Evening star., 1936-11-01

NlSIlJ IlOtOIiIlS ID lIlCEcdSulS Edpluly,@
and it is well to assume that this pro-
lection to walkers and drivers alike
will be copied in many other sections
Of the country in the near future.
It has been convincingly proven that
improper highway and street lighting
has caused accidents to mount. Lo-
cally 1t has been shown that due to
darkening he streets of the National
Capital by turning OF various street
lights has had its tragic effect. This
was caused by the District officials
having insufficient appropriations.
This was equally true on the Mount
lights were turned off for what many
term false economy.
A recent survey of the route by New
York State and county officials pre-
diets that motor vehicle accidents on
the lighted route which connects Sche-
nectady with Duanesburg can be ex-
pected to drop to at least IS per cent
of the former annual toll, while COM
parative figures from lighted routes in
other parts Of the country indicate
that reductions as high as 80 per cent
would not exceed previous experiences.
Nighttime motor vehicle deaths last
year, it was pointed out, comprised
21,400 deaths during the hours Of dark
ness, with 14,600 deaths during day.
light hours, although three-fourths of
the total traffic occurs during the day
and one-fourth at night. The serious
ness of this problem recently led the
American Road Builders Association
to appoint large and representative
committee of experts to delve into the
question of highway illumination.
= mally opened to traffic (Septem-
ber 1s) by New York Highway Com
missioner Arthur w. Brandt. has been
transformed from a dark, hazardous
route into a ribbon of golden light
through the installation Of 39l sodium
vapor lamps of 10000 lumens each, de-
veloped by engineers of the General
Electric Co. It links Schenectady with
Binghamton and is an important
artery of motor traffic in upstate New
York. Tapping a rich farming and
dairy country. the highway constitutes
0 chief means of trucking farm prod
ucts to the centers Of large popula-
ton. It is known to people Of this area
as the Path Of Gold"
Railroad crossings, road intersec-
tions, hill crests and other road haz-
ards are plainly visible by night under
the new lighting system. At the OPEN
ing of the Illuminated highway, trucks
and passenger vehicles emerging from
farmers drives stopped on the road
shoulder and were clearly seen as far
as 1000 feet away.
The toll Of pedestrian deaths, it was
stated, should fall to an unprecedented
minimum, since persons walking on
the shoulders Of the highway at night
can easily be distinguished by ap-
preaching motorists, even though an
automobile with glaring headlights
may be coming in the opposite direc-
ton. Under the sodium vapor lamps.
which diffuse soft golden light along
the entire 1s-mile length Of the high
way, the glare Of automobile head
lights is greatly nlinimized and, in
some cases, observers were emphatic
in declaring it was completely elm
mated.
without overhead lighting, highway
officials explained, the motorist at
night sees the roadway and objects
on the road largely by reflected light,
whereas under the sodium vapor lamps
the pavement and objects thereon are
seen by q combination Of direct re-
Election and silhouette. Many years
of study were required to solve this
problem of nighttime visibility, expert |
ments for which were conducted by
Illuminating engineers and trafhc ex-
perts on the celebrated model high |
way" in Cleveland, Ohio.
"A A result of these experiments the |
motorists visibility at night has
been greatly increased. estimated as
between TOO and 1900 feet. Under
automobile headlights, without over
head lighting, according to the Massa-
chusetts Highway Accident Survey. the |
average visibility distance was esti-
mated as only 200 feet, although this |
distance, it was stated, is reduced to an |
average Of 125 feet, with a minimum OF
% feet, in the presence Of an ap- |
preaching car with headlights fully on,
causing glare. The reduction or COM |
plete elimination of this glare" which |
is such an annoyance to motorists and |
Is the direct cause Of many major |
accidents, constitutes an important
safety feature of the new sodium |
vapor installations.
In estimating the degree Of protec-
ton as we'll as the economic savings
that it is felt will be effected by light
ing the Schenectady Duanesburg
route, reference was made by Sche-
nectady County highway authorities to
conditions obtained on other lighted
thoroughfares. Adequate lighting of
sections Of the Schenectady-Troy and
6chenectady-Albany roads, it was
pointed out, has brought about q 36.7
per cent decrease in nighttime high
way accidents over four-year period.
while the illumination of San Fran
cisco's Bay Shore Boulevard has re.
duced nighttime accidents 81 per cent,
the Mount Vernon Washington High
way so per cent and the Saw Mill
River and Hutchinson River Parkways,
in Westchester County, N. Y, 81 per
cent. In the city Of Detroit, however.
proper street illumination during
three years survey by city officials
decreased accidents 93.5 per cent.
Consideration was also given to re-
ports published by the Travellers In
surance Co. that SO per cent OF the
total fatalities on American roads and
highways take place In rural areas,
33.s per cent of which fatalities are
believed to occur during the hours Of
darkness.
Balancing the figures against local
conditions, Capt. Arthur w. Brandt,
New York State highway conlmis.
sioner, accepted IS per cent as con-
servative guarantee Of the extent to
which deaths on the Schenectady