Evening star., 1927-02-17
ELDR|DCE TO SEEK
PASSING ON RIGHT
Will Lay Plan Before Traffic
Counci|-Backed by MoIler
in Proposal.
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.
Automobile Editor. The Star.

Permission for motor VenlcleS u
pass either to the right or le1t OF a
car overtaken in traffic probably VIII
be recommended to the District Com
missioners by Director OF Trafhc M: o.
Fldridge within a short time. Mr..
Eldridge is in favor of removing the
present restriction which permits pass
ing only to the left. but before he
makes such a recommendation to the
CITY heads. he will submit the pro
posal TO the traffic council for Its ap-
proval.
This system of passing on either
side, generally practiced in every large
CITY In the country, has been urged by
MANY keen students of traffic as the
solution of one of the greatest evils
that is seen to confront the motoring
public of Washington.
That it will bring an end to the
waste of street space and result In
greater celerity and safety in the
movement of vehicular traffic Is the
emphatic contention of those who are
urging its immediate approval.
Moller FavOrs Change.
Among those enthusiastically in
favor of the removal Of the present
restriction is Col. l. G. Moller. assist
ant director of traffic. who proposed
the change after studying traffic con
ditions in other cities and interviewing
traffic officials in the metropolitan cen
ters of the East and Middle West. In
~he opinion of Col. Moller, the pro
posal embodies the one certain remedy
for road -hogging, which, he de-
clares, is practiced on IAN amazing
scale in the National Capital"
Col. Moller, however, would go fur
ther than has been the case in other
cities. He declares the full value OF
the contemplated change in the regu-
lations can be realized only by def
nitely providing that the driver in the
right lane shall have the right Of way
over the man who keeps to the center
of the road. This provision, he SAYS.
would have the effect of keeping the
center of the highway clear, as he
maintains 1t should be. because the
right lane would be the one of most
rapid travel.
''In other cities, officials with whom
I have conferred declare that they
have allowed practice to bring about
the change in the regulations. Some
of them have not taken the trouble to
change their codes which still specify
that passing must be to the left. They
have found it impossible to move traf'
and have countenanced complete ig-
noring of this particular regulation.
Traffic itself has taken to passing on
either side and experience has taught
every driver that when he gets into
a certain lane of travel, it is the part
of wisdom to stay there.
Against Passing at intersections.
tn
fruits Of this system, l think the sys
tenn itself could be improved upon to
a great extent by definitely giving the
man on the right lane the right of way.
1t certainly would put the road-hog
where he belongs, in the position of
having the least legal consideration
for anything that might happen be
cause of his selfishness.
I'm no other way can he so empha ii
cally and effectively be taught how te
drive correctly.
While / am 100 per cent in favor oi
permitting right side passing. be
lieve the Districts regulation against
passing another vehicle at street
intersection should remain as It Is
Changing this regulation would less
en- the value of removing the old re-
striction against right-side passing
and might create a new traffic haz-
ard"
Mr.. Eldridge, too, believes the pro.
posed change would bring relief from
many of the dangers and delays that
beset local traffic as result of Wash.
ington's proneness to drive in the cen
ter of the street. He concurs fully
in the contention that many travel.
able lanes are totally unusable. on
the arterial highways particularly
because of this practice, and is of the
opinion that congestion would be re-
markably relieved If motorists were
permitted to pass an overtaken We
hicle on either side.
Will Present Plan.
1t is the plan of the traffic direc.
tor to lay the proposal before the
traffic council at its next meeting. and
to recommend the change TO the Dis
trict Commissioners after getting the
consent of the council
Since the revelation of the aggre.
gate effects of the present regulation
In the columns Of The Star recently
and the suggestion of right side pass.
Ing system as a remedy, scores of let
ters on the subject have been re.
ceived by The Star and the Traffic
Bureau. Commentators who have
had experience in driving under the
system now proposed for Washing.
ton. and they are the authors of the
majority of the letters received
favor of the change.
The chief virtue of eliminating the
left-side passing provision seen by this
group Is the safety that would result.
Their position contras asts sharply with
those who declare that passing on
either side would be a dangerous and
confusing departure from the driving
practice to which Washington Is ac.
customed.
In answer to this, proponents OF
the change declare that it requires
but a few minutes of driving In New
York, Chicago, Philadelphia or other
large cities to acQuaint even the most
unobserving with the fact that the
change from one lane to another is
made at ones own risk. As a, result
they say. traffic "wobble" Is totally
eliminated. This is a characteristic of
Washington driving that traffic au
thorities regard as one Of the most
dangerous, and they believe any rem.
edy for it Immediately would have the
effect of greatly reducing collisions.
Leaders Support Move.
Among those who are supporting
the stand of Mr.. Eldridge and Col
Moller are several leaders of automo.
tive and automobile insurance thought
in the National Capital.
The vice president Of a large in.
aMo,,r4N.-~a