Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-05
A Quick Defense.

The Traffic Bureau rises quickly now
70 its own defense when its pet scheme
of making left-hand turns in Washing
ton is questioned. At first, as one or
ganization after another protested to the
Commissioners against the continuance
of the fundamentally wrong traffic ma
newer, the bureau was trif1e slug
gish in getting out its reply, but as the
growing dissatisfaction became more
apparent the bureau, from sheer force
Of habit, accelerated its defensive tao
ties. And SO, when the American Auto
mobile Association, representing more
than one thousand clubs, at conven-
ton in Buffalo went on record as OPP
posing the striking lack Of uniformity
with the rest of the country in Wash
ington's left turn, the bureau quickly
gathered together its several volumes Of
statistics alleged to relate to left turn
ing in general and has placed them be-
fore the public.
To permit the left turn approved by
the Hoover conference on street and
highway safety and used with only
few exceptions throughout the country
''would be to sign the death warrants
Of many Washington pedestrians and
motorists" says the Traffic Bureau.
Is this statement backed up by any
real facts in possession of the bureau,
and are those who guide the traffic
destinies Of such centers of motoring
population as New York, Chicago and
Los Angeles, for instance, to be branded
as executioners Of motorists and pedes-
trians?.
"washingtons wide streets involve
special requirements" says the bureau.
Is the fact that Washington does
possess wide streets to mitigate against
it in the proper handling of turning
traffic and to permit congestion of
these wide streets with rows of stand
ing vehicles at every intersection Is
the function of traffic bureau to avoid
congestion and to move as quickly as
it can with safety the growing volume
of traffic or is 1t to hamper and delay
and to endanger life by foisting upon
q community the size of Washington
. driving practice that is the antithesis
Of proper car operation?
IF the practically universal left turn
is permitted in the Capital Of the Ma
tion," says the bureau, "it will neces-
sarily mean the adoption of a regula-
ton permitting passing on both the
right and left In overtaking vehicles"
Aside from the fact that most pro-
pressive communities do permit two
way passing, why is it any more nee
essary now for Washington to adopt
such regulation than it was In its use
Of the Hoover turn few years ago?
Washington, up until the last few years,
used the inside turn. but never found
1t necessary in connection with 1t to
permit overtaking vehicles to pass both
on the right and the left.
And, finally, the Trafic Bureau cites
accident statistics of all kinds from
other cities, which probably include
horse-drawn vehicles and street cars as
well as automobiles, to show that the
method almost universally used of max
ing left turn is menace. What pos
sible connection can an accident have,
for instance, of boy falling OF the end
of an ice wagon on a rural road, with
the method Of making left turn? It
is obvious that there is no possible way
to discover from general statistics the
number of fatalities exclusively from a
left turn.
Can it be that here in Washington
there Is TRAFFIC Bureau superior to
all other bureaus In the country? The
National Capital is, indeed, lucky II
this Is the case, and marvels at its for
tune If the men composing the traffic
ONCE know more than all the rest of
the experts of the country put together.
Washington unquest:onably possesses
o good Traffic Bureau, but even the
most optimistic Washingtoniap would
not paint it in such glowing terms as
it paints itself in connection with its
pet schemes. Its attitude about the
left turn savors of complacency that
is inimical to the city's interest and
detracts seriously from the volume of
praise that would in the ordinary
course Of events be given it for labors
well performed. The Utopia In traffic
control will only be reached when there
is uniformity from coast to coast and
from Canada to Mexico in driving
practices, and Washington. the National
Capital, can derive little credit from the
attitude Of its Trafic Bureau In de-
tending an almost indefensible traffic
maneuver.
Golf enthusiasts still insist that the