Evening star., 1928-11-21
Protesting the Left Turn.

fr0JcSClnE LElc LcAC AuAA'
AS the Christmas season approaches
and downtown traffic increases. it be-
comes more and more apparent that
the <left-hand turn arrangement at
intersections where traffic officers are
stationed will never meet the needs Of
contested conditions. Washingtonians
first became acquainted with the out
side left turn when the automatic traffic
lights were installed and they gave to
the authorities a high degree of CO.
operation with the realization that per-
haps special treatment should be
accorded the new system in the matter
Of turning. So enamored were the
traffic officials with the outside method
that its use was extended to cover not
only the automatically lighted streets,
but those on which traffic officers were
posted as WELL It was at this time that
complaints began to be voiced by motor
lists and the protests steadily increased
In volume until civic organizations be-
gan to take notice of conditions created
by left-hand turn which was a viola
ton of one of the fundamental rules
of the road.
The advisory board of the American
Automobile Association is the latest to
take up the cudgels in behalf OF the
harassed motor car driver and has
adopted a resolution calling on the
Commissioners to give consideration to
a change back to the old method which
was in conformity with the provisions
of the model municipal traffic ordinance
of the National Conference for Street
and Highway Safety and with the prac-
tice of almost every large American
city.
The inside left turn, the turning from
the center of the street rather than
the right-hand curb which is now in
effect, is fundamental rule of the road
and Is based on the sound theory that
it is safer to breast only one line of
traffic in making a turn than two lines,
one of which is in the rear and conse-
quently out of the vision of the motorist
making the maneuver. The use Of the
center-of- -the-street left-hand turn is
practically universal, and If 1t had no
other merits its Nationwide acceptance
even from the early days Of motoring
should be deciding factor in its favor.
While there are no apparent weak
nesses, therefore, to the inside turn
system, the outside curb method lends
itself to criticism on various grounds.
These include the fact that If more
than two or three drivers desire to turn
at a given intersection the accummula-
ton of machines blocks entirely those
who want to make the innocuous right
hand turn, that 1t causes dangerous
zigzagging from one traffic line to an
other before an intersection Is reached
because an inside turn will be necessary
II there is no officer on duty at that
particular moment and an outside turn
required If an officer Is controlling
traffic, that many motorists are unable
to differentiate between the two kinds
of turns made in Washington and that
they, out of force Of habit, will make
the outside turn even at uncontrolled
crossings, and finally that the line OF
cars waiting to make the outside turn
tends constantly to close up street
space, resulting in delays to traffic and
menacing Of safety.
Prompt action should most assuredly
be taken by the Commissioners to in
vestigate conditions that are rapidly
getting out of bounds due to the further
use of system that should be applied,
if at all, only to the automatic lighted
intersections. There can be no excuse
for it otherwise and there are many Of
the opinion that the inside turn should
again be made standard under all cir
cumstances throughout the entire city.