Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-03
Changes in Right WAY
Rules Are Also Ordered
by Commissioners.
REGULATIONS FOLLOW
NATIONAL SAFETY CODE
Streets to Be Marked at All Inter
sections to Indicate Proper
Methods.

The District Commissioners today
adopted an order abolishing the pres
ent rotary left turn for automobiles and
other vehicles and substituted a turn
made at the center of the street, as
recommended by the National Code on
Street and Highway Safety.
The change, however. will not be-
come effective until September IS.
Besides adopting the left turn change
itself, several other changes involving
rights of way at intersections where the
left turn is being made were also ap-
proved
The official description of the new
turn as described in the order adopted
today follows: The driver of & vehicle
or the motCrman OF a street car in
tending to turn to the right or left at
an intersection where traffic is con-
trolled by traffic controlled signals or
by police officer shall proceed to
make either turn with proper care to
avoid accident and only upon the Go
signal, unless otherwise directed by a
police officer or by official traffic signs
or special signals.
NOW Iurn Is MADE.
Approach for a left turn for motor
vehicles shall be made in the lane for
traffic to the right of and nearest to
the center line of the roadway and
the left turn shall be made by passing
to the right of such center line where
IL enters the intersection and upon
leaving the intersection by passing to
the right OF the center line OF the road
way then entered.
A lett turn from a one-way street
into two-way street shall be made
by passing to the right of the center
line of the street being entered upon
leaving the intersection
The driver of a vehicle within an
intersection intending to turn TO the
lett shall yield to any vehicle approach
! ing from the opposite direction which
! is within the intersection or so close
Thereof as to constitute an immediate
hazard, but said driver having so
yielded and having given a signal when
and as required by law may make such
left turn, and other vehicles approach
ing the intersection from said opposite
direction shall yield to the driver max
ing the left turn
The other two regulations adopted
on the same subject are as follows:
"A vehicle overtaking another shall
pass to the left of the vehicle so over
taken, provided, that when vehicles on
a roadway are moving in two or more
circumStantially continuous lines the
vehicles in one such line overtaking or
passing the vehicles in another line may
pass either or the right or left and a
driver overtaking and passing upon the
right OF another vehicle may do SO
when the vehicle is making or about to
make left turn"
"A vehicle approaching an intersec-
ton shall slow down and be kept under
such control as to avoid colliding with
pedestrians or vehicles. Operators Of
vehicles approaching an intersection
shall give the right of way to vehicles
approaching from their right: but We
hlcle making right or left hand turn
shall yield to through traffic within the
intersection or so close thereto as to
constitute an immediate hazard
Follow National Code.
In recommending these changes VIII
liam A. Van Duzer. director of the De-
partment of Vehicles and Traffic, who
took Office on Wednesday, wrote:
The changes above suggested are in
line with the recommendations of the
National Code on Street and Highway
Safety. They are also in line with
the recommendations of the Commits
sioners Advisory Committee which
passed upon the matter last Summer.
The slight change suggested in the
right of way rule is in the nature of
Qualification and to make the rule har-
monte with the above rules on the
right and left turn.
1t is respectfully recommended that
the Commissioners now pass upon the
above proposals, but that no change be
made in thu existing method in max
ing the left turn until September Is.
Before that time it will be possible 10
study the entire right and left turn
problem at a number of important in
tersections and to place the lines on the
street to indicate to drivers the proper
methods of making turns"