Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1912 — Ordinance Needed Regulating Aumobile Traffic. [ARTICLE]

Ordinance Needed Regulating Aumobile Traffic.

It is evident that Rensselaer will have to pattern after othei 1 towns and pass an ordinance regulating automobile traffic. They are becoming so thick and are operated without any rules of traffic in our streets to such an extent that unless an ordinance is adopted regulating them expensive and perhaps serious accidents will result. Such ordinances adopted in the more progressive cities and towns provide among other things, that all auto drivers shall keep to their respective sides of the street, to the right, and shall not be permitted to cross a street diagonally or turn? around within any business block. They must go to the street intersections if they wish to turn their machines around. They are also prohibited from operating their machines with the cut out open and thus making unnecessary and unearthly noise; from allowing smoke to issue from their machines; from running machines at night or allowing them to stand at the side of the street without both front and rear lights burning. Such an ordinance does much to insure safety to all traffic and foot passengers and the public in general. All unnecessary noise of operating machines—and operating with the muffler open is unnecessary—should be prohibited and is prohibited in many smaller cities and towns than Rensselaer.