Evening Star Newspaper, September 22, 1929, Page 63

- URGESAUTOISTS 10 BE CAREFUL, Safety of Pedestrians Held of Paramount Importance to Car Driver. BY R. J. ALLEN, Meniber Metropolitan Police Force. If there are any particular traffic reg- ulations that should be observed more assiduously than they are those regulations that have to do_with the safety of pedestrians. ‘We have enjoyed for a long time here in the District of Columbia a reputation for comparatively few traffic accidents. This is largely due, I feel, to the ex- cellent traffic_system that is in oper- ation here. By this I mean the many safety regulations we require the mo- torist to observe. Ineffective if Unobserved. However, no regulation is effective unless it is observed, and particularly is this true of traffic reguiations. There were 88 persons killed in traffic accidents here within the past year. Of this number 67 were pedestrians. Out of the 67, there were 23 children under 5 years of age. ‘There were 89 killed last year, and while this year's total of 88 is some improvement, nevertheless it is not enough. No amount of care and discre- tion can be considerqd too much where the safety of life and limb is concerned. Traffic violations, with few excep- tions, are considered a more or less minor offense. But when a motorist violates a regulation that is designed to promote the safety of a pedestrian and that violation causes serjous injury or death to some one, then he has com- mitted a serious offense indeed. Therefore, it behooves every District of Columbia motorist to not only be proud of the splendid record we have already established for having the least accidents (we practically led the United States last year), but they must all strive with ‘every means at their com- mand to better the records of previous years. Because, while 88 persons may ot be so many people in point of com- parison with other large cities, neverthe- less 88 persons are a lot of people. If we only bettered last year's mark by one person, and that person should be one of those little children under 5 years of age, just reflect what saving that little life would mean to his family. Hard Blow to Relatives. ‘Think of all the sorrow and heart- break that came to those 88 homes last ear. o Death when caused by being struck by an automobile always seems to come as a particularly hard blow to the be- reaved relatives, They usually seem to feel, regardless of the circumstances, that their loved one need not have been sacrificed if the motorist involved had only displayed the proper amount of care. This almost invariable attitude on their part is often very “unjust to the motorist in question, because some- times it was the pedestrian who was careless and by his own carelessness made it impossible for the motorist to avoid the accident. Accidents, particularly to pedestrians, always happen so suddenly as to seem rather confusing to_chance witnesses. My police experience has taught me that it is very rare for all, even disinterested, witnesses of an accident to agree on who was to blams It is usually very hard to fix the exact blame in acci- dents where pedestrians are concerned, and because of this fact, no doubt, a great many persons escape blame for an accident where if all the facts were known it would have been their fault. The foregoing applies equally to pedes- trians and motorists alike. However, I think we all will agree on one point, at least, that there hardly ever would be an accident where pedes- trians are concerned if the motorist in- volved was proceeding slowly and care- fully enough—and if the pedesrtian looked with painstaking care in both directions before he crossed the street. FOUR-LANE ROADS WOULD CUT JAMS Wide Highways Are Seen as Pay- ing for Selves Through Safety. Motoring toward a large metropolitan center on a sunny Saturday afternoon, when wheeled hordes are bound for the open country, reveals pertinent facts about highways. The first thing that is forcibly im- pressed upon the motorist going against the heavy traffic flow is that two-lane roads are decidedly not wide enough. Slow trucks, crawling old hulks of cars, hyper-cautious drivers hold back traffic until a jam of cars a quarter mile or so long results. Drivers, driven to distraction by de- lays, then suddenly dart out from their prescribed lanes of travel when oncom- ing traffic permits of a passing. Here the well known human element enters in, for if a driver misjudges the open spaces a collision may result. A four- hour ride.against this wave of country- bound traffic brings severgl narrow es- capes that cannot be recounted without a rise in blood pressure. In addition to the dangers present in forging ahead on the two-lane road. there is the inability to get speed in keeping with the temper of modern cars, most of which travel some 50 miles an hour without excessive vibration. Pifty miles an hour is not a dangerous speed, yet it cannot be conscientiously attained on the narrow road when cars are thick. Another criticism of the rural road, in remote regions as well as metropol- itan areas, is that it usually passes through the center of every hamlet and town on the route. One little town in Southern Wisconsin, with a single traffic light on the main highway running through on the chief business street, is frequently nothing short of choked with automobiles that have no business there. Narrow roads must be widened as fast as communities can make finances avail- able, for without doubt congestion and accidents are costing as much or more than wider roads. Two-lane roads are suitable for traffic only where week-day travel is light and week end travel mod- erate. A heavy volume of traffi¢c demands roads at least four lanes in width. Acci- dents would be reduced ‘considerably if by road builders’ magic all congested routes were to be widened. That would mean a distinct lowering of car insur- ance rates. GREEN AND WHITE TAGS FOR MARYLAND IN 1930 ZLicense Plates Are Being Made in Penitentiary Shop—350,000 . Are Ordered. