—Every car is supposed to be equipped with a good horn and it should be used with caution when necessary but never when unnecessary or so often as to become a nuisance. Horns should be regulated by law in just the same manner as lights. The standard horn is one which honks, not one which whistles or screeches. The siren is almost universally the property of fire-fighting motors and many cities reserve its use to the fire departments, making it a misdemeanor for any one else to use it. Screeching and whistling horns should be relegated to the scrap pile. The honking horns are now so well recognized that every one knows what they mean, and if they are used properly and not too close to crossings will not frighten the pedestrian. If honked too close a pedestrian may become excited and rush back right in front of the car. Boys, and bicycles should not be allowed to have honking horns, they should belong exclusively to the automobile.
Stopping Cars on Grades, Streets, etc.
—The stopping of machines on grades without thoroughly braking them or blocking the wheels, or leaving them without wheels blocked on ferries may be and has been productive of accidents. September 3, 1922, the papers reported that a taxi which had been left on the brink at Niagara Falls and whose brakes failed to hold, had carried a woman passenger over the cliff to her death.
Trucks, delivery wagons, ice-wagons, etc., frequently stop back of the line of parked automobiles in the street restricting the way and causing all passing vehicles to go over to the wrong side of the street thus congesting traffic and furnishing a source of danger. Deliveries should, if possible, be made at the alley or rear entrance. If that is impossible space might be reserved at each end of the block for this purpose. There must also be space reserved at the ends of blocks for the entry and discharge of street car and bus passengers. Likewise the space about a fire hydrant should be kept absolutely clear.
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.