Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-28
FIFTY EACH WEEK
KILLED BY AUTOS

Omaha Neb., Feb. 2S-Fifty to sew
enty-five persons are being killed in
the United States every week and
forty to fifty are being injured every
"a hours by automobile mishaps,
largely due to reckless driving, &C.
cording to reports being compiled by
Chief of Police Dunn OF Omaha for
the use of the National Association
of Police Chiefs in the fight Of that
organization to prevent motor car ac-
oidents.
Chief Dunn has Just made public
the report of automobile accidents for
the five weeks ending Jan. %, and the
statistics show that in that period
2OS persons met death in these mis-
haps, while 1920 were injured. The
number of accidents was 1,275.
In this report are included only
automobile accidents which occurred
in those cities and towns which main
tain police organizations. According
! TO Chief Dunn there are almost as
many accidents in the country and
in villages as there are in the cities
and larger towns.
The National Association OF Police
| Chiefs is preparing a nationwide cru
sade against reckless automobiling
and to Chief Dunn has been delegated
the gathering of statistics. At the
coming annual convention Of the
| chiefs, a set of laws will be prepared
! from the combined experiences of all
members of the association and every
city and town in the United States
and Canada will be asked to place
these in effect.
In the five weeks covered by the
report deaths from automobile acct
dents occurred in 80 states OF the un-
ion and in three provinces Of Canada
New Hampshire was the only state in
which there was neither death nor
accident.
New York headed the list with 2S2
accidents, in which 81 met death and
1888 were injured Pennsylvania 12O
accidents were responsible for II
deaths and 119 injuries and came sec,
ond on the list.
New Jersey with only SO accidents
to it's credit, killed 10. In Illinois
there were so accidents, which result
ed In II deaths and 81 injuries. Fash
ionable Providence was exceeded only
by New York and San Francisco in
the number Of accidents, Chicago
Philadelphia, Boston and other much
larger cities being left far behind
Rhode Island small as it is, had 4C
accidents, killed five persons and IN
jured AZ, while Texas reported only
five accidents, no fatalities and only
four injuries.
Accidents at railroad crossings
we're responsible for 33 smashups anC
, 6j injuries and fatalities.
/ AS an indication Of the alarming
, increase in the number Of automobil,
accidents ard the menace of the reck
less driver. Chief Dunn has called at
tention to the report issued some day
ago by Mr.. Hill, president Of the low
State Travelling Mems association, Il
which the members OF that body wer
called upon to take some action cover
ing the havoc which automobiles ar
: working with the funds as well a
with the members OF the organiza
ton
Mr. Hills statement was that 4
e per cent Of all death claims last yea
D were caused by automobiles, Will
. Is per cent os the indemnity claim
were from the same source. n 191
! the Travelling Mems association \
q Iowa paid benefits TO 679 member
njured while operating machines, 40
i while Messengers and 157 member
r who were simply innocent bystanderI
2 when injured by others. A total o
= $4,000 was paid out last year by thii
association for automobile accidents.