Evening Star Newspaper, November 4, 1923, Page 63

MAKING HIGHWAYS SAFER FOR TRAFFIC Topic for Disclission at Motorists’ Annual Con- vention. Making the highways safer forf trafic will be among the principal toples for discussion at the forth- coming conventlon of the Natlonal Motorists' Association, to be held in Washington November 16-17. The matter of accident prevention, in the opinion of N. M. A. officials, is not a question of making traffic safe for the highways, but of reversing the process by developing a highway system that will be safe for the traf- fic which passes over it. The N. M. A, believes that this will furnish an en- tirely new basis upon which to con- struct its 'ty work for the com- ing vear. “The typical non-motoring attitude of making trafiic safe for the high- ways is in reality a backward step,” declares Executive Secretary Kred H. Caley. parallels the process of trying to make the poor of a metrop- olis learn how to live in tenement conditions without complaint. And it must be stopped.” Wil Ask Club Co-operation. According to a preliminary an- nouncement issued from the national Tieadquarters of the National Motor- ists' Assoclation this w an_effort will be made at the ntion_to nrge the co-opération of every ated automobile club In the work of climinating from the highways those hazards which result in accldents, however careful drivers may be. It Is pointed out that the highway departments in constructing new roads should exercise more judgment in eliminating curves, grades and grade crossings. N. A. officlals ten miles of safe high- community better in the s of Improved . since every idual and so- | adds to the cost ef wgerous sident i “One of the most recent highw fu the east includes a particularly bad zrade crossing, which renders the en- tire road unsafe” Secretary Caley sald. “Connecting two important points, with virtually no towns of any consequence between, the entire length of the highway is usually trav- ersed by each motor vehicle which uses it. This means that practically every motor vehicle which covers the safe sections of the highway also covers the unsafe section, and the re- sult is very much like expecting a ship to stay safely at anchor when there is a weak link in the anchor chain. Road Hazards Cited. “Regardless of whether our motor vehicles are inherently safe or un- safe, and our drivers competent or careless, little can be accomplished in safety work unless the roads them- selves are devoid of the obvious and constant hazards which make for ac- cidents. “The country is in the midst of a great road-building process and it is obviously the work of the progressive | automoblle clubs to see that more care is exercised in the planning of new roads and in their maintenance. Almost invariably the dirt roads | which meet a main highway are run | straight up to the shoulder without | any provision against the tracking | of dirt upon the hard-surfaced road and the consequent possibility of skidding of fast-moving vehicles in wet weather. “The shoulders of a large propor- | tlon of the new roads are not sub- stantial enough, resulting in numer- ous accidents which are all the more | serious for the reason that the motor- | ist is intrigued into belleving that the new roads are necessarily safe. Congestion on Main Roa “In view of the congestion on main roads and the higher speed at which cars travel it is highly important that at frequent {ntervals along any prom- | inent highway ‘pits’ or special park- ing spaces should be provided for tourists who are obliged to stop for tire changes or adjustments. “Detours are frequently unsafe, and it should be emphasized that no new road is worth having If it entalls a large number of accidents during course of construction. As a matter of fact, with the need for parallel highways becoming more evident every day it would be wise policy to convert ail detours into main roads before using them as rellef roads whils rebuilding the older routes. Safety in Wider Bridges. *Wider bridges and smoother grade crossings would obviate a lot of seri- ous trouble. There has -been, and continues to be, an unwlise assump- tlon that the average driver is fully competent to compensate for the shartcomings of the routes he trav- erses. And this has been largely re- ponsible for much of the present high rate of accident: The National Motorists' Association will particularly stress the impor- tance of highway signposting and safeguarding. It is expected that in the dlscus- sions on making the highways safer for automobiles the matter of bill- hoards will be taken up, since a number of automoblle authorities have recently condemned highway advertising as a _growing menace. