| Show reckless passing driving on wrong side of road causes traffic deaths hy by dr walter A cutter administrative assistant center for safety education new york university the latest available figures indicate indicate that moie than lo 10 ll 11 percent of the motorists involved in all fatal accidents were driving on the wrong side of the road on rural this is the third of a series of 10 articles on street and high may isay safety written by nationally recognized accident prevention specialists and published by this nes newspaper paper in the interests of greater traffic safety and sponsored by the morgan lions club highways about 13 out of every K 0 fatal accidents can be attributed to passing too fast too soon too late or with too little thought the inherent risk involved in in passing is the unknown vertical curves hills or a roadway may restrict vision and hide vehicles just beyond the area of vision horizontal curves often conceal what lies ahead and approaching vehicles frequently blend decap with the background passing on the wrong side is is often the cause of an accident the safest practice and generally the only lawful one is to pass on the left multiple lane express highways and street cars sometimes provide exceptions to this rule misjudging the speed of other cars is another cause of mishaps about the only way the speed and distance of an oncoming vehicle can be judged is the rapidity with which it passes such landmarks as telephone poles billboards and buildings and this comparatively accurate judgment can only be made when the car approaches from directly ahead there is always the danger that the passing driver may be forced to swing back to original position in the line because oncoming fic has made it unsafe to complete the he pass many times the drivers original position on the highway has las already been filled to guard against this if the driver will ease case lis his vehicle slightly over the center line at a safe distance to the rear of the vehicle in front and assure himself of enough distance ahead to complete the pass he can always swing safely back in line if f necessary in general a clear open road of approximately 1000 feet and an alIo allowable wable time interval of 12 seconds is a safe margin in addition accident prevention authorities recommend these special precautions I 1 A standing street car or bus taking on or discharging passengers should never be passed on the right unless the landing area is protected by a safety zone 2 vehicles should not pass on approaching curves crests of hills railroad grade crossings or at any intersections 3 never attempt to pass vehicles that are travelling tra velling at top speed or at maximum safe speed and never never attempt to pass when the required passing speed 1 is greater than that allowed by the local speed law 4 indicate well in advance the desired pass either by shifting position of the car caiz into the corr correct act lane or by the use of hand sign signals ais or both the urge to pass every vehicle is an indication of emotionalism emotional immaturity and has no place in the mind of the expert driver and the driver who makes it as difficult as possible for other cars to pass him is equally childish and dangerous nearly everyone has at some time been the near victim of the eager beaver who due to some psychological quirk in his makeup make up cannot bear to s stay y behind the car ahead or the road hog who straddles the center line refusing to share the highway with anyone not complying with his prescribed rate of speed the rule keep to the right except when afien passing should be adhered to by all motorists ator whether the they y are mo moving ing at 20 or at 50 miles an hour bour |
