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Show Webb Barber Discusses Safety Problems On County's Highways By WEBB BARBER Safety on the highways is a topic for much cussing and discussing. But perhaps there would be less cussing if there was more discussing dis-cussing done, especially between the everage driver and people who know and understand the rules of the road and the dangers the average motorist faces. Our highways in Washington county are more dangerous tnan are the majority of highways in Utah, because of two things. One is the great number of quick turns and curves found in our county, the other is the great changes in elevation found in traveling from one side of our county to the other. Many people traveling through our county from other states and other counties coun-ties in this state have accidents because they are not used to driving driv-ing these curves and hills. Fast and careless driving by people of our county have also been responsible re-sponsible for some serious accidents. acci-dents. Most Serious Problem From a recent meeting with, and lectures from our state patrolmen, pa-trolmen, one of the most serious problems we have in our county is that of educating our youth, (under 16 years of age) ana some parents, that our state laws forbid for-bid driving on any public highway high-way by anyone under 16 years of age. So many times have boys and girls learned to drive before they reached the lawful age limit and then without their parents consent taken the family car out to give a group of friends a ride only to wreck the car and injure or perhaps kill some of the group, that it seems unwise even to allow a boy or girl to learn to drive until they reach the proper aBOne more problem that perhaps should be mentioned bicycles on the highways. Since gasoline rationing and tire restrictions there is an increase i .- . of bicycles on the highways, and sidewalks of our cities and towns in the county. Many of our young people, and some older people, are not aware that the the same traffic laws govern bicycles as o-overn automobiles on the highways. high-ways. Therefore, we need to (Continued on page eight) Safety Program (Continued from first page) teach "Rules of the Road", to our boys and girls. I believe every school in the county has spent considerable time discussing these rules with the students, but parents, also, must know and help to see that they are followed out. Ninety per cent or more of our bicycles are not equipped with the necessary safety devices required re-quired by the laws of this state. Since they are not, every one which appears on the highways, (especially at night) is creating a safety hazard. We, as parents, teachers and citizens of Washington county need to become more aware of safety on our highways. The other fellow is always the one who has the accident, but remember you are the other fel-I fel-I low to everybody else. |