The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-09-07
SAFETY FIRST WITH THE AUTO

It hardly seems necessary to eau
tion people who use automobiles 70
he careful in handling the machines
NOT only for the safety Of other peo-
ME but for their own safety, too
Figures were recently issued show
ing that in the year ending June 80
fourteen thousand Americans lost
their lives and a million and half
others were more or less injured in
automobile accidents.
These are startling figures and
have been complied by insurance
agents in their work of securing data
OF mortality and it's causes in the
United States.
Practically every day we read In
the daily newspapers of some horrl'
BILE accident to motor cars and 80
common has this class of news be-
come that the papers have ceased to
"play it up" to their readers.
People seem to lose all far OF
the death-carrying properties OF
car after they have driven it short
time. and the speed mania then gets
a firm hold on them. Joy rides"
have caused more deaths and serious
accidents to motor parties than any
other form Of so-called innocent
amusement. Even the railroads have
taken second place as "men killers"
and after all there is less danger in
riding in a railroad train than in a
fast speeding motor car.
1 The train runs on steel rails on
comparatively level roadbed and
all equipment is inspected at regular
intervals. The wheels are held on
the stel track by flanges and there
is small possibility Of the heavy
train leaving the rails.
ANY one Of a dozen things may oc-
cur to speeding automobile which
would bring death and injury in its
wake. No matter how well a car is
looked after there can be no ins'I-
rance against a steering gear going
wrong or casing blowing out or an
axei breaking when the machine IS
running fast, and the consequences
of any such occurrence can only be
surmised.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, Of mo-
cor cars are wrecked at railroad eros
sings every twelve months, and we
had one Of these horrible accidents
near Opelousas two weeks ago. Peo-
pie driving cars should heed the
warning signs erected by the rail-
roads at every crossing to "stop,
look and listen"
Curbing speed fiends is difficult
thing and every city and town in the
country has found out the truth OF
this assertion. A driver who becomes
so reckless as to lose all fear Of dan
ger for his or her own life should not
subject innocent people to similar
danger. Laws against such danger
GUS practice as speeding on city
streets and public highways have
been adopted and should be rigidly
enforced event to the extent of jail
ing the violators thereof.
The American people are noted for
being the fastest" on earth in many
ways and the most reckless, too.
The invention and development Of
racing automobiles gave many the
opportunity to test their nerve and
see how fast steel and iron could be
driven by a modern gasoline motor.
Hundreds have seized the occasion
70 buy such cars and make an exhibit
ton of themselves and their ma
chimes on streets and highways. This
mania has been nursed by ambitious
automobile factories who desired to
establish a reputation for making the
fastest thing on wheels. A few more
conservative companies, seeing the
trend OF events and the loss Of human
life occasioned by the dangerous
practice, are cutting out the high
speed cars and limiting their ma
chimes to a safer and saner speed.
This is a sensible move and should
and does meet with the approval OF
many people. Perhaps after a few
more thousands of persons are kill
ed there will be a move to eliminate
the racing cars from streets and high
ways, thus relieving drivers from the
mental and physical strain of hand
ding such machines as we'll as guaran
teeing safety to innocent parties.
1t requires sudden jolt to awaken
the American people to a realization
OF the drift of things material and
caaybe one of these days they are go
ing to receive that awakening jolt