Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-12

florists find this lack of uniformity con-
fusing? / am not theori2ing about this
complaints pour into US from mdiVld-
uals and from member clubs. They
And IL hard TO understand why Wash
mston, where The traffic conference was
called by President Hoover. should be
one of the few places i'll the country
to refuse 10 cooperate in the effort TO
secure uniformity III traff1c laws.
Its not SO much matter OF safety
despite what the local authorities may
claim. doubt if there are any statis-
tics available to prove which of the two
methods of left turning produces less
accidents. It's question OF having
uniform law here, there and every
where; that's the important thing.
Nearly 500 tra1ic experts from all over
the country met here TO consider a
code and they agreed the turn from the
left lane was the better and wrote it
into the uniform Hoover code, yet the
local traffic authorities continue to urge
the superiority OF their judgment over
that of 500 selected trafhc experts.
Questions Safety Theory.
"If the wide sweeping left turn is
actually safer, as is contended by the
Washington authorities. why isn't it
made a city-wid rule SO as to at least
give us uniformity at all intersections
here? To me it seems inconsistent to
claim one method is the best while
using it at but 10 per cent of the street
intersections. and as many of them
only part of the time
However I am optimistic about this
matter. Judging from the rising swell
OF complaints We are receiving, /
imagine this nearly countrywide pro-
test will be detected in Congress when
1t re-asSembleS and that the local au
thorities will be forced to get in step
with the rest of the country
Right now believe that fully 10 900
motorists are kept out of Washington
during the season because of our con-
fusing traffic rule. Washington wants
visitors and tourists want to come to
washington. 1t seems to me that it is
up TO us all here to do what we can,
within reason. to make the stay pleas
ant. The best way to make a visitor
happy is to make him feel at home
and il he finds the same traffic rules
here as in his own city he will feel at
home. Washington business men know
that the securing of 10000 additional
visitors is not matter to be dismissed
lightly.
1T was my understanding that the
So-called Washington method of max
ing left turns was to be tried out here
for several months. and 1t would. seem
TO me that there has been sufficient ex-
perimentation so that a definite and
final decision may now be reached. ]
sincerely trust that the local authorities
will see their way clear to adopt the
uniform Hoover code left-turn pro-
vision"
DR.. Lloyd agreed with Mr.. Smith in
his understanding that the present left
turn method was still in the expert
mental stage here when Mr.. Eldridge
appeared before the Citizens Fedora
ton and requested that body to suspend
Judgment on the matter of the left turn
it was. thought, the general under
standing that our Endorsement was
tentative, and was effective only for
trial period. am sure that in the dis
cussion there was mention OF six
months as an appropriate length OF
time to give the Washington method
thorough trial, and that time has ex-
PRED"
According to the records of the Citi-
2ens' Federation, Mr.. Eldridge appeared
before that body on January s. 1929. and
discussed the matter Of the left turn.
After more or less general discussion.
the records disclose that 1t was moved
and duly seconded that the federation
go on record as opposed to any change
in regard to left-hand turns at this
time" and 1t is said that this resolution
was thus worded so as to make 1t clear
that this was not q Anal decision In the
matter, but was mercy in accord with
the request of the traff1c authorities
that they be given a further time for
experimentation before the federation
took final action.
Il