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 'OR_ALL CARS SERVICE TIRE CO. 1336 14th St. N.W. BATTERY CHARGING LLAVL YOUR CAR 11 THE MORNING 00 At NI CARTY'S-1608-14" FOR WINDSHIELDS OR BODIES. ‘While You Walit, Wasman 1017 NEW YORE AVE. N.W. Attention Ford owners and all others who use a 30x3%% Guarantee First Goodyear Allweather Cord Tires s10: A Limited Quantity Don’t Wait _ * Vermont Avenue Service Station Vermont Ave. and L St. NW. M. 2196 {CAR LIKE MUD BALL Driving Faster Than Headlights | Causes Crashes| Now ‘and then a motorist will find that he is doing something extremely dangerous. Sometimes he doesn’t discover the truth until he has had a collislon which was the case with a certain motorist who recently learned that he was “out-driving” his headlights. The point of this practice is that the driver constantly drives under the assumption that the safety revealed by the range of his headlights extends into that portion of his path which is not illuminated by the lights. If he can see with his headlights 200 feet ahead he drives as thoush he could see 500, simply because he reasons that it all's well up to 200 feet the chances are all's well up to 500 feet. Usually the danger Mes in the portion of the path which is out- slde the actual range of vision. The driver sees the danger the moment it appears within _the range of vision, but as he has been traveling at a speed necessitating a 500-foot ringe he is powerless to avold the danger. “Out-driving” the headlights is one of the commonest hazards in motoring, vet few drivers realize that they are guilty of the prac- tice. For Instance, when they are blinded by the headlights of another car, instead of stopping or slowing down they proceed under the assumption that since noth- ing was in the way when vision was impaired nothing could be in the way. But a difference of a few seconds often proves the fal lacy of this dangerous reasoninz AFTER LONG JOURNEY Noted Race Driver Baker Reaches Los Angeles in High- Gear Feat. A veritable lump of mud, the first car to cross the American continent from Atlantic to Pacific using only high gear, arrived in Los Angeles Friday, after driving 3,674 miles. “Cannon-Ball” Baker, noted race driver, held up traffic for five min- utes at Columbus Circle and Broad- way, New York clty, at noon on Oc- tober 8, while thousands gathered to witness the start of the first trans- continental high-gear run. The Olds- mobile “six,” which Baker had se- | ctany. lected to make the first coast-to- coast run in “high” was inspected, previous to his start, by New York newspapermen, who ~witnessed the removal of low, second and reverse gears and the sealing of the trans- mission box. Escorted by a cordon of New York motor cycle officers, Ba- ker started down Broadway on a trip that held the center of attention of automotive experts and car own- ers, On his trip to Los Angeles Baker encountered more than the usual qif- ficulties, including the disastrous rains and floods that cost several mil- lions of dollars of damage in Okla- homa, Missourl and Kansas. Among other hardships encountered by Ba- ker and his newspaper man com- panion were famous Kansas and Mis- souri axle-deep “gumbo,” days of rain, mountains, snow, wash-outs in the roads and extreme desert heats as_high as 110 degrees Upon arrival at San Bernardino, Callf., Baker was met by a delegation | of prominent Los Angeles citizens. who escorted him to the city hall of Los Angeles, where he was of- ficlally greeted by Mayor George E. Crye: Radiators and Fenders 10 DIFFERENT MAKES RADIATORS ANY KIND £ADE OR REPAIRED. WITTSTATT’S R. asd F. WORKS 319 13th, F. 0410 1485 P. M. 7443 ' permanent top BUSINESS MOTOR DRAWS ATTENTION Feature of Closed Car Show Demon- strates Value of the Com- mercial Type. Many business men who attended the recent closed car show at Con- vention Hall found in the new models an expression of the car manufac- turers’ desire to make the passenger automoblle more valuable commer- This was plainly seen in the larger number of strictly business cars and in the improvement in the riler specimens of this type. “The development of the business car Is one of the healthiest trends in motordom,” declares Rudolph Jose, who {8 chairman of the show com- mittee of the Washington Automo- tive Trade Assoclation. “The busl- ness car is teaching ,thousands of motorists the increased, valtie of a car when it is used for all transporta- tion purposes. This marks the be- ginning of the end of the sad specta- cle of the car that is penned in its garage when it ought to be out sav- ing money for its owner.” The man who uses a business car, according to the automobile dealers, automatically uses the car for all per- Sonal needs in addition, and while he charges this use to his personal ex- penses, he comes to see that the 'Tree Tops Help | To Judge Roads | Over Hill Crest Many motorists hesitate to pass another car when approaching the crest of a hill, fearing still another machine may be approaching from the other side, whereas the road at the top may be level. To make sure that the highway does not dip down beyond the summit it is only neces- sary to note whether there are any trunks of trees visible 100 feet or s0 away. If these can be seen when climbing the hill, the top of an approaching car could also be seen, and it is safe to assume that the road is level at the top and that no harm can result from passing around the car ahead. value of an automobile as a means of transportation is chiefly in using it. Mr. Jose D?filll out that the aver- | age popular priced automoblle is ca- pable of at least 50,000 miles o ice, but explains that few cars give such service to their first owners, be- cause they are not given the oppor- tynity, “The idle automobile is the most expensive.” he says, “because the owner supports it while he patronizes other forms of transportation. The business car is rapidly proving this point, and motordom generally s go- Ing to benefit by the change.” M WORM DRIVE MERCHANTS' DISPATCH" SAVINGS Replacing of motor equipment that has reached the point where its cost of operation is excessive is economy. Well appointed is as much a business asset as is a well- stocked store. In more than 300 lines of business Atlas trucks are valuable asset. delivery equipment considered a most Built in two sizes— 2,500 1bs. 180-inch wheelbase 4,000 Ibs. 146-inch wheelbase Equipped with electric lights and starter in addition to pneumatic All models on display. tires. HURLEY MOTOR COMPANY 1522 14th Street _— and its weather-tight North 6462 Oakland Six Touring Car Glass Enclosed Comfort for only *6Q) more For' only $60 —we will Touring Car with a new factory and built to fit perfectly with p E:y True Blue 3-:!::1!