The New York State Driver’s Manual is revised from time to time as new vehicle and traffic laws are added and others are changed. The 1951 state driver’s manual has some very interesting information, dating back over 70 years ago. It is half the size of today’s manual, with only 39 pages, compared with 108 pages in the current manual.

In 1951, the basic speed limit in New York was 50 mph, and you were in violation if you exceeded that speed for greater than a quarter of a mile. In spite of relatively inexpensive gasoline, the 1951 manual states that “high speeds are uneconomical” and that “high speed increases gas and oil consumption and shortens the life of the tires.”

Street cars (trolleys) were common in 1951, and the law required a motorist to “always stop 7 feet (8 feet in New York City) from the nearest door of a standing streetcar, and not start until the streetcar door closed and all pedestrians are safely out of your way.” It was also illegal to pass a streetcar on the left unless it was on a one way street.

Despite many fewer vehicles and far fewer miles traveled, according to the ’51 manual, there were 1,947 traffic fatalities in New York state. In 2021, there were 1,126, a testament to the safety improvements engineered into our streets and highways and our vehicles. At the time the 1951 manual was written, there were more pedestrians killed than both drivers and occupants of automobiles.

Some other interesting requirements from the 1950s include:

— You were only permitted to go through an amber traffic signal if it had changed from green to amber after you entered the intersection, or so close that the suddenness of your stop would have caused the car behind to hit you.

— Left turns at intersections were made by keeping to the right of the intersection’s center (except in New York City).

— Horns were to be used when overtaking and passing other cars.

— The 1951 manual stated to “always drive with a window of your car open sufficiently for proper ventilation to prevent the collection of poisonous monoxide gas in your vehicle.”

— Before receiving your license, you were required to take a four-part examination consisting of an English test, a vision test, written test and driving test.

–Any person holding a license must be re-examined to determine qualifications to retain license when involved in three reportable accidents (crashes) within 18 months. Reportable accidents (crashes) are defined when injury of any nature or death results or property damage in excess of $50 to any one person, including yourself, except when vehicle is properly parked and unattended.

— Passing any vehicle on the right (unless it was waiting to make a left turn) was against the law, except in New York City.

There are many other surprising differences from the 1951 manual, but I hope you will enjoy a taste of the past. Because there are no requirements for periodic refresher training under New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, I hope these columns provide a useful educational tool.