Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-19

HeOl0ScES aTttCle REPRESENTS Llc view"
point of the National Safety Council.
we are, of course, strongly in favor Of
| uniform regulations, because OF their
obvious advantage In increasing both
the safety and the ease of trafnc move
ment"
It was the expressed belief Of Charles
M. Hayes, president, Chicago Motor
Club, that there should be uniformity
because "an overwhelming majority OF
another" He likewise stated that left
turns are made in Chicago from "the
left trafic lane where left turns are
permitted" and w. j. Towne. chief
engineer of the Chicago Northwestern
Railway Co., replied that Chicago had
in use the turn from the left traffic lane
prior to the development OF the Hoover
code on its downtown boulevard thor
oughfares." Likewise, Towne considers
ers of motor cars ought to understand
the rules, and unless there is some uni
formity, there can be no hope of such
general understanding. Traffic rules in
Washington ought to mean the same as
they do in Chicago, generally speaking"
Travelling south to Louisiana, H. b.
Flowers, president. New Orleans Public
Service. Inc, considers uniformity IN
traffic rules for the beneflt of safety
important. Undoubtedly, numerous ac-
cidents and attendant delays result from
lack of familiarity with local rules. In
New Orleans We make the turn to the
left from the left lane of traf1c. I
think this is proper"
Turning back toward Washington
LuciuS S. StorrS, executive chairman,
the United Railways & Electric Co. OF
Baltimore, agreed with George @.
Henry, chief inspector. Police Depart
ment, and F. Highlands Burns, presi-
dent, Maryland Casualty Co.. in their
statements that Baltimore uses the
Hoover left turn. On uniformity, Mr..
Storrs said he considered 1t Of great
importance in order that traftlc move
ments may be made as safe and swift
as possible. A variety of State trafic
rules is productive Of uncertainty, delay
and accident" Inspector Henry be-
lieves uniformity important, as 1t would
make it easier for motorists to famtlar1ze
themselves with the law" MT. Burns
expressed his conviction that: In these
days Of extensive touring, every one
should be familiar with the rules of
every State, and this desirable result
can only be obtained by uniformity OF
traffic rules in all States"
Detroit Uses Hoover Turn.
From Detroit, Mich, the replies re-
ceived were all to the effect that the
Hoover left turn method Is used there.
John w. Reid commissioner, Depart
ment of Public Works, said uniformity
"is in the interest of the free, safe
movement of traffic, since it minimizeS
confusion" While feeling that there
are some matters which can not be uni
form because of local conditions, Howard
d. Brown. attorney, Detroit Automobile
Club, replied: Il believe every tramc
rule should be as uniform as possible
and that there should be uniformity IN
all matters affecting the fundamental
principles in driving automobiles.
Certain statistical portions Of the re-
ply of Mr. Macauley already have been
quoted. On uniformity, after pointing
out its safety value, he continued: The
stranger, not familiar with traffic rules,
as he is in a city other than his own,
is responsible for no inconsiderable
amount of traffic congestion. He drives
uncertainty and haltingly. fearing to
violate the strange traffic regulations"
OF the left-hand trun, Mr.. Macauley
remarked, II am quite familiar with the
other method as used in Cleveland and
in some other cities, and think the
Hoover code method is much superior
Each method has some advantages. but
as a student of traffic matters over a
number of years I would say that the
Hoover code method is greatly superior"
st. Louis, Mo-. according to the reply
Of Harland Bartholomew, Harland Bar
tholomew & Associates, city plan and
landScaping engineers, does use the
pHoover left turn method, but 1t appears
from his letter and others received that
loeft turns are optional with the franc
officers during rush periods. F. w. A.
Vesper. Vesper Buick Co., replied that
"our community is favorable to all the
provisions of the Hoover CODE" He fur
Their commented on the successful use Of
the three-light system, by which left
turns we're made on the white light at
some of the intersections. There was no
specific answer from the police depart
ment owing to the absence of the chef,
but from the captain commanding the
traffic division, The Star received
statement that some parts of the Hoover
code have been drafted for presentation
to the Board of Aldermen in September,
and the captain stated, II consider 1t
very important that there be uniformity
In traffic rules all over the country"
New Yorker Urges Uniformity.
From upstate New York, w. B. Powell,
aging Machinery Corporation, replied
that uniformity Is of the greatest i'm
portance, as all traffic is expedited II
drivers obey the same code Of rules and
in addition great many of the hazards
of the highway are eliminated because
there are no chances of misunderstand-
ing. The city of Buffalo always has
used the Hoover code method of max |
ing 8 left turn from the left lane Of
traffic"
Travelling east again to New Jersey,
Fred M. RoSseland, secretary-manager,
Newark Safety Council, reports the
Hoover left turn as part of the State |
law and that uniformity will tend to
expedite traff1c movement with increased
safety" Hawley s. Simpson, the traf-
nc engineer, Essex County, N. j.. In dis |
cussing the left turn, wrote: 1.-THE reg
ulation requiring left-turn traffic to
move from the lane nearest the center
OF the road, to my knowledge, always
has been in effect in New Jersey and is
the most practical of such rules for
general use. There may be particular
situations in which q modification Of
the rule Is advisable, but do not be-
lieve the left-turning rule as used in
Washington, Cleveland and other locali-
ties, requiring left turns to be made from
the right curb, to be at all satisfactory.
I consider uniformity to be Of the
greatest importance, inasmuch as any
material reduction in the trafic-acci-
dent situation largely will be effected
through the knowledge by every driver
Of every traffic rule on the more es-
sential points, which can only be
achieved when they are similar"
Crossing over to New York City, c. |
B. Warren, president of Warren-Nash |
Motor Corporation, advances the thought |
that until there Is uniformity, it Is UNI
fair to be other than lenient with the
motorist confused by strange regula- |
tionS, but that when uniform traffic
rules prevail, strict enforcement should |
follow with correspondingly increased
safety to life. limb and property"
uniformity Is important because it is |
one phase of accident prevention which |
can be tackled easily since 1t, will pre-