Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-15
Stop Means Stop.

by a traffic count made at various
boulevard and arterial highway stor
intersections in Washington. An in
vestigator for The Star, after several
days of patient effort, observed that
only half of the motorists of the city
paid attention and obeyed the i'm
portant signs which designate a fast
traffic right of way street. Some of
| these motorists merely slowed down
when they should have stopped, some
stopped only to start up again i'm
mediately in front of oncoming traffic,
and others ignored entirely the con.
| spicuous signals placed at every in
| tersection of a boulevard or arterial
| highway
| This condition reflects little credit
| on Washington drivers. The stop
system is widely used throughout the
country. 1t conforms with the mod.
ern principle of traffic control, which
gives right of way to heavily Travelled
streets over small and less important
intersecting streets.
1t is evident that there are many
in Washington who do not appreciate
this fact, and do not understand the
workings and benefits of stop
streets. First of all, every motorist
on a boulevard or arterial highway
has absolute right of way at all times
over intersecting traffic. This appears
to be simple enough, but it seems to
elude the reasoning power of a great
majority of motorists.
The stop sign Is placed to warn
motorists of two things. It tells them
that they are approaching street
which is heavily travelled highway
and that. they must regard them
| selves as interlopers if they interfere
with the smooth running traffic on
the highway. If it was feasible to
place detailed instructions on every
stop sign they would probably be
something like this: stop here. You
are at the intersection of boulevard
| street. You must wait here until you
can cross without the slightest in.
reference with boulevard traffic. You
have no rights at all for the moment
because every driver on the boulevard
expects you to give way for him. In
case of an accident you are solely and
completely responsible, granting, oil
course, that the car with which you
collide 10 travelling at a legal rate Of
speed. There is no use to grumblt
about your moments impotency, be
cause you travel just as much on the
boulevards as any one else and are
probably one of those who kick most
heartily when your right Of way is
rudely taken from you"
| 1t does not seem necessary, how
| ever, that the entire matter should
be explained to every motorist at
every boulevard sign. If man or
woman is capable Of driving a car il
would seem logical to believe that
| they are equally capable of under
standing simple and beneficial reg
ulation.
If the motorists themselves refuse
to reform, so that the boulevard sys
tenn can be made as effective in
Washington as it has proved itself
to be in other cities, it is distinctly
up to the Police Department tc
inaugurate vigorous campaign tt
bring about a compulsory reform
And when these violators of an i'm
portant regulation are brought into
court it is earnestly to be hoped tina
they will be treated as major offend
ers against orderly traffic control and
made to pay fines of such proportions
that the stop signs will assume 6
new and enlightering significance il
their eyes.