Smyrna times., 1937-06-24
TURNS
AUTO DRIVING
Knowing the Proper Way To
Do 1t Will Save Many
Accidents
SAFETY COUNCIL WARNS


evil, causing accidents and conges-
tion. But they cannot be general
ly eliminated. At some extremely
congested points they are prohibit
ed, but this can be applied only to
relatively small percentage of
the intersections in any city. The
problem then is one of making
turns in a way that will cause least
interference and afford the great
est degree Of safety. According to
the Delaware Safety Council, right
turns should be made from the ex-
treme right lane Of traffic keeping
close to the curb until the turn is
completed. This keeps the turning
vehicle out of the way of others
going straight through. Made
from any other position they cause
Inference with other vehicles, Gre
ating unnecessary hazards and
congestion. Also, in such conting-
ency, they must be made more
rapidly and abruptly, and conse-
quently, subject pedestrians in
crosswlaks to greater hazards.
Right turns may be made only
with the go signal at intersections
where there is traffic control. un-
less special instructions are given
by pavement markings or signs.
Turning right on the red light vio-
lates the meaning of this signal
and tends to encourage disobedi-
ence of it. Left turns are always
the more difficult to make. With
few exceptions. they carry vehicles
across the path of traffic moving in
another direction and they must be
made with extreme care to avoid
collision. On street with no
streetcar safety zones, the left
turn should be made from the lane
of traffic nearest to and immedi-
ately to the right of the street CEN
ter line. If here is button or
marker in the center of the street,
tn left turn should be made around
it, turning as short as possible and
with care to avoid collisions with
vehicles or pedestrians. If there is
no button or marker in the center
of the street, the vehicle snould be
turned about the approximate CEN
ter of the intersection, unless other
wise directed by signs or buttons.
At an intersection where there is
a safety zone with all vehicles re-
quired to pass to the right, the We
hicle turning left should pull over
oward the street center line as
soon as it has clear dehe end of the
zone and then make the turn in the
usual manner. This will avoid OBJ
Struction of the traffic moving past
the salty zone.
At intersections where there is
traffic control, left turns should al
ways be made with the go signal
unless special provision is made by
signs or the instruction Of officers
to hold the left turn trafhc at he
center Of the street until the direc-
tion Of flow changes. However,
such turns can be made only on
wide streets and are, therefore,
quite uncommon.
Except in extremely long blocks
in streets with little travel, vehic-
les should turn around only at
street intersections. Such turns are
not even permitted there unless
they can be made in safety and
without backing or other interfer-
ence with other traffic. In a con-
gested districted or on a heavily
Travelled street, it is always better
to go around the block than to
turn around at an intersection. A
hurried U-turn Is dangerous one.
A slow one Is apt to cause considr
erable interference with other traf-
fic.