Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-05-28
FATALITIES IN THE STREETS

In spite of all the traffic regulations that
modern cities have adopted, the loss of life in
the streets is appalling. Statistics prepared
by william Phelps Emo and presented at a
conference on highway traffic regulation held
at Yale university recently show that while
during Ae nineteen months the United States
was I'M the war As, 900 men were killed in battle
or died of wounds. in the same period 9l,ooo
pezSons were killed on the highways of the
United States, and of these $4,000 were chill
1ren.
4 What becomes Of our boosted civilization In
the light of these figures? 1t is evident that
something drastic must be done to lessen the
number bf accidents. Up until the present
most Of fhe regulating of traffic has been direc-
ted It the movement of vehicles. All kinds OF
RUSS ind regulations have been devised by
di6er2nt municipalities in an effort to improve
eoux dtions. 1t must be admitted, however. that
Nd L of this regulating is in reference to traf-
q congestion rather than the conservation OF
yuman life.
II In apparent that the time has arrived when
= steps must be taken looking more toward the
protection of the people who use tho streets
and highways. There are already laws ana
ordinances against speeding and reckless driv-
ing on the part of autoists and these ought to
he moro strictly enforced. When one sees some
ct the youngsters who are put In charge OF
delivery cars racing down a street at thirty
ave or forty miles an hour one wonders what
all the laws and ordinances are good for, any
wav. But boys are not the only Offenders
Crown people who ought to know better drive
altogether too fast in the city streets. 1t Is
tine . lesson was made of some of them.
Rut conditions on the streets and highways
have changed considerable in recent years.
with the almost universal use of the automo-
biIa travel is not only much greater, but 1t mas
besn speeded UP. Where a few Yeas ago there
ware = comparatively few horse-drawn vehicles
amblins along, today there are hundreds OF
automobiles moving at anywhere from fifteen
The Ar1Wenfy-fve\ miles an hour. In the matter
~ safetv under such conditions the pedestrian
.~.,,st assume his share of responsibility In avoid
4 ing accidents.
In the first place, 1t ought to be positively
,,rderstood that the middle of the street be-
tween the two curbs is reserved exclusively Tor
vehicles. lust as the sidewalks inside the curbs
IRE reserved exclusively for persons on foot
Crossing the street at any point excepting at d
regularly designated crossing ought to be pro-
hlbited. Even cutting diagonally across n street
q a crossing ought not TO be allowed. IL
fakes a little longer. perhaps, to cross a street
% at right angles. but it is much safer and safety
is the FIST consider tt'on.
Al all street crossings the pedestrians shouio
have the right of way and it should be the duty
of the traffic officer to see that they have the
right of way. But because they have the right
of way is no reason why they should assume
a denan. attitude as so many do. deliberately
sauntering along in front of an automobile with
an air Of it-me-if-you-dare.
But perhaps the greatest evil is the promis-
euous crossing of a street anywhere and every
where, lodging out from behind automobiles
which are standing along the curb in a most