Evening star., 1927-10-16

a uniform vehicle code, drafted with
great care under the leadership of
Secretary Hoover by committees of
the National Conference on Street
and Highway Safety. A few States
have adopted the code. or important
features Of 1t. and several other
States have laws previously adopted
which are so good as hardly to re-
quire wholesale revision; but the
great majority of the 4S States are
still without an adequate motor ve-
hicle code.
'It may he said that this is not a
municipal problem, and that it there
fore has no place in the present dis
cussion. My belief is that the lack
of adequate and uniform State laws
for motor vehicle regulation and for
the licensing of operators and the
regulation of vehicles on the high
ways is Of such outstanding impor-
tance that every city in States where
such lack exists has but two proper
alternatives--to use every effort TO
secure the enactment of such laws
or to meet their lack as far as pos
sible by writing into local ordinances
features which in the more progree
sive States are to be found in State
codes.
THE courts, I believe, would sus-
tain such ordinances as a proper
exercise Of a city's right to protect
the lives OF Its citizens. The com
plications involved in local enforce.
ment would he so many that co-opera-
ton with other municipalities in
vigorous campaign for adoption by
the State of the standard vehicle code
would be much the wiser course
DenOunces Frequent Leniency.
Mr.. Buttenheim also called atten.
tiOn to the leniency shown in many To-
calities to persons arrested for reck-
less driving. The average American,
it was stated. would rather lose his
right to vote than his right to operate
an automobile.
The necessity of greater uniformity
| in motor traffic laws and the difficulty
of such attainment were discussed by
X. w. Mackall. engineer of SYRIA
cuse corporation.
'"The creation of such laws" he
said, lis a laudable ambition, which,
| however. is utterly impossible of ac
complishment except at a sacrifice of
| individual city efficiency and safety.
merely because what Is excellent for
one city may bring chaos in another,
and what may be accomplished on
wide streets cannot be done on mar.
row street."
Among the existing difficulties he
cited the disa agreement about how and
when right and left. turns should he
made. 1t is quite easy. he stated, to
say that the right turn should he
made only when the green light is
showing. and yet in some cities like
New York. with a very large number
of short blocks. traffic would soon be-
come completely blocked were this
rule enforced at 81 intersections.
Turns Present Difficulties.
| "Under ordinary conditions" added
| Mr.. Mackall, with reasonable length
blocks, it Is far safer to permit the
right turn only when the green light
is showing-safer for pedestrian traf-
I fic and safer for vehicular traffic NOV
/ ing at right angles to the turning We
| hicle. The best law that could be
made for the right-hand turn would be
to permit it only when the green light
| is showing and only when the turning
| vehicle is in the lane of traffic nearest
| the right-hand curb"
| The right turn. according to Mr..
Mackall. is relatively simple. The left
| turn presents the more difficult prob.
lem. and ne stated that he had found
N different methods of making the
left turn.
THE only uniform law which may
be applied to the left turn" he ex.
| planned, lis to- permit 1t only with the
green light and from the lane of traf-
fic nearest the center of the roadway.
At that. such a law Is reasonably safe,
since the driver of a vehicle approach
ing an intersection where a green
light is displayed has only one thing
I n rd to hA
sible left turn made across his path
from the opposing parallel lane Of
traffic. And yet. in a scity like New
York. with its 0ne-way streets, 1t is
not the best nor the safest. New York
makes its left turns when the north
an south traffic Is stopped. and thus
all left turns into and out of the one
way streets are made without cutting
any lane of traffic"