Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-06


ed traffic conditions and an under
manned police force. and the campaign
just launched by the Safety Council
of The Evening Star should go far
toward bringing home to each and
every car owner in the District the
fact that safe driving on his part is
essential If the Nations Capital is
not to remain indefinitely among the
list of communities having tragic
traffic records.
Fundamentally supporting the
Safety Councils campaign, the A. A. A.
District of Columbia Motor Club is
ordering a large number of the safe
driving pledges and windshield stick
ers. These will be distributed to all
members of the local motor club and
to all employees of the District of Co.
lumbia club and national headquarters.
When the pledges have been signed
they will be turned over to The
Evening Star to serve as one Of the
blocks in the monument 1t is erecting
to the cause of safety.
Humanitarian Task.
Certainly there Is no more humanl-
tartan task, nor one more beneficial
to civic interest, than is that of at
tempting to protect the lives of both
drivers and pedestrians. Safety work
is regarded as one of the primary
functions of the A. A. A. District Of
Columbia Motor Club. Among its
many safety activities, the club main
tains a safety department. charged
with the sole responsibility of working
toward betterment of the Washing
ton accident record; in cooperation
with school and police authorities, it
sponsors, equips and maintains school
patrols to protect the lives OF chill
dren on the way to and from school;
it distributes safety lessons and post
ers to the graded schools and recently
introduced special course for high
schools to teach prospective drivers;
1t formed the Women's Safety Com
mittee which brought new view
point to the safety problem and
which has done much effective work;
1t labors constantly for better legis-
lation and regulation; sponsors strict
enforcement and has campaigned for
increased police personnel and in gen.
eral supports every measure giving
promise of aiding safety
Each Of the II points contained
In The Stars safe-driving pledge is
worthy of strict adherence by every
motorist. There are several points,
however, upon which I would like to
lay particular stress.
Promise No. IL states: 81 promise
to be courteous and considerate OF
Others" If this pledge alone, with
all its connotations, were rigidly car
ried out by every motorist. the safety
problem would diminish overnight al
most to the vanishing point. This
same idea, phrased little differently.
Is contained in the safety cards, now
distributed by all A. A. A. clubs to
members planning trips, which give
the admonition: BE road sports
man; courtesy both to other drivers
and pedestrians pays large dividends
on the highway"
Consideration Essential.
II the average citizen would dis
play as much consideration for others
when driving as he does. say, when
getting into an elevator there would
be an immediate improvement Of the
traffic situation. The reverse of this
presents ludicrous picture; if some
of the careless and reckless actions
responsible for most traffic accidents
were followed when entering an ele-
vator we would have the distressing
spectacle of people dashing into a
building at top speed, more than
likely butting into the closed elevator
door, smashing head-on into people
trying to get off, trampling over
women and children who failed to get
out of the way, and in the absence
of a horn to blow, shouting at the
top of their lungs.
Pledge No. g, regarding pedes-
trians' rights, also is particularly i'm
portant here in the District where
pedestrian accidents account for more
than three-fourths of traffic fatalities.
Particularly important locally also
are Nos. and 6 concerning signal
ing and turning from proper lanes,
two proper driving practices fire.
quently violated by Washington
drivers. 1t should be borne in mind
that turning at best is dangerous,
that turning from the wrong lane
Is an open invitation to accident and
that drivers to the rear always should
be given ample warning whenever a
change in course is planned.
in oil Y1lo