Backing.
—Mr. L. A. Held, adjuster for the American Railway Express Company, writing in the Express Messenger of July, 1922, says:
In those claims presented for damage arising out of accidents caused by our vehicles backing, settlement in most every case is necessary as there is not the slightest chance of successfully defending an action for damages resulting from such an accident. The handling of an automobile while in reverse calls for the greatest care and continual vigilance. It is not sufficient to merely look once before starting to back. On the contrary, the operator should continually watch the rear of his truck and take almost extraordinary precautions to see that no harm befalls any person or property.
Where there is no one to guide him, it becomes quite difficult to avoid collisions, especially in congested thoroughfares, for truth to tell, there appears to be an absolute lack of road courtesy on the part of most automobile drivers. When more than one man is assigned to a vehicle, the helper should take the position on the ground where he has an unobstructed view of traffic and pedestrians approaching from all directions. This by no means is always done. It can be accounted for by no other reason than neglect and laziness.
What Mr. Held says regarding express trucks applies with equal force to all other motor cars.