Newark post., 1921-02-23
URGES TEACHING
SAFETY FIRST
in SCHOOLS
c. ]. Tilden, Consulting Engi-
neer, Bureau Public Roads
Gives Timely Advice

Gives Timely Advice
The many requirements for
safety will furnish a variety of
topics for school children's s essays
and oral discussions. The dangers
of railroad crossings at grade, the
economic justification for abolish
ing them, the Importance of an un-
obstructed view up and down the
track as a vehicle approaches, and
the disadvantages of sharp turns,
etc., are suggestive subjects. Simil-
arly there might also be mentioned
the questions raised by street in
tersections and turns. In every
town there are many crossings
where the autoist' s view is un-
necessarily limited by fences,
shrubbery. or buildings; or where
shrubbery, or buildings; or where
invite serious accidents. Guide
posts, markers, and other signs for
the most efficient guidance of
traffic through thickly settled COM
munities also are part of the big
ger and more inclusive topic of
the economic Importance of safety
and guidance-the actual money
value Of human life and of acci-
dent prevention.
Need Enlightened Opinion
Another question, in solving
which the engineer and economist
will need the help of enlightened
public opinion (and this enlight-
ment should start in the public
schools), is that of the relation of
the public highways to railroads
and canals. The advantage of long
hauls by rail and short hauls by
motor truck; feeding into main
terminal points by raidiatlng sys-
TENS of highways; a division of
the transportation burden by par
allel systems Of water, rail, and
road transportation, are some of
the subdivisions of this general
heading.
This listing of topics is not in
tended to be complete or exact,
but merely suggestive. Those which
refer to construction could best be
utilized when construction work is
in progress in the vicinity of the
school. Many of the other topics
may be studied from maps, of
which the students might be re-
quired to make tracings or free
hand sketches showing the particu-
lar features for which emphasis is
desired, or regarding which the ex-
ercise is being written. State high
way departments often feel the
need Of better popular under
standing of the problems of road
construction, and their officials
would doubtless cOoperat in a
hearty manner. Looking ahead, it
is easy to see an actual shortage of
men qualified to carry on the work
of highway development. so rapid
! is the growth of the good road
movement. Highway instruction
in high schools offers opportunity
to State highway departments to
develop a body of future citizens
equipped with "a better under
standing Of the need for roads, and
the problems likely to be met in
building them, and, at the same
time, to stimulate interest in the
profession Of highway engineering.
State departments and county
engineers can help teachers (1) by
assigning members ftheir staffs
to deliver occasional lectures,
simple in tetx an preferably illus
trated with lantern slides; (2) by
furnishing photographs of high
ways and construction work for
class room or reference use; (3)
by assisting teachers in the ex-
| planation of work in progress
which can be inspected by classes
of students. Many states also is
sue bulletins or reports which are
valuable for reference.
The Federal Bureau Of Public
Roads has a large amount of ma
terial which is available for assist
| ing in school work Of this kind In
[addition to bulletins, circulars, and
other printed matter which will be
sent free to teachers and others
who are interested, lantern slides
and motion-picture films may be
loaned, without charge, to schools
equipped to use them. Other ma
terial, of a graphical or pictorial
nature, will be developed from
} time to time and will be available