Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-07
". F. PEABODY PRAISES
real TRAFFIC SQUAD"
President of Washington Safety
First Association Writes Let
ter Commencing Congress.
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star
1t seems to me that a special vote
of thanks is due Congress for at last
providing Washington with what it
has needed for so long-a real traffic
squad.
Seventy persons killed last year
on our streets. the major portion oil
them after the excitement OF war
was over, is too many good lives to
be sacrificed to vehicles used largely
for pleasure.
We have men on our ponce Iorce
who have not only performed their
duty during the day and night IN
trying to prevent these accidents. but
have talked before organizations ana
worked otherwise for safety nrst. IN
their spare time-in short, are devot-
ing their lives to the work OF saving
the lives of others.
1t is to be hoped that these men VIII
be found in prominent places on the
new traffic squad and that careful
bers. so that only those really seri-
ously Interested in this important
work will be allowed on the squad.
Decrease in Accidents.
Wherever the fault may lie. we have
no reason to be proud Of our record OF
accident prevention in the past few years
When our safety-first association was
doing it's most active work IN educa :
ton. and the newspapers giving all
safety propaganda great prominence.
and the police were told to bring them
in if they were violating the law. and
let the Judge do the deciding, In those
days, in spite of increase in popuia :
ton and automobiles, we actually had
a decrease in the number of fatal &C
cidents.
But after it was decided that our
speed laws were archaic; fire stops
unnecessary; far-side stops for street
cars better than near-side stops;
slowing down at street intersections
silly and foolish; stopping behind
street cars too much trouble and traf-
fic laws generally too annoying to be
observed, then we had our increase in
accidents, where before we had de-
crease. And, strange to say. the
greatest increase was In accidents TO
vehiclists.
We are living in an age where the
microbe, as soon as it is discovered. is
so regulated and controlled that. al
though the population may increase,
it kills fewer persons than ever be-
fore; yet we seem helpless when we
undertake to regulate and control the
plainly visible cause of so many
deaths and injuries in traffic. While
the record of the past year is better
than 1918, the number of fatal acct
dents is still nearly twice as great as
it was in 1916.
Greater in Proportion.
It Is a question whether the in
crease in deaths has kept pace with
the increase in vehicles, but it is far
greater in proportion than the In
crease in population. and this is the
basis upon which the loss should be
reckoned. For if our health officers
contented themselves with counting
the statement that fewer persons were
dying in proportion to the number of
microbes than ever before. we would
soon look for some one else for the
job. We need regulation Of the traffic
80 that fewer lives will be sacrificed
in proportion to the number of per-
sons in our city.
the courts by the police indicate that
they are doing their duty under the
present arrangement and it is TO be
hoped that with a well organized
traffic squad we can get such good
results that the number of fatal acct
dents will at least be no greater in
proportion to the population than they
were q few years ago, when motor
vehicles were very numerous. II not
80 numerous as at present
II good trafnc squad is organized
and its members impressed with the
idea that laws were made to be en-
forced. and that the best way to get
rid of . bad law Is to strictly enforce
it, We should soon have a reduction
in accident1 which would place our
city once more in its old position
among the safest cities. so far as traf-
&c accidents are concerned.
w. F. PEABODY,
President washington Safety First As
sociatiun.