Evening star., 1932-08-14
In the Motor World
BY G. ADAMS HOWARD.

TT ISN'T all traffic lights and park
ing ordinances with the director OF
traffic. His main duty is to make
Il the streets of the National Capt.
tai safe for traffic. Daily that Is
his main Job. Likewise it is the main
Eiob of traffic authorities everywhere:
With this in view, William A. Van
tpuzer sends on to this column state
ment of Benjamin G. Eynon, motor
vehicle commissioner of Pennsylvanla.
M. Van Duzer serds it on. but it wss
e.p.od b. M. O. Eldridge. assistant
tradic director, who with assistant
t-cf1c directors everywhere, is also
working to make streets and highways
sac.
Authority on Traffic.
MI. Eynon is traffic authority OF
note His views are seconded by Mr..
Van Duzer and Mr.. Eldridge. They
should be seconded by all motorists.
The statement which follows goes 10
the very foundation of good driving
and disregard of this outlying princi-
pie is the cause of many accidents.
Know when to pass another car on
the highway, says Mr. Eynon. Poor
Judgment has forced the drivers of
cars into situations leading to the most
common of automobile accidents. Many
drivers attempt to pass vehicles on a
narrow highway without allowing
enough distarca to do SO.
These types Of accidents are respon-
So fer $500 deaths, one-fourth Of
tI,o tota,: c63,5O0 injuries, and 167,500
accident last year, statistics Of the
Noti-n~l Bureau CT Casual and Sure
t. Underwriters show.
-wo questions must flash into a
6r.-c:'5 mind before he tries to pass
thu car ahead Is tie road wide
enough to allow safe execution of the
maneuver? Is there enough clear dis
tance ahead to get around the other
car and regain position on right side
of highway?
If the answer to either question Is
doubtful, the driver must await a safer
opportunity.
Expert Advice Given.
Expert advice on this driving prob
lem is given in the model municipal
traffic ordinance prepared by the Ma
tional Conference on Street and High
way Safety as follows:
THE driver of a vehicle shall not
drive to the left side of the center
line of highway in overtaking and
passing another vehicle proceeding IN
the same direction unless such lett
side is clearly visible and is free OF
oncoming traffic for sufficient dis
tance ahead to permit such overtaklng
and passing completely to be made
without impeding the safe operation
of any vehicle approaching from the
opposite direction of any vehicle over
taken, nor shall the driver of vehicle
in any event drive to the left side of
the center line of a highway when
approaching the crest OF a grade or
upon a curve in the highway where
the drivers view along the highway is
obstructed within a distance OF 500
feet"
Good drivers have this judgment
AMI dc not pass the car ahead unless
1t can be done safely.
Traffic in England.
England has its traffic worries. From
London comes an extract OF recent
meeting of the Automobile Association,
kindred in many ways with the A. A. A.
here.
It's report in part is as follows:
THE association was deeply con-
cerned with the problem of road acci-
ednts. Using the word road accidents
as distinct from that misleading ex-
preston motor accidents. because un-
fortunately every accident involving
motor car was referred to as a motor
accident, and the psychological effect
of this on the general public was that
the motor car was considered the prime
cause. That the motorist might be
blameless entirely was frequently over
lcoked-tl1e discredit rested with him
rone the less.
THE Automobile Association was
fully alive to the seriousness Of the
question and yielded to no one in its
efforts to bring about an improvement
No special right was claimed for the