Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-04-25
APPALLING LIST Of
HIGHWAY FATALITIES
TOO GREAT SPEED AND DISRE.
GARD OF SAFE DRIVING
CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE.
1919 PEOPLE KILLED IN IOWA
Total Number of People Injured In
Auto Accidents Totals
1884.

publication of the Iowa State High
way commission, in it's recent issue
gives considerable space to making
public a gruesome record of fatali-
ties due to careless driving of motor
cars on the highways of the state dur
ing the year 1916. The facts and
figures given in the account are taken
from newspaper accounts of accidents
and fatalities, and there is every rea-
son to believe that a large number Of
fatalities and accidents took place
about which the Highway Commission
had no way of getting any knowledge.
However, the number of deaths as
given by the Service bulletin are
appalling enough to deter wreckless
drivers.
We take from the Bulletin the fol-
lowing:
Iowa has a gruesome record Of 1919
people killed in highway accidents
during the year 1916. Fifty-three Of
these deaths came on railroad cross
ings. All told, newspaper clippings
carried reports of 2574 motor car ac-
cidents with more or less serious in
jury to 1884 persons. These records
are compiled entirely from newspaper
clippings. The commission has no
| other means aside from the clippings,
of securing this information. Inac-
curacies in dates, names and ad-
dress will quite likely be found in
these reports 1t is also quite likely
that there were additional deaths not
accounted for in this record and that
there were many more serious acct
dents.
"Too great speed for the condition
of the road and the traffic on it, is
responsible for the great majority Of
accidents. It would appear that fully
ninety per cent of the accidents are
from motor cars. A few accidents re-
suit from car breakages and con-
siderably larger number from mex
perienced drivers. The great major
ity are due to absolute recklessness.
1T is rather appalling, too, to con-
slider the number of accidents in
which lone driver of a car is found
dead or fatally hurt beneath his over
turned or wrecked car. Several men
during the past winter have been
found dead and their bodies frozen
solids indicating that they had lain
under their cars for heurs!a Instances
are on record ofca number of people
sometimes two or more in party, be-
ing pinned under overturned cars un-
able to extricate themselves until
some passing car brought assistance.
"A list of the people. killed in high
way ACCIDENTS 1919 Of them, bfellows
this article. It is placed here to, II
possible, shock drivers Of motor cars
into realization of the dangers of
too great speed, recklessness and dis
IcSdlu SAFETY COuulIAOuo Al IAC uSC
Of the highways. Had as many Amer
leans been killed by Mexican raiders
as Iowa citizens were killed by reck-
less car drivers on the highways of
the Hawkeye state during 1916, there
would have been bloody war be-
tween the two nations. -
ut is questionable whether legis-
lation of any kind prescribing a limit
of speed would be effective in reduc-
ing the number Of reckless drivers.
Cancellation of right to drive a car
would, if enforced, bring results. The
only effective way to curb the speed
evil would be to forbid the sale of
high speed cars, for there are reck-
less and careless drivers who will
continue to have accidents as long as
they are allowed to run cars on the
...E..
1916 Highway Fatalities.