Evening star., 1950-11-21
District Drops
To 9Th in Safety
Among 9Cities
Mid-BIoek Crossing
And Ignoring Lights
Cited as Reasons

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pedestrian safety among nine
large cities because pedestrians
cross streets between intersections
and against traffic lights, the
Commissioners Traffic Advisory
Board was told last night.
Burton w. Marsh, director of
the American Automobile Associ-
atoms traffic and engineering
division, told the board the city
should take preventive measures
to cut down its high pedestrian
death rate and to enforce traffic
signal and pedestrian right-of-
way ordinances.
In a report on the city's 1949
record in the National Pedestrian
Protection Contest sponsored by
the AAA, the District ranked
fourth in accident records systems
and school safety, second in
legislation and enforcement and
first in engineering. organization
and public information.
Previous Prize Winners.
In the overall contest, Wash
ington fell to fifth place among
the nine cities having from 500,-
900 to l million population. The
city won the contests grand award
in 1947 and 1948. A special cita-
ton for pedestrian safety program
was awarded to the District in
the 1949 contest.
Mr.. Marsh told the board more
police attention should be given
to arresting drivers who violate
pedestrian right-of-way. Viola
tions of the regulation calling for
motorists to yield to pedestrians
when making turns at intersec-
tions lead to a conclusion that
1T is safer to cross in the middle
TO the block, his report said.
Accident records for 1949, how
ever, show that almost half Of
pedestrian deaths and injuries oc-
Cured when pedestrians crossed
streets between intersections or
against signals, the report added.
Age Is Fatality Factor.
Pedestrian deaths were highly
concentrated among men and
among persons of middle age or
over. Injuries were concentrated
among children.
The report suggested creation of
q school for pedestrian violators
as a part of the campaign to en-
force regulations.
The board quickly disposed of
o proposed plan to institute a
traffic vigilante" system here.
Washington I. Cleveland, chair
man of the enforcement commit
tee. strongly opposed the plan to
recruit private citizens as anony-.
nous traffic violation tipsters
The "T-Men" system, tried here
about 18 years ago without sue
cess. is in operation now in Dallas,
Tex.
Changes Proposed.
The board approved and sent
to the Commissioners proposed
changes in the District regulations
on restricted drivers permits.
The changes would allow the di-
rector of traffic and vehicles, upon
recommendation by the board, to
stipulate exact limitations on the
operation of motor vehicles by
persons holding revoked permits.
The change would give District
traffic officials the right to make
limited restoration of revoked
permits where extreme hardships
existed, it was pointed out. Per-
sons whose permits had been re-
voked could apply for use of the
permits during specified hours and
over a specified route to avoid
hardship in cases where transpor-
tation from home to work was
necessary to prevent loss of in
come.
Traffic Director George E.
Keneipp told the board the new
cut-through at Logan Circle has
improved timed runs on Thir-
teenth street NV. Runs on Rhode
Island avenue, he said, have not
been materially shortened by the
new arrangement.