Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer., 1922-09-08
STREET CAR AND AUTO ACCIDENTS.

The need of some regulation least campaign of educa
on in the driving automobiles accenuaed by recent report
- the National Safety Council which shows that while the number
of fatalities decreasing each year the auto
motive fatalities increasing The report OF the coW'-
Gil shows that 1915 the number of people who lost their lives by
in thrtyfve American cities having popuaon OF -
100000 was $50 but that the number had been reduced to @
spite of the fact that the number OF passengers carried had III
creased tv ner cent or the other hand the automote
fatalities have shown steady of from 274 1915 to 2o7o
in 1920 There has of course been immense increase IN the
number of motor vehicles in that time but this increase IN the num-
Der fatalities shows that there has been Improvement with eN
perence during that period it, indeed conditions are not pro-
poronae than before The tact that street cars are
confined their rails that their movements may always be accr
ay observed and timed is reason why is possible more easily
prevent accidents from this In addition to this may be
taken into consideration that street are operated by trained drv
e while many either in public carrying or private
Also all railroads and traction companies have con-
Quoted during that period Safety First campaigns which have
invariably improved conditions Educational work along the lines OF
automobile traffic if any, has and short lived But the
garing of the difference the records IN the people
who the If any trolley steam line would put an IN
experienced the road to learn how operate his car without
experienced instructor his side until pronounced fully competent
protest would go up only from the passengers but from
everyone along the travelled And this in spite of the fact
that the confined by the rails to weldened path from
which get away With the automobile however, no
such restrictions enforced customer buys car and after the
befc Of instruction goes alone to the peril not only OF
himself and his passengers but along the route
travelled which lead the Lord knows where is daily
crrenc to see children and nervous operating anywhere
from congeed districts country roads They know nothing
the laws Of the road they do they pay little or no attention
them The drivers of trucks and delivery wagons receive only the
most limited before they turned loose
the peril of themselves and everyone they may meet
"The remedy would to ie, says the Council, in i'm
proved supervision traffic and the Smpcation rather
than the multiplication of rules governing the operations OF and
the of the highways These rules should be positive and SO
clear that they easily be remembered by the ordinary driver OF
and general that they will be recognized and obeyed all
and all parts of the of the union.
And should also include proper supervision over the age
and general qualifications of the drivers The greatest dan
ger the automobile traffic the damage driver may do to
himself and his ahough there plenty reckless
competent drivers daily masng themselves up but what the mex
eriened fool driver do the capable and careful operator
This part of the demands both education and regulation