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Show SAYS MOTORIST IS BEST WALKER Driving Has Taught Them Lessons of Safe Pedestri-anism, Pedestri-anism, Says Smith. Whoever may be impressed with the Idea that automoblling is making people peo-ple forget how to walk will do well to revise that Impression. This Is the conclusion reached by Ernest N. Smith, general manager of the American Automobile association, after gathering some statistics on the subject and making some personal observations. ob-servations. Few Drivers Caught. According to Mr. Smith, comparatively compara-tively few automobile drivers are caught off their guard when walking, a majority of pedestrian accidents involving in-volving persons who have had no experience ex-perience in handling cars. "Automoblling is teaching people how to walk safely," he explains. "An active motorist is also an active walker, walk-er, for In using the car he has additional addi-tional need for walking in congested districts. He knows which way to look when he steps across a one-way street, and when crossing at crossings he is aware of the ever-present hazard of the car that Is making a right-hand turn. "When the automobile driver walks he does It In a competent manner, and when he crosses streets at policed intersections in-tersections he makes allowances for the inability of the officer to look out for every one. Automoblling shows the motorist a perfect picture of the danger he faces as a pedestrian, and so when he walks he conducts himself accordingly. No Judge of Distance. "Persons who do not drive motor cars have no conception of speed or stopping distance. They see traffic from a narrow angle, being unable to see hazards in their proper proportions. propor-tions. The real dangers often escape their attention while they are busy worrying over things that would not be likely to harm them. "Automoblling is not making people forget how to walk. On the contrary, it is making them learn to walk in a way that befits the modern age." |