In 1917, June McCarroll, a doctor by profession, was run off the road by a truck while driving to her California office. It was a significant moment in the history of the automobile. Driving in the early 20th century was a significant challenge, requiring considerable skill and patience. The automobile was still in its infancy, and many early cars were more like horse-drawn carriages. They were expensive, unreliable, and uncomfortable, and a trip from one city to another could take days or even weeks. Most roads were unpaved and in poor condition, and gasoline was purchased from convenience stores or drug stores. Traffic laws were still in their infancy.
American physician June McCarroll traveled extensively by car, visiting patients from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea in California. As darkness fell one autumn day in 1917, she was driving to her office in a Ford Model T. Suddenly, she noticed a large 10-ton truck heading straight at her, right across the middle of the road. McCarroll had to make a split-second decision and ended up on the sandy shoulder. The truck continued on, and the doctor had an idea that would forever change the standards of driving on the roads. "That's when I got the idea of a white line painted in the middle of the highways in the country as a safety measure," she later recalled. She reported the project to local authorities, but received no response. McCarroll, however, did not give up and painted a 4-inch stripe herself for about a mile along Indio Boulevard in Indio, California.
Initially, her initiative was met with resistance, so together with women's associations, she began to work on implementing her idea. An active, statewide letter-writing campaign proved effective, and in November 1924, McCaroll achieved her goal. California authorities passed a law introducing the new solution and divided the roadways into strips on 5,600 kilometers of state roads.
Word of the innovation on American highways spread around the world. The improvement in safety was noticed, so other countries, year after year, began to adopt similar solutions in their own countries. The horizontal marking system is now in force everywhere.
June McCarroll Memorial Plaque
McCarroll was not only the first female doctor in the Coachella Valley, but also the first female doctor to serve the five Native American reservations throughout the valley. Born in Kentucky on June 30, 1867, she attended medical school in Chicago and became one of the few women to establish a medical practice.
Dr. June's activities, as she was called, extended beyond medical care. Wanting to provide opportunities for her patients, she applied to have her home converted into a branch of the state library. And so, in September 1905, she established the first library in the valley. Open three afternoons a week, the library consisted of 50 to 100 volumes, which were changed every three months.
In addition to being a physician, she was also a talented artist who painted oils and watercolors. Her works were exhibited in numerous exhibitions, and some of them are still in private collections and museums. McCarroll was also a passionate social activist who got involved in various initiatives to improve the living conditions of her community. She was a member of the local Red Cross and worked for the advancement of education. June McCarroll died on March 30, 1954 at the age of 86. She combined creativity with determination, which allowed her to forever be written into the pages of history.
In 2002, McCarrol was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a prestigious hall of inventors who have made significant contributions to technology and society. This recognition is a testament to the importance and impact of her idea. Additionally, a section of Interstate 10 was named after her, the Dr. June McCarroll Memorial Freeway. A plaque commemorating her efforts was placed on a pillar at the corner of Smurr Street and Indio Boulevard, where she first knelt with a paintbrush in her hand.
Autos Editorial Team
