Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-09


pedestrians. Even though
\ they get the unofficial, If
not always the official, blame IN most
traffic nishaps, they know more
about the safety han the scornful,
embittered walkers
This is the fiat reply of leaders of
automotive thought to the unthink-
ing host that Immediately rallies to
the other side when a motorist is
involved in an accident from the
most trivial to the most serious. IT
may seem, at first. to be based upon
pure prejudice. 1t is not. There IS
mass of evidence to substantlate 1t.
Here is A question for the skeptic.
Where, in any community, does the
best developed recipe for safety he!
An honest answer to this question
will result in considerable leaven-
ing OF ones skepticism.
It generally is agreed that there
is no other formula for safe walk
ing and driving than that set forth
in the traffic code OF any city, town
or hamlet Who knows best what
is in this code? The answer. m
evitab1v. is the motorist.' Then,
who knows more about safety!
Again the answer is "the motorist."
A simple deduction that may serve
to break down few prejudices.
Therein lies the answer to all who
would question that motorists make
the best pedestrians. Those who ad-
vance this theory make no effort to
deal in paradoxes.
Their point simply is this-that
the motorist-every motorist--has
experience as both driver and pc
destrian while the pedestrian has the
more limited experience of the man
who walks only. The motor car
owner is called upon to know two
safety techniques rather than merely
one. BY mastering that required tor
safe driving, he is doubly master OF
that necessary to walk without dan
ger TO life and limb.
Traffic accident surveys certainly
lend support to this theory. They
show that in a majority of automo-
bile pedestrian mishaps the pedes.
trian certainly is not a car owner
walking from his parked car to the
Office, store or bank. He apparently
is a walker who is without exper-
fence as driver.
The advantage that the motorist
enjoys when he leaves his machine
and begins his trek through the
tangled mass of automobile traffc is
easily illustrated. For example, he
knows his rights as walker IN no
uncertain manner and he knows
them as a result of being a driver.
The pedestrian is not compelled to
read or study the traffic regulations.
He has one or two rules to follow,
he believes, and even if he fails to
follow them there is no legal penalty
in a majority of communities.
Traffic safety. for him, too often is
a matter of "muddling through"
Not so the motorist as a pedes
trian. He knows not only his own
rights but the rights of thesnan be-
hind the wheel While he takes
what is justly his. he yields> when.
the other man has the right-of-way.
Result: A clear understanding on
both sides-and there are few trafflc
accidents when both parties clearly
understand a given. situation.
%x*
Take the case of the motorist-pedes-
trian at a policed street intersection.
The motorist is accustomed to obey
ing the signals of the officer. When
the traffic is moving east and west,
he knows that line of traffic has the
right of-way. He does not have the
temerity of the average walker. He
does not force his way out into the
middle of the moving traffic stream
merely because h0 knows there is
no penalty other than possible
contact with somebody's bumper.
He waits because he is accustomed
to waiting when the signals are
against him.
The same is true, Of course, in the
case of the automatic traffic light
systems. Red, green and yellow
lights often mean little to the walker
who never drives. They mean def
nite1y "go" and stop" to the motor
ist when he is afoot as we'll as when
he is awheel.
Thousands of accidents happen at
such intersections. 1t is rare that
the victim is of the motorist-pedes-
This is just one case in point.
There are hundreds of others. For
instance, hand signals are regarded
as primary factor in safe driving.
A motorist knows these signals
whether he is in or out of a car.
When he sees an arm extended from
a passing machine he does not be-
come Historically confused trying to
figure out its meaning.
If it is a stop signal, he knows the
driver is going TO stop and governs
his walking accordingly. If it is for
a turn, right or left. he understands
and does not walk directly into the
path of the car.
The motorists failure to show con-
fusion, resulting in getting his rights,
is nowhere better illustrated than
in the case OF the safety zone. The
actions of the average walker within
the lines where he is theoretically
safe have been the cause of many
motorists running through these
zones even when their intentions
were TO respect them absolutely.
The uncertain gestures OF the pc
destrian toward leaving the area
first one way, then another. con-
fuse a driver. and frequently it is a
ease OF stopping or having to run