‘«! closure designed by the Oakland’s new-type windshield. ‘This Glass Enclosure is qdcklyhmlhdl::l absolutely rattle-proof. Onl fia.howfinzltlzglz,nnnd can tell mwlntlh!y:i:“ perfectly it Sagene of ouid car comfort it offers for the cold and stormy days ahead. See this Enclosure installed on a True Blue Oakland Touring Car or Roadster—the car with the highly devel- oped six-cylinder engine, the sound and simple four-wheel brakes and the centralized controls. Seeit today—its utility and value will truly amaze you! 'DISTRICT OAKLAND COMPANY 1709 L Street Main 7612 Business Coupe 91195 Coupe for Four 1345 Sedan - 1395 Prices . o. b. Pontiac Government T M— OVEMBER 4. CLEARING OFF SNOW | BIG HIGHWAY TASK Increased Travel Gives Importance to Work That Once Meant Little. Snow removal on important trunk- line highways is becoming a matter of increasing importance each winter, says the bureau of public roads of the United States Department of Ag- riculture, Investigations of the bureau show that there is a considerable mileage of road which the public can {Il afford to lose the use of each winter. As & result of tramc investigations in Connecticut it is estimated that 1,019,688 net tons of commodities were transported over the state system in the three months' period beginning with September, 1922. More than & third of this tonnage moved only Beware of Rear End Trouble For the rear end is known as the “Back- boneof your car.” The transmission and dif- ferential gears constitute the backbone of your automobile. These gears must perform, in some instances, a service more severe than that which falls upon any other part of the car. These gears carry the whole driving load. To withstand the strain, the gears must be correctly lubricated. Try Ebonite today. It's the greatest aid to the proper performance of an automo- bile. v Sold by reliable dealers in five-pound cans and at ap-%! pointed service stationse®| where you see the checker- ! board design pump. : EBONITE § (It’s Shredded Oil) Per Tronsmmstons end DiNerentials 1923—PART 3 T from one to nine miles, and nearly another third moved from ten to twenty-nine miles. These figures are glven to show that in industrial sec. tions there is a large volume of short- haul traffic which does not compete with the railroa and which can- not be carrled by the railroads whern the highways become snowbonnd. It is, dificult to estimate the amount ‘of Inconvenience to passen- ger_travel caused by snow, but with at least onme motor vehicle to every ten people in a majority of the states it must be considerable. In many sections motor bus travel Is increas- ingly relled upon by rural communi- ties. It.is reported that there are 450 such Hnes in Ohio, 283 in Pennsyl- ania and large numbers in other states where snow is a problem. SPEED WAGON CANOPY EXPRESS $1375 at Lansing, plus tax Fleetness with Safety Due to the double frame mounting of power units, chassis road balance. wel Saé:tv is further insure ht is evenly distributed for safe d by easy con- trolE an unusually rugged steering gear and oversized Fleetness, average-load-capacity, roadability and balanced goodness fit the Speed Wagon to out-econo- mize any other commercial motor vehicle in the world, and make it adaptable to practically every line of business. Designed and manufactured in the big Reo — not assembled. Supplied in tgwelve S body styles. Chassis, $1185 at Lansing, plus tax. THE TREW MOTOR COMPANY 1509 14th Street YALVE-=[IN=READ Main 4173 | A Buick for Business With .its roadsters for 1924, Buick has again created a new standard of roadster utility and attractiveness. Nor can the appearance of this four-cylinder two-passenger model convey in full its story. The famous Buick valve-in-head engine provides even greater flexibility and acceleration. The proved Buick four-wheel brakes assure more than ample safety for any emergency. Business of today demands a sturdy, powerful, safe and dependable car—one that remains con- stantly in service. This new two-passenger, four-cylinder Roadster is one of Buick’s contri- tax $o be added Priceat.o.b. Buick Factories; gorernment butions and answers to this demand. BUICK MOTOR COMPANY, FLINT, MICHI Dbvisios of General Mstors Corporatien Ploneer Buliders of Valve-in-Head Motor Cars Bramshevin All Principal Citise— Dealero Boeryushers -45-48-20P) e 'BUICK MOTOR C EMERSON & ORME 1620 M_Street N.W. Phone Franklin 3360 FLETCHER MOTOR CO. Alexandria, Va, OMPANY WASHINGTON 14th and L Streets N.W. C. C. WATERS & SON Gaithersburg, Md. ROSSLYN MOTOR CO. STANLEY 1015 14t Phone BRANCH H. HORNER h St. N.W. Main 5206 OREM MOTOR CO. Waldorf, Md. uick will build tb v