The Washington times., 1929-01-26

in North Carolina. The digest oI
traffic laws will be studied eacn
week in the schools of that state,
Every city's traffic organization
should include a public relations
department, whose functions 1t would
be to use constantly the movies,
radio newspapers, pamphlets. fhers,
speeches and every medium obtain
able to educate the public on essen
tial traffic points, to prepare the
ground for traffic innovations and
to develop and retain the co-opera-
ton Of the public. 1t was by such
means that pedestrian control was
established and is still effective in
Los Angeles.
Abraham Lincoln is quoted as
having said: 1T is the duty of
every man to protect himself and
those associNted with him from
accidents. which may result In in
jury or death"
Studies of traffic accidents should
be the basis for safety recommends.
tions. From the statistics of the
localities OF accidents can be made
danger maps of the city, and 1t Is
at the points indicated on the map
that the greatest amount of attens
tion should be. given.
Accident or danger maps In cities
usually show that serious accidents
are rare i'm the central business dis.
tricts. bnt are frequent on thorough
fares radiatinng from the business
district and passing through the
congested residential localities.
Record Of Accidents
A record Of accidents in large
cities shows that before p. m.
the number Of accidents is relative.
" low in proportion to the volume
Of traffic. After 4 D. M. particu.
larly between and p. M, there
are more accidents than ait any
other time during the. day.
The movement OF trucks and
freight on the streets has received
scant attention to date, but there Is
a definite tendency to restrict trucks
to certain streets and the handling
Of freight until after nightfall.
A suggested plan Of action for
the relief OF certain main arteries
ts the preparation Of series Of
maps of the city showing improved
trunk high1Rays suitabIe for their
needs Such a map, placed Ia the
hands of traffic directors at manu-.
featuring and trucking companies,
may have tendency to centralize
truck traffic on certain definite
routes and thus segregate it from,
the passenger vehicle movement.
When traffic is ditectionaI dur-
ing the peak hours. a prohibition
Of all parking on the low side of
the street may afford relief
"A street having sufficient width
to handle two lanes OF traffic In
each direction Is oftsn converted
into a one-lane street because the
first car in the line stopped for
cross traffic viii straddle the two
lanes and the other cars will lire
UP iii disorder back of it. 10 offset
this. it is recommended that pave
ments be marked Ia lanes for at
least SO feet back OF the irtersec.
tion. which win tend 70 lire up at
least the first eight cars four in
each lire.
1t may be possible that on two.
way streets an additional lane may
be made available by moving the
divisional line. as Ii done on the
Delaware River Bridge. The city
of Cleveland has tried such a plan
with success.
Traffic lanes marked on she pave
ment, and drivers required to stay
III ore Of these lines. win have the
effect Of speeding traffic
Left Turn Elimination
The elimination of eft turns may
III some instances be needed. The
elimination of all turns in some
areas where thousands of pedes.
TRANS are using crosswallxs may
sometimes be indispensable as
safety measure.
This has the effect Of shifting
Part Of the load at heavily traf.
ficked intersections to adjacent cor.
ners where the cross Dad interfer-
erce Is not so great, 1t is a device
to distribute the load.
General abolition OF left turns
over any considerable area Is not
advocated. There are times when
the abolition Of left turns works
to an excellent advantage, but Il !
the left turn is prohibited over 4