The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-01

~ Quoted in a number of til cities of
the United States with a view t. reeue ng
the number of accidents on streets in
business houses and in the hones. Care-
lessness is rated as the most prollfic eau 'e
of accidents not only in manufactni
plants but on the streets and in the hon
as we'll, and it is for the purpose OF ecu
eating the people to be careful that the
campaigns are being made.
This movement is being promoted by
the National Safety Council which will
hold four-day conference in Cleveland,
Ohio, October IA, next
The Alabama Safety association, of
which j. B. McClary is president is affil-
lated with the national body. The Ala
bama organization, however, confines it's
operations to mining and industrial work,
and so far has not branched out into gen
eral safety activities.
A bulletin just issued by the National
Safety Council states that "While the in
dustrial accident rate has declined stead
lily, and in many plants has become nil, &C
cidents on the streets have increased
greatly, due, largely, to the increasing
number of motor vehicles. Ten years of
accident prevention work has demons
trated these two vital facts:
First, that three-fourths of all deaths
and serious injuries resulting from acct
dents in industries can be eliminated.
Second, that not more than one-third
of the possible reduction in accidents can
be accomplished through mechanical
guards; two-thirds must-be accomplished
through education"
In Birmingham hardly day passes
that one or more accidents do not occur
in the streets resulting in serious injuries.
In most instances these accidents could be
avoided by the exercise of reasonable
care or caution. Drivers of motor vehi-
cles are not always to blame, though they
contribute largely to the negligence that
causes the accidents. Pedestrians often
cross the streets without looking either to
the right or the left, and when run down
by an automobile or other vehicle these
are the loudest in the condemnation of the
driver. For their own carelessness they
are ever ready and willing to shift the re-
sponsibility to Others
Possibly 80 per cent of the owners and
drivers Of automobiles and trucks are
careful and prudent. They have due
regard for the safety of others as we'll as
for themselves, but the other ten per cent
more often than otherwise have no regard
IOT Cllo TlgllLS OIL Outlets. Iu0Sc dI0 LIlc
persons that should be denied the right of
privilege of driving cars. They are a
menace to the community and make it
harder for those who try to observe the
law and the rights of pedestrians and
other users Of the streets, which belong to
the public and not to- any one class of
citizens.
1t is not an infrequent thing to see per-
sons attempt to run across the street in
front of an approaching automobile or
truck when the exercise of little COM
mon sense would hold them back the few
seconds necessary for the vehicle to>pass
and leave the way open for them.
Only recently woman leading two small chill
dren was seen to dart between heavy horse
dray and big automobile both going in the same
direction the automobile passing the horses
heads just as the woman attempted to pass be-
: tween. Unnecessary to say she was struck by the
tongue of the dray and knocked down. Two or
three men witnessing the incident fastened to her
assistance and that of the two small children, and,
fortunately, all were saved from injury. The
driver succeeded in stopping the horses hefore
they stepped on her
When she had been extricated from the danger-
Gus situation the woman began violent trade
against the drivers of the automoble AND Ehe dray