Evening star., 1927-10-16
EDUCATION AND UNIFORM LAWS
URGED FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL
Pedestrians Successfully Regulated in Los
Angeles After Three Year Campaign.
Problem More Than Police Affair.

Education, coupled with uniformity
in laws and regulations, is the great
need in traffic work and traffic prog
ress, according to the view OF leading
observers as expressed at the recent
annual meeting of the National Safety
Council. held at Chicago.
Education was emphasized as being
of outstanding Importance in bring
ing about smoother and more acci.
dent-free flow OF traf1ic along the
streets and highways of the Nation.
AS an example of this. r. B. Lefferts
of the Automobile Club of Southern
California cited the successful regula-
ton of pedestrians in Los Angeles.
A three years educational campaign
was required. said Mr.. Lefferts. before
the ordinance regulating street cross
ings by pedestrians was finally passed
by the city council, and then it was
adopted over the veto OF the mayor.
AS result of this ordinance Los An
geles, according to DIR. Miller McClin-
took, chairman Of the Traffic Commits
sion, now has the best system of Pc
destrian control i'm the country. There
are at the present time I'm Los An.
geles more than Gas. 900 motor We.
hicles, an average of one car to every
two and fraction persons.
Auto Traffic Expedited.
Perhaps this is one reason" said
Mr.. Lefferts. why the regulation of
pedestrian travel has been so success
ful in Los Angeles, as 1t is not par
ticularly difficult to sell to motorist
The idea that pedestrian regulation is
necessary adjunct to the expeditions
and safe movement of traffic. 1t is Il
fact that the regulation of our pedes-
trians has expedited vehicular move
ment in our congested areas.
The procedure in general is that
When person steps off the curb
when the signal is against him. the
police officer gives several sharp
blasts Of his whistle and beckons the
absent-minded individual back to the
curb. When he turns and goes back
to the sidewalk he is facing a large
gallery of amused people and he
shamefacedly takes his place with the
waiting group. OF course, some per.
sons are headstrong and refuse to
be deferred by the officers warning.
In such cases the officer escorts them
back to the side of the street from
Whence they started. Arrests are not
made exoert when persons become
abusive and refuse to obey orders.
We have found in both of these stu.
ations that the ridicule of their fel.
low citizens is far more effective than
any other means which might be
adopted
"Wo have recognized that in con.
trolling traffic we must take into con-
sideration the study of human psy.
chology, rather than approach it
solely as an engineering problem.
The pedestrian does no. resent being
regulated when he realizes that he is
getting a flfty-fifty break with the
motorist. which Is the case if he is
not required to wait an unreasonable
length Of time on the corner and is
aiven some protection when he hap.
pens to.be in the center of the street
when the signal change takes place.
Education Held Remedy.
Harold $. Buttenheim, editor of
the American City, in discussing the
shortcomings of municipalities in trat.
f1c regulation. said that while some
difficulties can be reached by law, for
the majority education is he only
real remedy
THE most serious Indictment" said
Mr.. Buttenheim, (which can be made
against our cities in relation to their
traffic job is their failure to regard
their job as primarily one of public
education. Here, as elsewhere. the
schools are the greatest potential
force. but adult education through
press and platform, and through local
safety councils and civic organi.
cations. demands much greater atten-
on than it has yet had.
"The traffic problem is not merely
police problem; it is also an en-
gfneering problem, a legal problem
a city-planning problem and an edu
cational problem. One Of the essen
tials of effective traffic control is a
much closer approach to standardiza
tion Of traffic ordinances than has
yet become the general practice. This
involves one of the hardest things
which we human beings have to do
the relinquishing Of some of our own
pet ideas in the interest of harmony
and progress.
There has been available this year
for enactment by the several States