Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-09-29


s Pittsburgh. Buffalo. Toledo and Jer
: sey City the death rate was approx
d mately dougle that OF New York, an
{ in Newark was GO per cent greater
n We believe that this improved con
e dition is due to the educating of tn,
\ public in safety first.
: The city of Detroit Is another
1 city that has taken up this matter
! in a practical and business like
r manner. DIR. James w. Inces, police
) commissioner of Detroit, at a con-
ference last year on highway regu-
) lations held at Yale University, New
Haven, Connecticut. told a mum Der
!, of traffic experts some OF the things
his city was doing 10 prevent acct
dents. He also stated that the prob
lem Of safeguarding the pedestrian
was becoming more serious and that
1t was time for a more concerted
study of these problems by city adj
ministrations than was usually de-
voted TO that important subject. In
that city an accident investigation
bureau was established about a year
ago with a corps OF 20 trained in
vestigators. whose duty 1t is to in
vestigate all accidents. giving special
attention to those in which any per-
son was killed or injured. When
evidence of carelessness on the part
of an operator of a vehicle is dis
covered, he is taken to court on a
suitable charge and the case is pro-
ceeded with the same as is done
with criminal matters. Since this
/ -
welfare has been regarded as being
paramount to the private interest
: of the individual, and the police de-
partment disregards the civil phase
of such cases and prosecutes them
! from standpoint of the best in
terests of the public. The result
has been that last year. more than
ESQ persons were convicted in court,
who, under the former method of
procedure, would merely have re-
ferred the matter to the insurance
companies. Other cities throughout
the country are commencing to take
these matters more seriously and.
without doubt. successfully. It has
got. to be done. the manufacture and
use of the motor vehicle is increas-
ing year after year. and the laws
to regulate them are not keeping
pace with them.
The New York Police Department
IS waging a constant and steady
combat in its efforts to reduce the
number of accidents that occur in /
the city of New York. Some prog
ress has been made along these lines
although the fact is not convinc-
ingly apparent when comparison is /
made with the number OF accidents /
occurring at the present time as
against the number that occurred /
in previous years. Had no such eff
forts been made. however, It may
we'll be believed that a much larger
number of accidents would be oc-
curing at this time than actually
do occur.
In computing the number OF ac-
cidents that occur in the streets of
our cities today. 1t Seems to me a
miracle that the fatalities are not
a hundred times greater than they
are.
and recklessness are
the underlying causes of most ac-
cidents attributable to vehicles and
in a number of instances the injured
persons are victims of accidents
which could have been avoided had
ordinary care been exercised either
by themselves or the drivers Of the
involved Some drivers
consider the public highways as an
grant wherein they can
operate their vehicles IN any man
ner they desire and look upon pedes-
TRANS as a sort of nuisance that
deprives them of their privileges;
on the other hand there are many
the rights of vehicles, and who con-
slider that vehicles should at all
times subordinate their rights to
those of a person crossing, whether
In the middle of block or elsewhere
and no matter in how careless a
way.
There IS no doubt but that could
drivers and pedestrians be educat-
ID TO respect the rights of one an
,ther in their movements on the
streets. highway accidents would be
'educed to the minimum. but It is
lIficult to suggest the best way In
which this might be done. 1t be-
looves the entire public to govern
heir movement on the streets with
lue regard to their own safety and
hat of others.
While drivers cannot be too
trongly impressed with the neces-
lty of operating their vehicles at
II times in a careful and prudent
manner, to exercise the greatest
aution in approaching street cor
ers. pedestrians should be impress
d with the fact that they should
onfine themselves to the crosswall1s
hen crossing.
In a word. the prevention OF high
ay accidents rests largely with the !
ublic themselves. Too often have
ersons met with serious and fatal ~
,cidents on the streets through
acing too much dependence on
,meone else doing the proper thing
the right time. and without taxi
g any precautions to safeguard
emselves.
When people can be made to rea-
,e that through the proper eyer
Sc of the diligence and care that
ey would ordinarily bestow on
her matters concerning them
Ives. no matter how trivial, to
cir movements on the highways
ID have due regard for their own
fety and the rights of others, then
d only then can definite progress