Evening star., 1934-05-26
WASHINGTON HELD
FAR FROM MODEL
IN TRAFFIC SAFETY
National Highway Confer
ence Would Ban AII-Night
Parking.
PEDESTRIAN CONTROL
AT CROSSINGS URGED
Closing Sessions Featured by
Roosevelt Message Read
by Roper.

point of traffic and highway safety
according to the model municipal
traffic ordinance approved yesterday
at the closing session of the fourth
National Conference of Street and
Highway Safety.
The model ordinance would pro-
hibit all-night parking on the streets
whereas Washington allows all its
streets to be so used by motorists
The model sets up a limit of 80 min
utes for parking between 2 am. and
am. except for physicians on
emergency calls.
Pedestrian Control.
Control of pedestrians and COM
plete check on the records of all driv-
ers also are required by the model
ordinance, whereas neither is at
tempted here. Pedestrians would be
required to move only with the signal
lights at street intersections or be
controlled by traffic policemen on
duty. It would also prohibit LAY
walking" or the crossing of streets at
any point other than prescribed cross
walks. A third requirement set up for
pedestrians would stop hitch-hikers
from standing in streets or highways
to thumb" rides
One of the features of the closing
sessions was a message from Presi-
dent Roosevelt read by Secretary OF
Commerce Roper. The President ex-
pressed the belief that the best
traffic law in the world went work
unless the man at the steering wheel
and his comrade on the sidewalk do
their part.
He said he had heard that traffic
accidents cost the country more than
its public school system.
Roosevelt Interested.
1T am most interested in the Ma
tional Conference on Street and
Highway Safety which is meeting i'll
WASHINGTON under your chairman
ship with view to reducing the large
number of deaths, injuries and the
great amount of property damage
caused each year by traffic accidents,
the message said.
These studies being undertaken
in an effort to work up uniform
traffic codes and regulations, together
with the most effective means and
fuetho6s of reducing traffic accidents
and losses, are excellent. =
But uniform codes, regulations and
dividual. including both pedestrian
I-,y &c <1r1H n
full share OF, responsibility"
One of the principal aims of the
conference in drafting the model ordi-
nance was not only to urge uni
formity throughout the country, but
also to simplify the laws to the ex-
tent that they will be impossible of
misinterpretation. Legal phraseology
so far as possible, was taken out OF
the final draft. so that an unlettered
chauffeur might be able to understand
the requirements as quickly as a
judge.
For example, the sections covering
records of drivers is as follows:
THE police shall maintain a suit
able file in which record of all traf-
tic accidents, warnings, arrests, con-
victions and complaints are filed al
phabetically under the name of the
driver concerned.
Record Study Urged.
1.-THE police shall study the cases
Of all drivers having bad records, at
tempt to discover the causes and take
whatever steps are lawful and rea-
sonable to eliminate such causes ol
to have the licenses of such persons
to drive suspended or revoked"
Another provision in the mode.
ordinance which could have prevented
a number of deaths during the Win
ter months requires the reservation
of certain streets for coasting. Dur
ing the period Of ice and snow the
model ordinance would prevent the
use of the streets by motor vehicles
except for those persons residing on
the street, and even for them caution
in entering or leaving their homes
would be a legal requirement and
carry a penalty for violation.
PLAY streets" are also provided fol
In the model. This provision woulc
block off certain sections of street.
for the exclusive use of children
roller skaters or bicyclists and motor
lists would be prohibited from using
such areas except in the course Of
necessary business.
Washington's left-turn regulation
does conform with the model
The left turn as used here was founc
by the experts to combine both safety
and relief from congestion and ha:
been recommended for use in al
cities of the country.
The model would require all motor.
lists to halt their cars as close tt
the right of the street as possible
upon the opproach of any emergency
vehicle such as an ambulance or fire
truck. The requirement would make
them remain still until the emer.
gency vehicle passed and then woulo
make it a violation of the law Il
follow a fire truck or ambulance al
a distance of less than 500 feet
Washingtonians seldom observe thi:
practice, although many cities have
had such requirement for many
years.
Use Of streets for sale or display of
an automobile also is prohibited by
the model ordinance. Using auto
mobiles for advertising, by parking in
the street, likewise is barred.
Would End Exemptions.
Two of the unusual requirements
of the model ordinance specify that
public employees, whether Federal
State or county or city, can not be
exempted from traffic enforcement
and must obey the regulations the
same as any private citizen.
The second is the use of pennants
to mark motorized professions. The
model would have each car in a
funeral procession marked by a small
white pennant, and then provides a
penalty for any motorist who at
tempts to cut through the line.
The model today is being sent to
virtually every city in the entire
country, with the recommendation
that it be adopted so as to set up
uniform regulation throughout Nation
At the same time, model uniform
act regulating traffic on highways
and containing many of the same pro-
visions as the model ordinance. Is
NwrskN =