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Show . . , : ) WIDER ROADS ARE SAFETY SOLUTION As you drive over the narrow ribbon of paved highway such as constitutes the bulk of our hard-surface roads, has it ever occurred oc-curred to you that the average automobile driver must have a good sense of judging distances, good eyesight and steady nerves, to pass another car at high speed without more accidents than the large total recorded? So great is the danger of accidents on narrow highways thatj engineers are suggesting remedies such as: "1, roads at least 18 feet wide, 20 if possible; 2, widen the dangerous 'bottle necks;' 3, build by-pass roads through traffic, thereby relieving congestion conges-tion in the cities' busy districts; 4, construct permanent roads that lead immediately into the cities, at least 40 feet wide; 5, provide at intervals of not more than 300 feet, level parking places entirely off the main traveled roads." Public opinion is aroused on the question of widening roads and thus making them safer but it will take organized effort to secure remedies such as are suggested. Western states are progressing rapidly with a program of widening highway pavements by building 2-foot shoulders on each side of 1 6-foot pavement and, in addition, putting two feet of crushed rock along the newj shoulders. This gives 20' feet of pavement and four feet of rock, which virtually makes a 24-foot hard-surface highway. Such construction produces a satisfactory road at a minimum of expense. |