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, September 21.—Mary- land automobile license tags for next year will have a green background with White numerals and lettering. ‘The new plates are being manu- factured in the shops of the Maryland Penitentiary. Approximately 350,000 tags have been ordered, to take care of the expected increase of automobiles in the State during the coming year. As usual, tag No. 30-000 will be sent. to Gov. Ritchie. Requests for freak license plates will not be complied with. In past years as many as 500 autoists have requested tags bearing numerals of their own choosing. When ible the tags were issued, but complications arose when several chose the same num- bers. The custom, it was said, also added additional work for the clerical force and in some insiances caused & A mix-up of records, others by motorists | THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., SEPTEMBER 22, 1929—PART 4. AMERICAN HISTORY BY MOTOR (Title registered U. 8. Patent Office.) —By James W. Brooks (Sketches by Calvin A. Fader.) IMOTOR WORLD TREND IS TO CUT BY SAFETY DRIVES {Other Nations, Though With Fewer Cars to Population, Are Handling Prob- lem Better Than U. S. ACCIDENTS BY H. CLIFFORD BROKAW. Ncbody can predict with complete accuracy as to what will be the future of the automobile. But one who closely observes the automotive industry and makes a careful study of the many factors involved in this tremendous business can sense certain trends. These trends can be pointed out and certain conclusions can be drawn re- | garding them. One of the most important trends must be toward greater safety in con- nection with motoring. There must be definite improvement in the future by way of lowering the number of fatali- ties due to automobile accidents. Some of the other nations are handling this situation better than in the United States. This may be due in part to the fact that the number of automo- biles per thousand population is greater in the United States than in any other country, making the problem, there- fore, more difficult. In this connection the information given to visitors to Japan by police- men, written in English for the benefit of foreigners, gives the Japanese rules of highways and hints to motorists. While sounding humorous to Americans, these five rules, nevertheless, show that these people are aware of the accident possibilities of heavy automobile traffic and are undertaking to prevent them. “1. At the rise of the hand of police- man, stop rapidly. Do not pass or otherwise disrespect him. “2. When passenger of the foot hove in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet melodiously at first. Then tootle with vigor, and express by word of mouth | the warning ‘Hi! Hi!" “3, Beware of the wandering horse that she shall not take flight. Go soothingly by. “4, Give space to the festive dog that makes sport in the roadway. Avold entanglement of the dog with your wheel spokes. “5. Go soothingly on the grease-mud as there lurks the skid demon. Press the brake of the foot as you roll round the corners to save the collapse and tie-up.” Thgl the accident situation in the United States is better than some peo- ple believe is indicated by a compari- son of figures from Great Britain show- ing a total of 6,138 automobile fatali- ties in that country, an average of 16 cach day. Great Britain has 723,000 motor cars, as compared with 24,731,600 in the United States, the ratio in Great Britain being 1 to 41 of population and in the United States 1 to 5. Despite the fact that the number of motor cars in the United States is 34 times as great as that in Great Britain, the automobile fatalities in America in 1927 only numbered 21,160. In Great Britain a fatal accident occurred for every 118 cars, while m the United States the ratio was one death to 1,121 cars. If the United States had suffered automobile fatalities at the same rate as Great Britain the total would be the appalling number of 209,647, instead of of the actual figure of 21,160. Another tendency is in the direction of operating the present American au- tomobile factories at as nearly as pos- sible the maximum of their capacities. There are now about 25,000,000 auto- mobiles in use in the United States. It is estimated that about 5,000,000 mo- tor vehicles will be built in the United States during 1929. But the total pro- ductive capacity of American automo- bile plants is said to be considerably more than 10,000,000 cars and trucks 1t appears that no great industry can be expected to attain the greatest pos- sible prosperity or even operate at its greatest efficiency an economy when go- in- only at 50 per cent of capacity. Pro- duction costs depend on uniformity of operations and a high ratio of opera- tions to capacity. Consequently, the If It Is Stude Call | manufacture of automobiles up to tendency in the automobile industry should be toward a considerably in- creased volume of sales. This brings one to the question as to where a market for increased produc- tion is to be found. Some of this will doubtless come from families which find it feasible to own two or three au- tomobiles instead of one. Of course, there are a lot of people who do not| even yet own one automobile and it is | to be regarded as a normal ¢xpectancy that a large number of these will