Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-14
Why Have Turning Rule
For Autos? Writer Asks

~ lLIe EuitoI OF Inc Star
With further reference to this left
turn situation have no desire to par
ticipate in tis-and- faint" fight.
nor do l detect in Mr.. Goes CORE
spondence evidence of any such desire.
However, experiences and opinions are
OF some little moment. as Alice might
have remarked to the Red Queen, and
did not by any means express myself
fully in my last letter. I had no as
bestos paper.
The opinion at which have arrived
Is not that ideas regarding left-turn
methods are different ways at looking
at things, but the result of varying ex-
perienceS. The radial boulevards that
have control. with moderate cross traf-
fic and at most intersections a mini
mum number of left turns, and in gen.
eral with certain cross streets bringing
in large number of left-turners, can
not help being improved in traffic
conditions by any method that gets
such traffic out of the intersection with
the least possible delay.
However, practically all controlled
corners are In a block of territory hu-
morously called the business section
even during times like these. Driving
through this section for 16 to 18 blocks,
all controlled intersections. with nu-
| merous left turns being made at every
cross street, is definitely a harder Job
with the inside turn, what with dou-
| ble-parked cars, electric bread trucks
and pedestrians walking blindly out
from between parked cars. all blocking
traffic in the left-hand channel, and
ieft-turning vehicles blocked by reverse
traffic holding up things on the right.
Rush hour driving under those condi-
| tons IS just one step afttr--long after
another Add to this the crazycab
drivers-about a quarter of the taxis
is my guesS--wilo are above all regu-
laucn, and ! stick to my claim that
lhlnoS are in mess foE fair.
IL Is hard to accept the theory that
any set rule for turning can be best,
or even good. for all intersections. The
widths OF streets vary: SO do the angles
OF intersections, the amount of traffic,
the percentage of turning cars and,
above all, the temperaments of drivers.
Holes are dug in the streets, and other
oostructions are met. A driver is max
ing right-and-left turn, as about the
Carnegie Library. The driver who is on
the spot can size up the situation very
well. He knows the turn that will expe-
dlte, not only his own turning, but which
Will avoid blocking Others So why have a
left-turn regulation? If cutting cor
ners is 20. x" instead of the heinous
oftense it used to be. certainly no dam
age whatever is done to traffic move
ment If other methods of turning are
permitted. But, for the luvva Mike
give the through traffic the right of way
over reverse left-turning cars!
During seven or eight years under the
rotary turn Washington drivers and
pedestrians disciplined themselves into
smoothly working, correlated whole
where everybody had a chance and
could afford to give the other fellow his,
1t can't be done now. What you don't
take out OF consideration for the troubles
Of second party, third does. Some
grab the right of way at all hazards
when making a left turn, and the
hazards are not light ones at all inter-
sections.
And SO on. Mr.. Editor, for seven
more columns.
My objection to the inside left turn
is not based alone on the loss of time
as rather imagine I have made clear
but my trip time has been increased bv
SO per cent, of which practically all can
be blamed on the turn. That time NAV
be very well saved some one else, but
% doubt it, and 90 it is my OK that
shed blood this time.
LAWRENCE BATSON.