The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-06-23
Way to Avoid Accidents

every cluD woman IN the United
States would confer on herself the de-
gree of Doctor of Safety, traffic &C.
cidents would soon be virtually done
away with" said John C. Long, of the
National Automobile Chamber of
Commerce, speaking before the Cen
eral Federation of Women's Clubs |
here today.
Most accidents OF our highways
are needless" said the speaker. "The
conditions which cause them are pre-
ventable. Twenty-e.ght cities low
cred their traffic fatality records in
1921. Detroit and ST. Louis nearly
halved their previous highway NOR
tality figures. Credit for this de-
crease belongs to local Doctors of
Safety who diagnosed the trouble and
then applied strong remedies to bring
about convalescence.
'The increase of motor vehicles to
the number of 100000 in use to-
day has come about so rapidly that we
have been staggered by the traffic
problem, and have often been led to
handle in panicky manner a cond-
ton which will yield to normal treat
ment.
"We have passed stringent laws,
cried for punishment of the speeder,
and demanded that traffic rule vio-
lators be put in Jail. This is all we'll
enough, but it is not fundamental.
Persons who spread disease should be
| Quarantined, but that does not 'neces-
sarily stamp out the source of the
malady.
among the causes of traffic acci-
dents are careless driving, childre.,
playing in the streets, poor parking
accommodations, insufficient play
grounds, bad street lighting, lack
signs, narrow street limits, made
quate police force, unintelligent traf-
fv regulations.
'lf boy or girl in your commun-
ity is taken ill., the doctor is called
in and makes his diagnosis. He de-
cides whether the trouble is Group, or
scarlet fever, or what, before at
tempting to prescribe remedy. If a
child has typhoid fever the whole
water supply system Of the town may
need Investigation.
''If child is injured in an automo-
bile accident, however, someone may
be arrested, the police may insist on
all motorists carrying special cards,
few more ordinances may be passed,
but in most communities there will
be no exhaustive examination of why
that accident occurred.
IF the club women of the United
| States would confer on themselves
the degree of Doctor of Safety acci-
dents would soon be virtually done
away with.
Any woman's club can make a
! safety diagnosis of its own town, and
! cure the accident evil. Make a may
of the city. Place a white pin at ev-
cry point where a child accident oc-
Cured during the past year, and a
blue pin for every adult accident on
the highways. There you have a ba-
sis for determining accident causes:
Are there many pins concentrated
at certain points? Perhaps better
lighting, more signs, and more police
are needed there. Are most of the
pins in the middle of blocks rather
than at intersections? Then a cam
paign to urge crossing at the cross
lngs is needed Are the child pins
prevalent? Then more attention is
needed in school instruction, in home
training, in local Fairgrounds.
"Following this anatomy study
which should reveal the worst of the
sore spots, should come study Of the
police records on accident cases. At
What time of day and year did these
occur? Special traffic police relief at
peak periods might help. What was
the apparent immediate cause of the
accident? If speeding and careless
ness are coming more in evidence. a
campaign on public opinion on the
part of the mother would be Of great
assistance in law enforcement.
This diagnosis Of the anatomy and
the records is but the beginning of the
task, but it is a beginning which has
been largely overlooked
For the remedies one may turn to
Detroit which has large Fairgrounds,
and elaborate safety instruction in the
schools; to Cleveland which has Jun
Tor patrols to aid the young and the
helpless in crossing the street, to Buff
falo, to Indianapolis, and to other
cities on the Safety Honor Roll of
1921, where the local schools and asso
Citations will be able to tell what meth
DDS are being used to make their high |
ways more safe.
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