The New York herald., 1920-12-06
3,8OS DEATH TOLL
BY AUTOMOBILES
DURING LAST YEAR
Rate of AL of Every lOO,-
600 Population Reported
Killed in 1919.
MOST VICTIMS IN n. Y.
Youngstown, Ohio, Heads
Nations Mortality List
With a Rate of 28.5.
PERILS ARE INCREASING
Census Burean Issues State
ment Offering Suggestions
to Check Growing Menace.
pERILs ARE INCREASING

WASHINGTON Dec 5.--A total OF 5.SOS
persons were killed In automobile acci-
dents, or died as q result Of injuries
,herefrom, during the last year. the
Census Bureau announced to-day In a
statement offering suggestions for traf-
flo Improvement. An automobile acci-
dent death ratio OF 14.1 out OF every
100. 900 OF population was reported for
1919, an increase over every year since
1915, when the rate was SO, and an
increase OF 245 in the total number OF
deaths over 1918.
Each year II becomes more and more
dangerous for person to walNs the
streets the Census Bureaus statement
said "The reason usually given, and
probably the correct one, is that the
number Of automobiles IN use ia, con-
stantly increasing. How. then, shall this
ever increasing danger be lessened? The
obvious remedy Is to Improve constantly
the traffic regulations to keep pace with
The ever increasing number OF automo-
biles.
This call for better traffic regulations
IS not fanclful one. Every one Is familiar
with the necessity for slow and orderly
progress when q crowd cu1erges from a
circus tent ard: sinlila-lH, automobile
traffic must be slowod down and con-
troiled until Il Jeconnes safe.
Decrease in some Cities.
"The 1919 rates sos Kansas City. Mo-;
san Antonio ar1 Cleveland. all much
over than FOR lSls furnish 4 ray Of
hope that We arc finally waking up"
Suggestions made ~ the bureau for
fr>a fT5, tr1r,r0vnf,orff r0Liov.
Erection at street crossings OF curbed
safety Islands which at The most dan
gerous SPOT sloi'd be very cioso to-
ecther
Construction Of additional crossings IN
he middle cg blocks. where automobiles
can approach from only two directions.
Demonstration OF great skill In driv-
ing each machine before granting a
driver 2 license for that machNe.
Reduction Of the speed limit, especially
at crossings
Fine. revocation Of license and impris-
onnent, each TO have its place as an ac-
tual penalty.
Youngstown. Ohio. heads the list OF
slxtysix cities in the automobile death
rate with 2s.5 per 100000. but showed a
decrease from the previous year, when
The rate was 31.9. Richmond. Va. had
the lowest rate. with 500. but showed a
slight increase over 1913. when It was
81
New York had the largest total num-
ner of deaths. ith $50. an increase Of SO
over the previous year. and more than
double tho number IN 1915. New York
automobile death rate was 14.0 per 100.-
900 persons.
a2s Deaths I'm Chicago.
Chicago's total deaths numbered sas
IN increase Of 81. with q death rate OF
1913.
Statistics for other cities OF ESQ. 900 OF
more population follow:
Philadelphia. total l91, decrease 85
rate l0.6: Detroit t39. Increase ID. rate
IA; Cleveland 1876, decrease ~, rate
l6.0; ST. Louis 100. Increase 12, rate
t3.7: Boston 125. Increase II. rate 1863,
Baltimore i06, increase 4, rate, 146
Pfttsburg "a. decrease IL. rate 16.1: Los
Angeles 1i9. increase %. rate 211: San
FRANCISCO IS, Increase IL. rate 16.9 Buff
faio 6S. decrease %. rate 13 8: Mllwau-
1ee so. increase IL. rate 1872 Washing
ton oS. Increase 4. rate 1874: Newark SO,
Increase 90. rate 200: Cincinnati 81. In
crease 8, rate 1871: New Orleans 80. In
crease 8. rate s.4: Minneapolis SO. de-
crease 8. rate l0.1: Kansas City. Mo-,
~. decrease 22. rate 1871: Seattle SO.
Increase 10. rate $50; indianapolis %.
decrease 1. rate s.4 Jersey City 40, in
crease 10. rate 10 s.: Rochester 80, in
orease z. rate 1919; Portland. Ore, no
change. rate f21; Denver Al, decrease
2. rate 1911