Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-10-05
BY HERBERT G. KAISER,
President, the United States Treasury
Department Beneficial Association.

Department Beneficial Association.
Before continuing this summary of
safe-driving promises and traffic regu-
lations which should be constantly in
the mind of every motorist, should
like to again call attention to the
importance of individual drivers dis
playing The Star safe-driving sticker
on their cars. Such drivers will be
regarded by the police and District
officials as supporters of the move
ment for safety.
If all motorists who have pledged
themselves to drive safely will affix
The Star stickers to their windshields,
this will have the effect Of marking
cars which do not show StickerS as
possible deliberate violators of the
traffic regulations.
At the close of yesterdays article,
our motorist was rolling along the
street safely, in compliance with his
promises and the laws. He now ap-
proaches an intersection and up comes
Promise No. 8, ITO heed pedestrians
rights" This promise is covered by
the following District traffic regula-
tions:
The driver must yield the right Of
way to pedestrians crossing within
any marked or unmarked crosswalk.
Passing Curtailed.
"A vehicle shall not pass from the
rear of any other vehicle that has
stopped at a crosswalk or intersec-
ton to permit a pedestrian to cross
the roadway
Pedestrians crossing roadway at
any point other than within cross
walk shall yield right of way to We
hicles.
Drivers shall yield right OF way
to pedestrians crossing or those who
have started to cross on a green or
Co signal"
What is a crosswalk? The regula-
tons define it as continuation Of
sidewalk space across all street inter-
sections, whether marked or unmarked,
or other places which are designated
by lines or traffic devices"
Having passed the intersection safe
ly, our driver encounters a hill, and
IL 1IcNcI pass vi
curve or top of hill"
While not stated in so many words,
it is plain the provision drive on right
half of highway" as we'll as common
sense will amply cover this situation.
Law Advises Caution.
Promise No. 10, Ito slow down at
intersections and schools" is covered
by District regulations, as follows:
AT an intersection slow down and
keep vehicle under control so as to
avoid collision"
Passing school buildings during re-
cess or during opening or closing
hours, or passing Fairgrounds. speed
Is miles per hour"
Not exceeding 80 miles per hour in
places where such speed is designated,
or even % miles an hour. does not
in all instances mean that the car is
not recklessly driven. This because
of the provisions in the regulations
with respect to the density of traffic
and the width and surface of the
highway.
Experience Behind Law.
Hazards at intersections and in
passing schools, safety zones and load
ing platforms, together with regard
for the rights of pedestrians, all re-
quire that the car be driven at no
speed greater than the speed at which
the individual driver can retain COM
plete control and, If necessary, stop
the car. This, in some instances,
might be only two miles an hour.
The requirement that cars should
be driven to the right of the highway
and that slow-moving vehicles should
not be driven abreast and should keep
as near to the right curb as possible,
together with the requirement that
passing on the right, unless there is
a continuous flow of traffic, or not
passing on curves or the brow of a hill
is absolutely necessary because these
provisions are time honored rules of
the road which have existed since
the first days of automobiles and even
existed in the horse and buggy days.
They were applied as a result of long
experience and there is nothing con-
nected with the operation of the
present-day high-speed automobile
that would justify abolishing them,
it rather appearing that they should
be more stringently enforced.