Hogging The Road

BY: Clayton Herald

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF GOOD ROADS BY THE

ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

VOL. V. No. 7

ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION

I. P. McBride, Chairman, Globe Monte Mansfield, Commissioner, Tucson Samuel R. Trengove, Commissioner, Prescott Jas. F. McDonald, Vice-Chairman, Bisbee W. R. Wayland, Commissioner, Phoenix M. C. Hankins, Secretary, Phoenix

GENERAL OFFICE

W. W. Lane. State Highway Engineer C. C. Small W. R. Hutchins, Deputy State Engineer Office Engineer M. H. Hasler, Equipment Engineer E. M. Whitworth, Vehicle Superintendent R. A. Hoffman, J. W. Powers, Bridge Engineer Engineer of Materials E. V. Miller, J. S. Mills, Engineer of Plans Engineer of Estimates. J. P. Dillon Ira W. Wagnon, Right-of-Way Agent Purchasing Agent R. L. Jones, Chief Accountant A. H. Lind, Superintendent Stores

FIELD ENGINEERS

R. C. Perkins T. S. O'Connell, Construction Engineer Construction Engineer, Northern District Southern District F. N. Grant, Percy Jones, Maintenance Engineer Maintenance Engineer, Northern District Southern District. Geo. B. Shaffer, Paving Engineer

VINCENT J. KEATING, EDITOR

Subscription rates, $1.00 per year. Single copy 10 cents Advertising rates furnished on request Address All Communications to Editor ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT PHOENIX, ARIZONA

WATCH YOUR STEP

Arizona's accident toll for the first six months of 1929 totaled 167, resulting in the deaths of 12 motorists, serious injuries to 55 and minor injuries to 46, according to announcement by E. M. Whitworth, superintendent of the Motor Vehicle Division of the Arizona Highway Department.

Seventy-eight of these accidents are attributed to careless driving and 51 to reckless driving with the drunken driver responsible for four. The remained is attributed to mechanical defects, defective lights, headlight and sun glare and wet weather.

The number of cars involved is listed at 289 and motor vehicles in collisions with other motor vehi-cles are numbered at 120.

Licenses revoked for drunk driving, the report shows, numbered 28.

Six hundred and sixty-eight cars were stolen during the period and 605 were recovered, showing a recovery percentage of 90.5, the report shows.

In view of the number of accidents in this short period it behooves motorists to watch their step.

They should keep a light foot on the accelerator, their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.

GAS TAX AVERAGE 3.72 CENTS

Eighteen states have increased their gasoline taxes during the past winter, either by legislative action or by vote of the people at the polls last November. Two states which did not have gasoline taxes now have them, New York starting with 2 cents and Illinois with 3. The average rate for the forty eight states is now 3.72 cents per gallon. One state, South Carolina, went over the nickel a gallon rate and collects six cents. Ten states have the 5 cent rate and eighteen collect 4 cents a gallon, Utah's rate is 31½ cents, eleven states levy 3 cents and only seven now collect 2 cents a gallon.

Among the neighboring states, Wisconsin and Missouri still retain the 2 cent rate, Iowa and North Dakota get 3 cents, South Dakota, Nebraska and Indiana collect 4 cents and Montana is in the 5 cent class.

The tax is added to the price of gasoline, yet the average price including the tax is less than the price in 1920, before the gasoline tax was tried out in any state. In 1920 the motorist got only gasoline, today he gets both gasoline and good roads for his money.

Auto owners are of one mind in the belief that the time is not far away when it is going to be necessary to frame some sort of special legislation covering the operation of trucks on public highways, since there is a growing tendency on the part of many truck owners to "hog the road." The man operating a heavy truck is in a position to make driving very difficult for others. They have size and weight that gives them the advantage in a collision with a passenger sedan or light touring car; they can get just far enough over the road to make passing them dangerous, and without fear of consequence to the truck. And many drivers of trucks realize this advantage, and actually take it. There seems to be no relief at present from the truck driver who is without common courtesy or who wants to "hog the road" because he knows his vehicle is heavy enough to withstand damage in case of collision.Trucks are indispensable, and modern business demands them. But that does not prevent the passage of highway laws to regulate their operation and to protect the drivers of lighter cars. Slayton Herald.

OUR COVER PAGE

The cover page of the August issue is a scene of Prescott, the mile high city in the Bradshaw's looking down from west Gurney street.