Evening journal., 1916-01-03
MONDAY JAN. 8. 1916
ArrOMOBlLT MORTALITY.

VET1LAINGTON is about TO have its second annual
w automobile show. Il will he held this month in
the Hotel dupont ITS purpose will be to stimulate
public interest automobiles and automobling and 10
lead TO increased sales of machines, accessories and
supplies in this city and the territory contiguous there
to. II the show is to be a success as commercial
proposition the public must be convinced that the use
OF the automobile for purposes Of pleasure and bus-
viii carry with elements Of safety and economy,
particularly the former Many persons who can well
afford to own cars arc deferred getting them be-
cause injury death will result from their
operation.
These are days of high-tension news services. The
details Of automobile trip that has been featured by
disaster ae flashed from end TO end Of the nation.
Nothing Is said. however of the millions of auto trips
taken that day that pleasant. profitable
and devoid Of tragic or other untoward incident. Nor
rule do the dispatches Of disaster set forth the
fact that rule, such accidents were due TO reck
less operation and not TO mechanical imperecton
In other words the public has one-sided view Of
the dangers that attend automobile ownership and
operation. II fails to appreciate the fact that fully
nino-tenhs the accidents that due to the
reckessness or the careessnes of operators and that
with the exercise of ordinary and intelligence the
automobile is OF the safest and most delightful f
the many vehicles used for transportation.
ID is impossible for the manufacturers to make their
machines absolutely foo-proof And yet they have
done much in that direction in recent They can
not, however prevent person at the wheel sending
his car on the railroad track in front of rapidly
moving train; they cannot control him IL he be dis
posed 20 dash around a short curve at speed that
violates .he most essential principles Of the law OF
gravity short, they cannot control absolutely the
human element in the situation except in so far as it
may possible do through system of education
in which safety grst is vital factor
And yet with it ALL the mortality statistics bearing
upon the automobile traffic exceedingly encourage
ing That IS showa by statistics compiled by the
United States Census Bureau and just made public
The investigators directed to return definite
answer to the question.
"ls the deadliness of the automobile increasing or
decreasing"
This question seems to be answered in very con-
elusive by the Bureau in the preliminary NOR
tay statistics for the year 1914 which indicates that
durng The hve years from 1909 TO 1914 tho number
OF automobiles in in the United States Increased
than twice rapidly the number of fatalities
caused by them.
At the -lose of 1909 according to figures compiled
by the National Automobile Chamber Of Commerce, of
New York City from state registration reports. due
allowance being made for duplicate registrations the
number Of automobiles in in the United States was
approximately 100000; by the close of 1913 it had
risen TO l27OO0o and year later at the end of 1914
il was i.75o0Oo.
In the meantime the number Of deaths due to auto
mobile accidents and injuries increased from 632 IN
the doath-reeisraton area i'm 1909 containing 56 pei
in the same area in 1914; and the increase from l9i'
to 1914 the registration area as constituted II
1913 then containing G5 per cent OF the population
the country from BASS to 2,7s5.
The statistics show that one-year increase o
3S per cent. in number of machines has been accom-
panied by increase of only - cent i'm fatalities
Perhaps a reliable comparison, from the sta
tisiicans point OF view, be made between the in
crease in number of automobiles in use and the in
crease in the rate per 100000 population for death
caused by them. This is because. with given numbe
Of machines in in given the fatalities du
to them will tend to he proportional to the populato
Of that era. When the comparison is made ON thi
basis 4 appears that hve-year increase OF 775 pc
cent in number Of machines has been accompanied h
an increase 25S per centfrom 2 to 4.3 per 100
200 population-in the death rate resulting from az
tomobne fatalities. similarly one-year increase
3S per cent in number of automobiles has taken pla'
along with an increase Of only 10 per cent-from 8
TO 43 per lOOO0O-in the death rate charged to them.
One cause of this proportional decrease in
destructiveness Of the automobile is asserted to
found in a reduction in average annual mileage p
machine; but after suitable margin is allowed +
possible error resulting from inaccuracy in the es
mated portion of the mobileesatistcs. the fgur
sti appear TO furnish ample justification for the co
clusion that the automobile today is being driven wi
more care and more regard for public safety than
was a few years ago.
These are sacts and figures which Wilmingtonia
and others should keep in mind when they attend {
local Automobile Show month for the purpose
deciding whether they shall purchase a and, if
what make OF machine They should remember Ii