Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
WARNS MOTORISTS
OF ROAD HAZARDS
Standards Bureau Official
Says 10000 People Killed
Annually by Autos.

''with 10000 persons being killed an
nually in automobile accidents in the
United States and three times that
number being injured more or less seri-
ously, 1t behooves us to take radical
steps, II such are necessary, to lessen
the hazards of driving" declares H. G.
Dickinson, chief Of the heat and power
division of the United States Bureau Of
Standards, Washington, D. G.
DR.. Dickinson has made deep study
of the subject and his proposed plan
for reducing the number of automobile
accidents has attracted the attention
of the American Road Builders Asso-
ed by M. Q. Eldridge of the Washing
ton %. CO. Trafic Bureau. will con-
slider DR.. Dickinson's ideas along with
other suggestions at the convention and
road show of the association, to be held
at Atlantic City, January II to ID.
Advises Substitute Ruling.
Instead of arbitrarily limiting the
speed of a motor vehicle on highways
or city streets to certain number Of
miles per hour. as Is done at present,
defining the distance within which the
vehicle must be capable of stopping
This distance would, of course, vary
with conditions. The legal speed would
then be determined by the following
simple rule: mo vehicle shall be OPP
Grated at a speed such that it cannot
be stopped within the assured clear
course ahead" For speed, according to
DR.. Dickinson. Is only one OF the factors
and the stopping distance with relation
to the clear course ahead, and not
speed, is the most important factor OF
safety.
1.-THE Ten Commandments are a strik-
ing example of simplicity and direct
ness" comments DR.. Dickinson. "One
Of them says Thou shalt not kill 1t
does not say Thou shalt not drive fast
er than 10 miles per hour on certain
piece of road because we, the laWmak-
ers, estimate that If you do not travel
faster you probably will not kill any
one So why can't we say Thou shalt
not drive at q dangerous speed" and
then very, very forcefully make it clear
what Is dangerous speed by means of
enforcement?
Safety Easily Regulated.
"Under many typical conditions the
safe stopping distance is readily deter
mined, and when that is done an officer
may require an alleged speeder to stop
within that distance, thus furnishing
immediate proof of whether or not he
is within the legal speed. Then if q
man is involved in an accident, 1t Is
safe to say that he was in the wrong
unless some one else violates the rule
BY entering his traffic lane"
DR.. Dickinson would have drivers rely
less on their speedometers and more on
their instinct, knowledge and expert
ence Today If q man is involved in an
accident while he Is driving l8 miles
an hour II the traffic laws allow him %
miles an hour in that particular dis
trict, he Is absolved from blame DR.
Dickinson contends that a driver is
equally guilty whether the accident oc-
ours when he is driving 10 or 40 miles
an hour, as long as it can be proved
that he was not In position to stop
within the clear course OF his vision.
Speed Law Difficulties Defined.
The adoption Of the clear course
ahead as the basis of a speed law, how
ever, would neceSsitate a change in
right Of way rules, according to DR..
Dickinson. The present right of way
regulations, he says, are so confusing
that even the courts are unable to in
terpret them. They could be simpli1ed
by providing that driver may have
in his own LAME. e., along a straight
stretch-but that any action interfering
with trafdc such as stopping suddenly,
making crossing, pulling out from a
curb or turning corner first requires
q signal which must be answered by
the driver of the other car most con-
cerned before the first motorist can
proceed
The left-hand right of way at inter-
sections is advocated as having advan-
tages over the present right-hand rule.
From the standpoints Of visibility, ease
OF hand signaling and avoidance Of
other vehicles it Is commended that the
left-hand rule Is far superior
The American Road Builders Asso-
citation is actively interested In the
safety movement. and its traffic COM
inittee, in charge of Mr. Eldridge, has
been making an intensive survey of
conditions during the past year, the
findings Of which will be outlined at
the coming convention.