Show Suits On Road Signs Si ns Recently a Washington State Supreme Court Ruling made cities generally vulnerable for responsibility suits where ac accidents accidents accidents ac- ac can be bc proven to be caused by inadequate or substandard substandard substandard sub sub- standard road signs Da Davis vis County's City Officials were told at Thursdays Thursday's monthly co coordination coordination coordination co- co ordination meeting E. E PAUL Gilgen Secondary Roads Engineer with the State Highway Department was one of the speakers on a program concerning roads of Interest to those in Davis County He completed his resume of action to be taken on roads with the warning about the need to start starton on a regular program of standardizing standardizing standardizing stand stand- signs He said Utah Law requires all local governmental units to install traffic control de devices devices devices de- de vices in accordance with standards standards standards stand stand- ards set forth by the Uniform Manual on Traffic Control Devices Devices De De- Dc- Dc vices which Is a nationwide rec rec- and has been bee n adopted into Utah Law HE SAID the Utah S Safety a f e t y Council admits the cost of such sucha a signing and marking program may be substantial but one damage suit award would far exceed the cost of such a pro pro- gra gram m. m The Washington case Involved a tragic accident In Yakima County where a car carrying five youths plunged off the road and tumbled down downa a ravine killing killIng killing kill- kill Ing one of the boys and seriously serious serious- ly injuring three others The Supreme Court ruled that the county was negligent In not placing signs indicating a safe speed as well as for failure states state's stand stand- to conform confor m to the ards ESTIMATES have been made that there are 50 million road signs along the nations nation's high high- ways As many as 40 per cent may be out of date In Ossining New York a motorist won a damage suit against the city after he was involved In an accident caused by a missing stop sign The town had to make a special bond Issue to meet the Judgment and raised taxes as a result IN ANOTHER case a widow in Illinois won a case against the city of Moline because traffic traffic traffic fic signals at an intersection had been installed but were broken at the time of or the ac accident accident accident ac- ac causing her husbands husband's death In Fresno Calif a man with witha a heart ailment aUment died after an accident that resulted because tree II limbs obscured a city stop sign Fresno has had other bad experiences wit with h detic deficient I en t signs the mayor and top of officials officials officials of- of of the Chamber of Commerce Commerce Commerce Com Com- merce were killed In an ac accident accident accident ac- ac resulting from an il illegible illegible illegible il- il legible traffic sign MR GILGEN recommended that local authorities follow a minimum recommended height for signs seven feet except In cases where the motorist comes upon the sign too suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly and may not see it unless it were lower Mr Gilgen said that normally such a height reduces vandalism by youngsters youngsters youngsters young young- marking the signs He suggests that anyone observing ob- ob observing observing ob ob- serving acts of vandalism re report report report re- re port the offenders if known and the incident He suggested that driver education instructors instructors instructors tors emphasize the need for well-kept well signs and for observing observing observing ing them He said the State Highway Department offers a reward for the apprehension sion and conviction of ot anyone vandalizing signs THE CHAIRMAN of the Davis County Board of Commissioners Commission Commission- ers Stanley M. M Smoot told Mr I I Gilgen that Davis County i is s currently in the process of or up updating updating updating up- up dating its signs |