Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28
COURTESY HELD SOLUTION
FOR MANY TRAFFIC ILLS
Is Necessary to Prevent Further Legis-
lation and to Preserve Safety,
A. A. A. Officials Say.

Courtesy as a solution for many Of
the traffic ills that beset large centers
of population is winning ever-increas-
ing support among those who are
qualified to speak on this problem of
vital concern to motorists.
Automobiles must grid themselves
In an armor of courtesy to avoid the
possibility of further legislation to
force them to respect the rights Of
others, in the opinion of officials of
the American Automobile Association,
which is advocating an attitude of
fair play on the highways.
AS an accident preventive, the gold
en- rule is without a parallel, says f.
Austin Baughman, Maryland motor
vehicle commissioner.
Thomas =. Henry, president of the
A. A. A, commenting on the need for
mutual consideration of the comfort
and safety of ones fellow motorists,
declares that all drivers of motor cars
must play fair with one another if the
street and highway safety program is
to be successful 1t makes possible,
he says, the remedy of traffic hazards
by realizing ones moral obligations
instead of resorting to wider police
supervision.
Hate to BE Passed.
The A. A. A. head, who made sew
eral long distance motor trips in 1925
to secure first hand information. hao
plenty of opportunity to note in
stances of the lack of cameraderie on
the highways. One of the most annoy
ing features observed during these
trips was the reluctance of local
drivers to allow through traffic to pass
them.
THE motorist who does not give way
and move over to his own sic of the
road when a driver in the rear sounds
his horn is not merely a violator of
motor vehicle legislation in most
States but a menace 10 others who
must drive with him." says Mr.. Henry.
I'VE observed many instances Of this
fault on our trips. | believe il is the
experience of long distance tourists
everywhere. Too many local drivers
seem to have the impression that the
man who attempts to pass merely
wants to demonstrate the superiority
of his car
There is no law to compel driver
to go into second gear on a hill if he
cannot maintain a reasonable rate OF
speed on the upgrade, but in the in
terests of his own safety and the con.
venience of others who use the roads
he is morally obligated to maintain
a fair rate of speed If a car is
crawling along in high gear, the man
behind is tempted to risk passing
when the approach of other cars
makes this hazardous. 1t is not fair
to other users of the road for any
driver to struggle along in high gear
when he has a second gear at his dis
poSal. Such a motorist is as much
menace as the man who mistakes
the highway for a speedway
Burden on Thinkers.
I'm order to contribute to the gen
eral safety of the highways, the pro
gressive and thinking driver must go
out of his way to compensate for
another's unintentional miscalcula-
ton" Mr.. Henry says 1T frequent
ly happens that a motor will begin to
fail driver just as he is trying to
pass another car. Under ordinary
conditions it might be simple enough
for him to drop back, but should an
other car be following close behind
and second car approaching, the sit
uatfon at once becomes dangerous
That is the time the driver of the car
being overtaken must slow down in
order that the passing driver can get
ahead as he had first planned
Manly experienced drivers tell me
that they find so many motorists who
are unwilling to let them pass that
they have been obliged to form the
habit of not sounding their horns
until they are almost past. The
driver who does not want to give way
then has less opportunity to step on
the gas. This doubtless may work out
we'll enough as a matter of technique
In driving, but from the safety stand
point it must be considered as a real
hazard. There would be serious
trouble if the unwarned driver sud
denly made a left turn.
Only through emphasizing the need
for fair play can progress be made in
highway safety. 1t is impossible to
develop a law enforcement policy so