Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
In the Motor World
by q. ADAMS HOWARD.

street from the CurD line ID ABOUT
right for a 40-foot street for which
the drawing is made. Different
distances would probably be q lit
tie better for other widths of
streets. It ought to be said that
this Is practically the turn that
Is made at all uncontrolled street
intersections in washington, the
country highways and all other
cities without controlled intersec-
tions or at controlled intersections
when the control Is off for any
reason.
Absurdity Found.
There is one absurdity in the
present Washington controlled
Ieft-hand turn that I have not
seen emphasized and I think 1t
should be. It seems to me to be
enough to condemn the turn with
out any other reason being given.
when the policeman spots a
traffic violator he motions him TO
the curb, sets his 60 and stop sign
at neutral. Traffic, running free,
shifts as instantly as possible from
the present outside left turn to
almost the turn I have described.
When the policeman returns two
to Ave minutes later to his post
the traffic takes up the Washing
ton ox-cart left turn. And no.
body killed during the policeman's
absence"
In a sketch prepared by Gen.
Fries he shows an intersection,
each street 40 feet in width. In
addition to the center button there
are four others, each in the center
of each street, but five feet back of
the curb line. In a 4O-fOot street,
the writer states that left turn
can be made on a curve Of about
35 feet radius and the vehicle will
have at least 10 feet clear space
between the policeman's safety
zone, 8 feet in diameter and the
35-foot curve. There will be then
at least IA feet left from the cor
ner to make right turns. The
policeman'S safety zone can be
made smaller or omitted where
desired. The distance from any
corner to the center where the
policeman stands Is % feet plus.
Details of Sketch.
The sketch Is for light or police
controlled or uncontrolled inter-
sections. Through traff1c moves on
the green light only, but from
either line of traffic on right
center Of the street. The right
turn can be made from the right
curb traff1c lane only, but on both
red and green lights. The left
turn Is made from the traffic lane
next to the center line only and
only on the green light. The left
turn Is made on the near side of
the policeman or street center.
Cars making the left turns keep
close to, but on the right of, the
buttons on the streets on which
they make the turn.
Gen Fries drawing Is not repro
duced as the method is not COM
plicated and is easy to visualize.
An interesting table of statistics
has been compiled from the rec
ords Of the traffic department OF
automobile registrations, popula-
tons and trafflc accidents since
1923.
Six Years Statistics.
In 1929 there were 74,811 cars
registered. 91,835 in 1924, 1862
in 1925, 131, 1852 in 1926, 129, PAS in
1927 and 152,008 last year. The
population of Washington Is eSti-
mated to have been 465,OOO in
1928, 100000 in 1924, 472,O52 in
1925, 475,000 in 1925, $4,000 in
1927 and $4,000 last year. There
was one automobile to every 6.22
people in 1928, 5.13 in 1924, 4.04 in
1925, SO in 1925, AZ in 1927 and
SO IN 1928.
There were OIL traffic fatalities
in 1928, 81 in 1924, "a in 1925, rs
in 1925, "a in 1927 and SO in 1928.
The total number of accidents for
the calendar year 1928 was 8,491,
9,131 in 1924, 1881 in 1925, 6,485
in 1926, 4,947 in 1927 and 5,632 in
1928. Personal injuries for the ifs
cal year 1923 were 2,255, 1921 in
1924, 1920 in 1925, 1921 in 1925,
3,263 in 1927, 2,481 in 1928 and
1888 in 1929.
The percentage of fatalities
based on each 100000 population
was 1875 in 1928, 1914 In 1924,
17.8 in 1925, 1877 in 1925, 15.5 in
1927 and IS in 1928.
Fatalities per 100000 automo-
biles were 1915 in 1928, 99.1 in
1924, u in 1928, 57.6 in 1925,
$40 in 1927 and $40 in 1928. Not
60 had hut MT 50 0n0d