Editorials

MARCH, 1937 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ARIZONA HIGHWAYS 11

PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF GOOD ROADS BY THE ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT JOHN C. MCPHEE, EDITOR CIVILIZATION FOLLOWS THE IMPROVED HIGHWAY

XIII MARCH, 1937 No. 3

R. C. STANFORD, GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA

ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION

SHELTON G. DOWELL, Chairman, Douglas J. W. ANGLE, Vice-Chairman, Tucson R. G. LANGMADE, Commissioner, Phoenix A. R. LYNCH, Assistant Attorney General, Special Counsel E. C. SEALE, Commissioner, Prescott JOHN M. SCOTT. Commissioner, Holbrook M. L. WHEELER. Secretary, Phoenix

GENERAL OFFICE

SID SMYTH, Deputy State Engineer D. B. HUTCHINS, Vehicle Superintendent R. A. HOFFMAN, Bridge Engineer E. V. MILLER. Engineer of Plans J. W. POWERS, Engineer of Materials W. L. CARPENTER, Superintendent of Equipment SWAN A. ERICKSON. Engineer of Certification J. R. VAN HORN, Traffic and T. S. O'CONNELL, State Highway Engineer J. S. MILLS, Engineer of Estimates H. C. HATCHER, Statistical Engineer W. M. MURRAY. Superintendent of Stores THOMAS RUMANS, Patrol Superintendent JACK SHEELEY. Right-of-Way Agent W. F. FRERICHS. Purchasing Agent State-Wide Planning Engineer

FIELD ENGINEERS

GEORGE B. SHAFFER, District Engineer District No. 1 F. N. GRANT, District Engineer District No. 2 R. C. PERKINS, District Engineer District No. 3 W. R. HUTCHINS, District Engineer District No. 4 PERCY JONES, Chief Locating Engineer

ILLUMINATING OUR HIGHWAYS

THE close relationship which has proved to exist between light and accidents should be reason enough for most of us for the trial installation of modern lighting systems along dangerous spots and stretches of our main highways.

We all know of some danger spots or stretches along main highways leading into cities where night accidents occur regularly. These are ideal places where we should give lighting a chance to prove its worth. These are the spots where we should arrange for or support steps leading toward trial or permanent installations providing long-range visibility without dangerous glare.

The one black mark which seems to continue to resist the efforts of all those interested in highway safety is the death and accident rate on our rural state highways. The preponderance of these accidents and fatalities are occuring at night. The Commissioners and others interested in safety who have compiled the record of accidents have been aware of this fact for a number of years, and have expressed themselves forcibly from time to time upon this condition.

Lack of funds and a lack of interest on the part of the general public have, of course, prevailed against any great steps being taken to illuminate the highways, thereby making an appreciable decrease in the accidents during the night hours. During the past year, however, we can see a great improvement in the publicity in the newspapers, not only by subscribers, but also by the editors calling for studies of our highways with the view of adding illumination wherever it is necessary and feasible.

Surely the need for a remedy to decrease night automobile fatalities is obvious when we find them increasing yearly, while daytime deaths decrease, despite the fact that four-fifths of all traffic is in the daytime.

The consensus of opinion is that drivers operate too fast for night conditions, and the fact that most state highways are unlighted presents an additional hazard. The relationship between light and traffic accidents has been definitely established. Surveys by Travelers Insurance Company, and others interested in night safety, prove that efficient illumination cuts night accidents in half. The installation of permanent lamps capable of providing this efficient illumination along the danger spots on state highways therefore has merit, and is being adopted or financed by a number of county and state highway departments.

Permanent illumination has been proved to facilitate the movement of traffic in localities where severe fogs are prevalent, particularly in the states of Washington and California.

Another strong argument for permanent lighting systems on main state highways is the fact that these systems make the use of bright headlights unnecessary, and therefore eliminate dangerous glare. Even if headlights are not turned down or depressed, the increased visibility along permanently lighted highways tends to suppress glare.

WE THANK YOU

WITH this issue of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, the writer concludes more than two years of service as editor to accept a position with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He is grateful to the Commission, the various departments, contributors and advertisers for their fine spirit of cooperation without which ARIZONA HIGHWAYS probably never would have attained its present popularity.

OUR COVER PICTURE

GLAMOROUS Grand Canyon at sunset. Fantastic shadows bewitch visitors to this world wonder. Photo by Norman G. Wallace.

HORNING INTO TROUBLE BUTTON, button, who's got the button? Well, it's easy to figure it out in this case. There's nothing more disconcerting to the driver having trouble with his engine than the insane toot of some impatient nitwit behind. Has the car been stalled just to block traffic? It has not! Is it going to help any in starting the engine? Emphatically no; quite to the contrary, this sort of duress arouses within the average man that little germ of stubborness which we all possess and after the first barrage of toots the driver having the trouble will take his own good time fixing it.

TRAFFIC GOAT GETTERS By NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL INC.

LISTEN, BLOW HARD, THAT HORN BUTTON WONT START MY CAR' HONK: HIX HONKI HONK! HONK