Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-25
Check at Four Points Show
Widespread Violation of
Safety Regulation.
OFFICIALS PUT BLAME
ON DRIVERS THEMSELVES
Hesse Says Police Force Is Too
Small to Detail More Men to
Traffic Regulation.


mobile drivers in Washington fail to
observe boulevard stop signs, a survey
of four stop street crossings yesterday
morning revealed. During a four-hour
period 523 drivers eased by the stop
signs, while only 146 came to the full
stop required by law.
Police and traffic officials expressed
considerable surprise when the condi-
ton was described to them. Inspector
E. w. Brown, chief of the Police Depart
ment traffic squad. said he would
recommend a SIS fine for motorists
convicted of violating this law. Mai
Edwin B. Hesse. superintendent Of
police, proposes to take the matter UP
with the several precincts. looking to-
ward drive on stop sign violators.
Responsibility for the inefectiveness
Of this law apparently rests with the
motoristS-at least 1t cannot be shoul-
dered of onto the Traflc Department,
the Police Department or the Trafic
Court.
HarIand DepIoreS Condition.
Traffic Director Harland deplores the
widespread houting of the boulevard
stop law, but points out that response
bility for its enforcement rests with the
police and not with him.
Inspector Brown cannot see wherein
his department is in any way to blame.
He believes that the present fine IS too
small and that a SIS penalty, II as
sesSed against each offender, would
prove an effective deterrent.
Judge Gus A. Schuldt, who preSideS
over Traffic Court, says, however. that
| only about three such cases day are
brought to his court and that he caH~
not fine violators unless they have first
been arrested.
Although refusing to criticize until
he has an opportunity to investigate
! conditions. Mai. HeSSe declared that the
present size Of the Police Department
win not permit detailing any additional
men to trafac regulation.
.The Police Department has more
| than trafic law violators to contend
with" he said, ''and IL we concentrate
men on q traffic drive We will at once
be criticized for not catching the
burglars and bootleggers."
Meanwhile the stop streets continue
as such in name only and scores Of
motorists jeopardiZe their lives each day
in attempts 70 beat" the fast-moYing
boulevard trafic.
Many drivers appear TO have their
own individual Interpretation Of the
word stop" To the great majority. it
means almost what 1t says, but there
are few whose vocabularieS apparently
do not contain the word or any modih-
cation Of 1t.
Four out Of five of those who fail to
stop come reasonably close. They ap-
proach the intersection at a moderate
speed, apply their brakes gently. drop
down into second gear and then creep"
forward until an opportunity comes 70
dart across the boulevard.
These violatorS. though the most
numerous. are not so great a menace 10
public safety as a second class, which
observes half of the law. Motorists in
this latter class come 10 the required
full stop, but then, with a yirtuous. but
casual glance TO either side. drive on
across the intersection without waiting
for the opening in the boulevard trafsc
stipulated by the law.
Street Cars Are Offenders
Street cars are the worst offenders in
this respect, but their position under the
law is peculiar one. According to Traf-
fic Director Harland they must come
10 the full stop. but having once stop
ped they again have the right Of way
and may continue ON across the boule-
yard regardless of traffic conditions.
The street cars, however are heartily
welcomed by motorists trying TO crcSS
the boulevards IN rush hours. Knowing
the reluctance with which most motor
lists contest for right Of way privileges
with street car. six or eight private
machines will line up BEND the public
carrier In mass formation and trail u
across the boulevard like nice" small
boys following q policeman friend
through the tough" district on the
other side OF the railroad tracks.
Only 40 drivers were observed who
ignored the signs entirely. Half a
dozen of these were non-reSidentS
whose attention was concentrated on
trafflc and thus apparently failed to see
the signs
Transfers Among the Worst.
The remaining ones bore District Of
Columbia tags on their machines. In
several instances serious collisions were
avoided only at the cost OF considerable
wear and tear on the brakes and tires
of motorists driving ON the boulevard
who approached the intersection at
maximum speed. relying ON the stop
signs TO give them a clear passage,
Transfers are among the worst Of
tenders Fourteen were seen 10 drive
across boulevardS. not only ignoring
the stop signs completely, they failed
even 20 glance 10 the right or left to
observe uafflc conditions.
In the opinion Of Inspector Brown.
violation Of the stop signs is one Of the
most serious breaches OF the trafnc
code.
Motorists driving on boulevard
streets expect side street trafse 20 give
them the right OF way" he said. When
this Is mot done serious accidents are 10
be expected. From now on when We
catch motortSt running by stop
sign We are going TO take him 20 court
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