ap- preciate their lack and will become customers of this industry. It is esti- mated that these represent a probable market of something over 1,000,000 new buyers. This means that about 4,000,- 000 cars produced in the United States in 1929 must be sold to people who wi;}: to replace an old automobile with a flew one. It is now estimated that the average life of an automobile is about seven ears. It is likely that the trend toward ower prices, toward higher speeds, year round use of automobiles all tend to lower the average life of an automobile. On the other hand, the movement to get better roads and servicing tends in the opposite direction. It appears that there is a replacement market for this year of approximately 3,000,000 automo- biles. This leaves about 1,000,000 auto- mobiles which need to be sold to meet a $5,000,000 production. The natural market for these automobiles is found in foreign lands. There is consequently a decided ten- dency toward intensifying the interest in motoring in these foreign markets. While it may be possible to sell even as many as 5,000,000 automobiles to Amer- icans a year, the hope of bringing ge e capacity of American factories is to be found in a wide increase in ' foret sales. In this connection the tendency is somewhat toward the erection by American motor companies of factories in various foreign countries. This sort of expansion is going on now in Eng- land, France, Germany and some other nations. Better facilities for servicing auto- mobiles is a definite trend which the motoring public is glad to see. Much better roads as the technique of high- way construction is improving, repre- sents another definite trend. The in- creased use of automobiles by women is a conspicuous trend. The percentage of women driving automobiles is steadi- ly gaining. Consequently their influ- ence in the designing and manufactur- ing of motor vehicles is to be seen more and more in the use of colors and &e beauty of design of automobile dles. (Copyright, 1920.) INCREASE IN FATALITIES DUE TO AUTO ACCIDENTS Specig] Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, September 21.—More persons were killed in motor accidents and there were more such accidents in Baltimore during the first seven months of this year than during the similar period in 1928, according to statistics of the safety council. Thus far this year there have been 7,730 accidents in the city, with a toll of 81 dead and 2,510 injured. Last year, during the first seven months, the record was 7,438 accidents, 74 deaths and 2,418 injuries. Again this year the pedestrian was in the major list of victims in traffic fatali- ties, the record showing that of 81 per- sons killed this year, 63 have been walkers hit by vehicles. Last year at this time 60 of the 74 killed were pe- destrians. 2 rs. a New baker Tom North 8513 OPEN 24 HOURS WE NEVER CLOSE Tom’s Auto Service - All Cars Washed, $1.50 evvev.....9thand O Sts. N.W. Tel. North 9596 Service ..........637-639 N St. N.W. Tel. North 3231-8513, Thos. A. Amatucci Gen. Mgr. 24 Hrs. . AUTO PRODUCTION MAINTAINS LEVEL Current Week’s Figures Are Slightly Higher Than at Month’s Opening. DETROIT, Mich, September, 21.— Automobile production during the cur- rent week maintained levels somewhat higher than those at which the month began, the elevating of schedules ex- ceeding any reductions in output to a noticeable degree, according to B. H. Cram, industry authority. The increases occurred in both the high and medium priced car flelds, while the low-priced class held to its previous levels. At the majority of plants. however, operating schedules we : the same as those of the previous week. Since the month opened with | increased activity at many factories and | as yet no indication of any marked cur- | ta‘iment in the industry as a whole has | appeared, 1t seems highly probable thn“ final tabulation of production figures for September will reveal a noticeable increase over August output. Production during the last month ex- c.eded that of July by about 13,000 units, final figures show. Jul{ output was estimated at approximately 517,000 \ EXPLAINS ITS SUCCESS There can be only one explanation of De Soto’s record-breaking first year, and its continued units, while in August approximately 530,000 units were produced. Sales in the field continue highly sat- isfactory and mo change is apparent in the volume for the current week, as compared with the previous period. As long as this most important factor re- mains favorable to manufacturers, there is Iittle likelthood of any startling changes being instituted in the operat- ing levels of plants. Retall sales the United States for the first eight months of 1829 were approximately 38 per cent greater than those in the corresponding period last year. Low-priced cars in general have furnished most of the in- crease. While there has been no slackening of operations by truck manufacturers, output has steadied and settled down to a more regular pace. The current week's production reveals almost no change. Sales are also continuing at their usual levels, with exports featuring the mar- ket's activity and large numbers of or- ders still coming in from the farmers. Nothing of an encouraging nature looms on the horizon of the tire indus- try to brighten the outlook. With the peak of replacement buying passed and the possibility of this market rising to | levels normally expected of it removed for the remainder of the year, abnor- mally heavy inventories assume a more serious aspect, as original equipment or- ders continue to decline. Curtailment of output continues a nearly all factories and production un doubtedly is due for still further re- ductions. Prices, both of crude rubber and retail tires, have shown practically no change. S Motion picture programs are being given on nearly all Atlantic liners. PLANTODRIVEQUT GYP' GAS DEALERS Association Members Say Autoist Will Derive Benefit From New Ethic Code. ‘The adoption of a national code of. ethics by the gasoline industry toward the motoring public, the chief benefit of which will be to drive the “gyp” dealer out of business, was character- ized yesterday by the American Motor- ists’ Association as a step in the right direction. The code becomes effective this month and will affect 471 gasoline dealers in the city and approximately 150 dealers in nearby Maryland and Virginia, “Motorists last year consumed over 11,000,000,000 gallons of gasoline, or 80 | per cent of the industry’s output,” the | assoclation's statement points out.