Putnam patriot., 1925-12-11
MACDONALD SPEAKS AT DETROIT MEETING.
Too Many Safety Devices and Too Few Directional Signs,
 He Warns
Future Highways Muai Be Carefully
 Planned

State Highway Commissioner. John A. Macdonald, son of Postmaster and Mrs. Archie Macdonald. in an address before the American Association of State Highway Officials in Detroit. stressed the elimination of dangerous conditions on state highways and the over use of minor warming signals where more directional signals would be more effective Commissioner Mae donald said in part;
 Highway engineers must carefully study their locations and reloeatinns with an idea of creating. us traffic increases, as few dangerous condi- tiens as possible So as to dec 1ase the use of such devices, for as We increase and improve the surfaces. We can ex- peet greater speed which will be productive of more accidents unless we do.
 Uniform System Needed
 1t is very important that devices be uniformly placed along the road so that operators of motor vehicles will know where to expect to find them. Ii is also important. due to the development of motor vehicle head lights, that signs be low enough to come within the rays of headlights at night. and good practice would recommend that all direction and warning signs be located at night with automobile head lamps for guid es, and, f possible. in stormy weather.
 During fair weather and when the highway is clean. and when head 4rHx N.fta painted upon the pavements have been very efficient; but if there is snow or ice on the highway, or the road is dirty. or a temporary type of pavement is used, these signs are of no value. and In many places they have become so numerous that the public has generally ignored them.
 ..fhe worst possible condition l can think of is the motor vehicle opera tor who Is operating q car against glaring headlights on strange road after dark and in a snow storm. That Is my test for q good device, and If il can give the operator of the vehicle the proper information at that time, then would not hesitate to use it.
 Eliminate Crossings
 "To my mind elimination is the only safety device which apparently is effective at grade crossings. lt will. of course, never be possible to eliminate all the dangerous conditions. but when II Is realized that within the next thirty years we must expect three and one-half times the present day traffic. it would seem that We should hesitate in the matter of plac ing highway safety devices and real ize that the fewer of these that We use the easier our future problems will be to solve.
 "The indifference of the general motor public to safety seems to be the reason why many of these de vices are in use 1 see no reason at all for the use of the white lines on curves or at the top of hill. This white line. no doubt. increases main tenance cost on some highways more than it benefits traffic fl there is T motor vehicle operator at the present time who is not educated up to the fact that he should drive on the right hand side of the road at curve or on a hill. and should not pass vehi cles where the sight line is construct ed, then il seems to me that his edu- cation has been sadly neglected and the most effective safety device Tor him is ten days ii jail.