Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-29
Problem of Pedestrian
Control
BIZ Frederic J. HdSkin.

science in the field Of engineering, and
while it has made many forward strides
one of its major problems yet to be
solved is how to deal effectively with the
pedestrian. In some cities of the United
States the strong hand OF the law has
brought a near solution Of this head
ache, but when the country is taken
as a whole the pedestrian is more diff
cult to control than the motorist.
Drivers, for the most part, know the
rules and in the majority Of cases OBJ
serve them. Pedestrians also know the
rules, but they are won't to apply them
only when it is convenient, or when they
realize they are in, immediate danger.
The unsupported happening does not
seem to bother the majority OF people
who negotiate trafnc on foot. Especially
is this true OF the jaywalker. whose
reputation is not 50 bad from statistical
standpoint
There is distinction between a jay
walker and other pedestrians. A jay
walker is a pedestrian infected with
rugged individualism. He wants to be
alone in his feverish pursuit of the
shortest distance between two points.
with no one to tell him when or where
to go or to stop If he can sneak through
l. tt,A
other way, or negotiate it boldly when
there is no officer in sight, he chalks up
| the achievement as a personal triumph.
| The few seconds he saves In this manner
may never amount to much but he seeks
| TO save these few seconds just the same.
To be sure, he is gambling with life and
| limb, not always his own, but he argues
that thousands of others are doing the
same thing and he has right to do so,
too. The argument, however, falls short
of reason when he lands In hospital
| or under the sod.
There are many pedestrians of course,
| to whom jaywalking is a major misde-
meanor. Some are handicapped In their
| chase of the precious second by age or
| feeble legs, while others have a natural
respect for rules as we'll as for their own
skins. They are living and they want
| to remain alive. They lack the jay
walkers feeling that to be kept waiting
a second or two on the street corner Is
personal affront
Legally the pedestrian has his rights.
| No less authority than the United States
Supreme Court, for example, has decreed
that he may continue crossing the street
provided he started when the lights were
with him. But the decision becomes Of
academic interest when the pedestrian.
halfway across the street, sees
numbering horde of motor cars bearing
down on him. or when his rights have
made him a victim of traffic His equal
rights with the drivers seldom give him
the courage to fight for those rights IN
the middle of the street.
For many years the pedestrian has
been studied and analysed and i'm
| pressive statistics show the error of his
ways. Pedestrian deaths account for
| approximately 40 per cent Of the coun-
| try's motor vehicle fatalities and most
! Of the deaths so attributed have been
due TO the failure of walkers to observe
! regulations that had been promulgated
for their protection
! Traffic experts in New York, Boston,
Chicago, Philadelphia Washington and
o,her large cities, have studied the pedes-
| trian problem assiduously. Taking the
studies as whole, about 43 per cent Of
the pedestrian traffic violate rules and
disregard signals whereas only 3 per
cent of the motor vehicle drivers violate
them. In substantiation of these figures
the traffic dealt, toll in Washington for
l94l took the lives of IS persons. Thirty
| three of these victims did not obey even
the simple rule of crossing at crosswalks.
Thirty -one of the 10 pedestrians in
volved in Wasnlngtons traff1c deaths TO
November "a OF this year were crossing
between intersections and 81 OF the
70 failed to take sufficient precaution for
their own safety
Curbing the practice of pedestrians
failing to observe traffic regulations l. q
special problem, and the greater the
tempo Of city the more difficult seems
the solution For instance, in New York
where everybody is in hurry. tramc
| tests show that pedestrians are prone to
disregard lights and when they do OBJ
serve them they move almost before
the lights change. But in Los Angeles
tests show that pedestrians wait SO sec
onds for lights to change. Washington
NAV be considered a cross between these
two cities, for in the Nations Capital
it has been observed how a group OF
pedestrians approach the curb. Some
of them step into the gutter before tax
ing a good look, and If car is speeding
by they step back for moment, then
again move forward bravely determined
to save that precious second or two.
Others not so brave follow along, and
still others remain until there is change
of lights.
Most cities have regulations governing
pedestrians, but their enforcement Is one
| of the most trying problems connected
with the traffic bureau OF any police de-
partment In Washington. for instance,
If every policeman made AZ, arrest In
each case of pedestrian trafnc violation
seen by him it would take almost all
the officers from the streets, because 50
much of their time would be required IN
court, even if only a small percentage OF
those arrested protested the charge.
Aside from the power to arrest and fine