| ‘The primary purpose of the code, which has been approved by the Fed- eral Trade Commission, is to improve | conditions in the gasoline industry. The benefits the motorists derive from | its adoption are largely indirect. “The gradual elimination of ‘gyp’ fill- ing stations and the assurance of better equipped and more efficiently operated service stations are three prime bene- fits which will accrue to the motoring public,” declares Thomas J. Keefe, general manager of the association, in commenting on the code. “Another phase of interest to the motorist is the prohibition against gaso- line stations charging other than the posted gasoline prices. Rule 17 of the code requires that all retailers and other operators serving consumers through service stations, garages, curb pumps or pumps located at bulk plants shall conspicuously post at the place from which delivery is made prices at which gasoline, kerosene and motor oils are sold. Rebates, concessions, gifts and special inducements for the pur- chase of gasoline are forbidden, thus assuring to all motorists a uniform price. “The motorist will hail with delight the idea of seeing the ‘gyp’ dealer driven out of business and of filling stations adopting a code of ethical prac- tices,” declares General Manager Keefe. “There has long been a need for an improvement.” Longer Handle for Jack. ‘The handle that comes with the jack in your new car is likely to be pretty short. This makes it difficult to use the jack, especially under the rear axle. You'll save a lot of labor and trouble if you provide yourself with a longer handle. e S e How to Cool Off Engine. 1f your engine is hot when you reach the top of a hill, it is not necessary to stop to let ®it cool off. It will cool more rapidly going down the other side ;): compression, with the fan function- 8. 5N ) TN Y MERIT ALONE progress toward new sales peaks. ¥ ¥ It is the result of a spontaneous and widespread public conviction that no equal for De Soto Six quality, performance and value exists today in the field of low-priced sixes. ¥ ¥ Each month, thousands of new De Soto Six owners are adding their voices to the great chorus of approval that has swept this car to unprece- dented success. ¥ ¥ Nothing is more certain than that your first ride in a De Soto Six will make you want to become a De Soto owner. E SOTO SIX CHRYSLER =\ MOTORS PRODUC v T @ 5 7 . DISTRICT MOTOR COMPANY New Car Sales 1337 14th St. Potomac 1000 MORELAND MOTOR CO. Waldorf, Md. (INCORPORATED) N.W. 1324 Used Car Sales 14th St. N.W. Potomac 1000 RONEY MOTOR CO. Frederick, Md. e 7 HUMAN ELEMENT 15 CRASH FACTOR - Frailty of Driver to Blame for Many Accidents, Despite Safeguards. A signboard 10 feet square, with the big-lettered words “Danger — Sharp Curve” clearly outlined against a back- ground of black and white stripes, is placed in plain view along a highway in Towa. Two people were recently placed in a hospital because they didn't see that warning. This merely illustrates that in auto- mobile accident prevention chief con- sideration must be given to the human equation, pErsonal element or whatever gthfi{ name can be applied to human railty. Accidents Are Increasing. State records show that 65 per cent or more of motor car accidents may be attributed to car operators and that from a tenth to a third of the mishaps are due to the negligence of pedestrians. Automobile accidents are increasing, taking the country as a whole. Car usage is growing for two reasons: Five thousand cars are added to those pres- ent every day and better roads and the tendency toward motorization lead to more intensive use of every motor car. Much can be done, of course, to cut down the human factor in accidents. Yet there is this, too, to be considered: Highway facilitles must be constructed that will reduce to a minimum the pos- sibility of human error in driving cars. High-Speed Car to Stay. Automobiles capable of high speeds are, without doubt here to stay, unless some faster means of transportation is created. Laws cannot train man to be a better judge of speed or distance, and so long as inadequate highway facili- ties exist car accidents will occur. Fortunately, for most safe highway facilities there is a dollars and cents’ justification. Highway grade separa- tions, whereby one road or street passes over another at intersections, compen- sate for their cost where traffic is heavy. Pedestrian tunnels, which permit foot traffic to pass safely and speedily under busy thoroughfares, also are econom- ically feasible. The same is true of rail- road-crossing separations, of double- decked highways, of wide streets and roads. ‘Twenty-seven thousand people are yearly dying in car accidents. That is too_man: Official Service - North East Electric Co. CREEL BROS. 1811 14th St. NW. Decatur 4220. B8 ¢\ ‘845 AT THE FACTORY 488