Evening star., 1927-09-11
DEFENSE HIGHWAY
FOUND DANGEROUS
Conditions Described by John
N. MackaII Are Subjected
to Test.

A survey along the National Defense
highway. a 33-mile stretch of twisting
concrete from the National Capital to
the State House at Annapolis. Md,
just | 5 feet wide on the stra .ghtaway
srd IS feet on the curves. does not
bear out the charges of John y.
Mackall. chairman of the Maryland
State Roads Commission that the
cause for the scores of accidents on
this road is reckless driving. probably
brought about through Indulgence In
Intoxicating liquor.
Mr.. Mackall, who says that he is not
"a slow driver" added that when an
automobile passes me do not need TO
look at the tag TO find out II 1t is a
Washington car.
The survey conducted by reporter
for The Star disclosed the fact that
IL is a mathematical impossibility for
the 7h foot busses regularly oper-
ated over the road to pass without
leaving the concrete and that scores
of minor accidents in addition TO the
serious ones comes to the attention
Of the garage and tourist camp pro-
prietors who line the road.
Road Is Narrow.
In fact. several of the garage oper-
tors who estimated that at least oO
motorists, representing all sections OF
the country, stop at their places
daily. declared that practlcaily every
one commented on the narrowness OF
the road and the risk Incurred IN
driving over 1t. particularly at night.
During two trips over the road one
IN broad daylight, on September D.
and the other the night OF Labor day.
a reporter for The Star chanced upon
two accidents, one of which he VIII
messed and one of which he came
upon at night a.feW minutes atter IL
had occurred. In neither case was
the driver either reckless or intoXi-
Gated and in both cases drivers laid
their trouble to a road so narrow that
A. permitted no margin of safety.
The daylight accident occurred on
a hill when a Kentucky car, trying
to avoid a truck, swerved lnto
soft CLAW ditch by the side OF the
road and went in dirt UP to it's axle,
nearly overturning. It's operator ac-
counted himself fortunate that ne
had escaped injury and stated tnat
he considered the Defense highway
the most dangerous he had traverseo'
although he had toured many states.
The night accident occurred when
the driver of a roadster. bound for
Annapolis, attempted to avoid an un-
lighted wagon which he encountered
on q turn. 1t was well toward the
center of the road. but when he at
tempted to swerve to the side OF the
road he found himself far from the
concrete and ended his trip against
a tree. badly damaging his machine.
Traffic is Heavy.
Mr.. Mackall stated that the Annapo-
fis.Baltimore boulevard carries three
times as much traffic as does the Ma
tional Defense highway. He admitted.
however, that the Annapolis. Baltimore
boulevard was widened this year from
Is feet to II feet.
"I think the National Defense high
way ought to be WIDER" he said, but
] do not consider it unsafe. If man
drives at a decent rate of speed he
will never get into difficulty"
Mr.. Mackall regards 40 miles an
hour on the 15-foot highway, which is
sometimes so lined with cars that
they resemble a parade. as a decent
rate of speed"
Practical examination of the high
way conditions, however. going at a
speed which at no time exceeded 35
miles an hour and averaged less than
% miles an hour, resulted in the car,
driven by an experienced and careful
driver. twice being forced off the road
bed.
There Is not room for three cars to
pass abreast and seldom is there room
for two cars to pass a car which has
one wheel on the concrete. There are
places on the road, notably between
Priests Bridge and Annapolis, where
It is impossible for a disabled car to
be pulled to the side Of the concrete.
since the roadside is a marsh.
Telltale rut marks by the road were
noticeable during the daylight drive
and at night bright headlights sweep
ing around the curves explained one
of the reasons why deeper ruts were
found in the soft soi1 by the curves.
There Is scant room on the highway
to weave carefully In and out of traf-
fic and a slow careor horse and wagon
are followed by a lengthy line OF
creeping cars and irate drivers.
Danger of Bridges.
Several of the bridges along the
highway constitute perilous points,
the survey indicated. The Vista
Bridge, for example. spanning the
w. B. and A. tracks, is so narrow that
two cars, each hugging the rail, can
barely pass. 1t is made the more
dangerous because it's sloping ap-
proaches of "the pitch on and pitch
off type" make it impossible to see an
oncoming car until the actual floor
level of the bridge Is reached.
bridge of similar design, not quite so
narrow, occurs near Lanham.
Residents of Maryland as well as OF
the District of Columbia. both through
written communications and verbally.
have emphasized the importance of
either widening the National Defense
highway or constructing temporary
shoulders so as to permit of a margin
of safety as a practical protection
against the ordinary hazards of traffic.