year.
A ban against night parking
would be a fine thing for the
railroads, but right tough on the
people who would dig up the
half.million. We hope Mr.. Ed.
ridge will give them some con-
sideration before applying the
ban.
Night driving rs now three
times as safe as daytime driving
according to the directors figures
only % per cent OF accidents
occur after dark. Then II per
cent. or more than three times as
many, must occur in the daytime.
Why not get busy with some
of the n per cent. before inflict-
ing all this trouble and expense
on the night parkers?
Why should citizens be chased
off the streets that their tax
money helps to support. and be
put to the further expense OF
..arage rent, when they've al
ready paid once?
Tax paying in Washington mas
become such a routine thing that
there's always a shock OF sur
prise when it's suggested that tax
payers should get something Tor
their money.
Washington's streets are wide
enough to allow a single line or
cars at each curb. particularly
at night. when the volume or
traffic is greatly reduced.
One. critic of night parking
saws: "Any one who can not
afford q garage should not be
permitted to own a car"
That man evidently has a gar
age, and he doesn't care what be-
comes of those who haven't got
one. But why should he have the
saw about how rich man must
be to have the privilege OF buy
ing a car? Why should anybody?
The man next above him in fin"
nancial rank might say, AM one
who cannot afford chauffeur
should not be permitted to own
a car"
Than the man above him might
hold out for two chauffeurs and
the man above him might put the
limit at a sixteen room house
with four baths and a butler.
A good many night parkers
would be glad to pay reasonable
rent for a garage If they could
find one. The sad fact is that
in most of the $4,000 cases,
there's no garage, reasonable or
unreasonable, within operating
distance.
We hope the Director will look
carefully at both sides of the
question before taking action so
we won't have to undergo need
less trouble and expense to pro-
tect our age-old right to the use
of the public streets.
lery reserve. to duty September rs.