Evening star., 1940-08-28
Tolerance Urged in
Sofety Measures
Contends Pedestrians Receive
inadequate Consideration
From Lawmakers
To the Editor Of The Star:

| To the Editor of The Star:
In your issue of July 80. you re-
printed the following from the shreve-
port Journal: "The American Auto
mobile Association, after three-year
study of street-crossing accidents, re-
| ports that some way must be found to
| curb the pedestrian Why not force him
to stay at the curb until the light signal
turns green?"
1t is said that hope springs eternal in
the human breast, and If there is one
undying expectation that many people
have vainly cherished 1t is that some
way may be found to curb the motorist
and force him to observe the rights of
the pedestrian.
1t has been the policy of some news
papers, traffic committees, so-called
safety councils, misguided traffic direct
| ors and police heads unwittingly to
second the efforts of pressure groups of
motorists to pick on the unorganized
| pedestrian. In Sunday issue Of your
paper last month there was a statisti-
cal article opening with the blast that
"carelessness of the pedestrian con-
tinued to play major part in the
number of accidents during the first
half of the year."
The policy of picking on the pedestrian
In the face Of the still common practice
of motorists in failing to yield the
| right Of way to walkers when entitled
| to it, evidently has been adopted to
fob
of certain class who apparently drive
from the basement of their homes to
| the basement of their Offices.
The pedestrian, like the motorist, is
disposed to take chances, and more
often than not will cross on the red If
there are no approaching vehicles. He
will also invariably cross in the middle of
the block If he wishes to 60 to an ad-
dress directly opposite from where he
is standing. rather than walk 500 or 500
| feet out Of his way to cross at the
| corner.
Because there are no turning vehicles
to take them unaWares, many careful
walkers contend it is safer to cross at
| other points than intersections when
there are no approaching vehicles. AL
though this is not violation of the
| regulations, newspapers and coroners'
| juries appear to take 1t for granted that
a victim of an accident was negligent
and therefore responsible because OF
the comparably safe practice of hav-
ing crossed in the middle of the block.
Pedestrians and motorists should be
| controlled strictly by signals and traffic
officers in congested sections of the city
at such times when the streets are filled
with moving throngs of people and ve-
hicles. But there are times when Pc
destrian control in such sections OF
town is absolutely unnecessary because
| traffic has diminished to an extent not
to warrant it.
Except during the two-hour morning
and afternoon traffic peak, there should
be no enforcement of pedestrian control
in other sections of the city where
traffic is not sufficient to justify sig
mails at other times and where pedes-
trians could readily cross in safety with
out signals.
I have driven car for 1s years and
pedestrians have never given me any
trouble. They get in my way now and
then, but my car has sound brakes,
and I do not drink intoxicating liquors,
light cigarettes. converse with others or
read while driving. am for safety first,
last and all the time, as do not relish
going to hospital or cemetery, and
have no desire to send any one there.
1 do not permit myself to become neu-
rotlc when pedestrians, other vehicles
and red lights check my course for
| realize I cannot drive with the speed
| and pleasure that are possible in the
great open spaces beyond the city lin
Its. I greatly enjoy hiking to business,
a fiftyminute stretch, and get wrathy
] when drivers stand on cross walks or
| fail to give me the right of way when
am entitled to it.
Instead OF streSsing the need of slavish
and stupid observance of arbitrary and
unreasonable pedestrian regulations.
would it not be better plan to let the
pedestrian use his own Judgment some
times, and for traffic educators to stress
the need Of exercising care and vigilance
to the utmost, both on the part of
pedestrian and driver2 Surely the Pc
destrian problem would not be such a
nightmare to many If the matter were
handled by more reasonable regulatory
measure than that now in effect
| August 81. LEWIS L. YOUNG.
/