Evening star., 1940-02-07
Motorists Blamed for
Pedestrian Injuries
Says New Regulation Is Not
Properly Enforced
By Police

W =" W. - s>Se
Properly Enforced
By Police
To the Editor Of The Star:
According to an item in your paper,
the traffic director at a recent meeting
of parents and teachers cited figures
showing pedestrian injuries had de-
creased from 1893 to 1,675 in the District
during the 10-month period the pedes-
trian-control regulation has been in
force.
Evidently the director could have made
better showing for his pet regulatory
measure than &C. per cent decrease in
the number of injuries, for in the course
Of his remarks he declared motorists
are not doing their full part in making
the new pedestrian protection program
success, and called attention to In
stances where motorists interfered with
pedestrians crossing on proper signal.
Arguing for stricter enforcement of
the pedestrian regulation in the outlying
sections, the director referred to the 1875
per cent decline in injuries to persons
afoot in the central district, where the
number dropped from 289 to 252.
This leaves 1923 injuries sustained
outside the downtown area. If so many
accidents to pedestrians are happening
outside the central district it would be
interesting to know why the downtown
section is so strongly policed while so
few or no policemen are stationed at
busy outlying intersections.
To many observers the pedestrian
regulation apparently was not adopted
as a protective measure for persons
afoot but to speed up vehicular traffic
through the congested downtown area.
The measure was sponsored by organi-
cations of motorists and merchants with
an eye more to their own convenience
than that of pedestrians.
The milling crowds of pedestrians in
the downtown section seriously ham
pered the movement of vehicles. The
pedestrian-control regulation, backed by
policeman at every corner to see that
1t is obeyed, at least by persons afoot
If not those awheel, has somewhat re-
leved the embarrassment of motorists
in an agonizing hurry.
Daily at the corner near where nv
business is located, as we'll as elsewhere,
1 observe motorists falling to yield the
right of way to pedestrians on proper
signal, while the officer on duty, en-
crossed with his effort to keep vehcular
traffic from becoming snarled pays no
attention to motorists interfering with
pedestrians and beating the lights in
mad scramble to cross the intersection.
That there should be so dispropor-
tionately large number of accidents to
walkers in the outlying sections serves
pointed out that motorists are not doing
their full part in according pedestrians
the right of way on cross walks. In the
outlying sections pedestrians are COM
paratively few. They do not move in
crowds as in the downtown area. We
hicular movement is uninterrupted and
rapid and the pedestrian must take
chances to cross the street. Until mo-
torists learn to obey driving rules scrupu-
lousy little progress can be made in
accident prevention.
The deep interest take in safe driv-
ing and walking prompts me to wonder
whether the director and other persons
wrestling with the problem of accident
prevention may not be on the wrong
track in advocating such questionable
measure as pedestrian control, especially
if the tendency of motorists to, disobey
the rules cannot be curbed.
Like a page from the Mother Goose
story book was a conspicuous red and
green advertisement carried in buses
and streetcars recently, advising the
public that the way to remain alive is
to obey the lights. Obedience on the
part of pedestrians to the present sys-
tenn Of traffic signals is no guarantee of
safety or longevity.
Since motorists will not yield the right
OF way to pedestrians on cross walks
isn't it unfair that persons afoot should
be subject to the annoyance of arrest
and conviction for crossing on a red
light when there are no approaching
vehicles? Filming overtaxed people in
discriminatory for petty violations of
traffic rules has a bad reaction on
community
The police drive against pedestrians
should be discontinued at least until
all controlled intersections are provided
with pedestrian lights which would
permit persons afoot to cross the streets
without danger from vehicles turning
corners. MARGARET MALCOM.
February 2.
Editors note-Of Sc pedestrians
killed in traffic last year, two were
struck while crossing at controlled
intersection with the proper signal.
Thirty-one were killed crossing not
at crosswalk. Seventeen were killed
crossing at an uncontrolled intersec-
ton. Eight were killed crossing
against the proper signal)
Answers Letter on
"Woriing Wives"
To the Editor of The Star:
1t seems that M P. S. has had her
toes stepped on and in her letter to The
Star of January 26 she lashes back at