Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1922-09-21
OF AUTOMOBILE FA.
TALITIES FOR 1921

Automobile accidents in the United
States in 1921 caused the death of 49,
500 persons-one person killed every
AZ minutes day and night. More than
100000 persons were injured. The
fatalities on our highways last year
were more than the American dead in
the Spanish-American war, while the
injured far outnumbered our 221 900
wounded in the World War.
That the automobile hazard is grow
ing steadily is shown by the fact that
although accidents on the railroads are
decreasing, automobile crashes in 1921
increased per cent over 1920.
For more than two years the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad has placed men
at crossings where large numbers of
automobiles pass. These observers
note the machines crossing and take
down the license numbers of those
whose drivers fail to take any pre-
caution.
In 1920 these observers noted $685.
900 vehicles and, according to their
records, $4,000 drivers failed to take
any precautions at highway crossings.
In one month of this year 16,177 auto
mobiles were checked by the railroads
observers and 1912 drivers were re-
ported as having failed to stop, look
or Ecto,, hnfcrn tho rLc
During the first four months of this
year $500 machines were observed
and the failures" reached II per
cent.
The impression prevails in some
quarters that asphalt pavements are
slippery, especially when wet, and con-
sequently are dangerous to drive over.
If this were true accident records
would show a large percentage of ca
ses where skidding was the cause of
the accident.
A three months investigation re-
Gently made in Maryland disclosed the
fact that 80 per cent of accidents
are due to speeding. Of IA fatal ac-
cidents, two were caused by failure to
heed the warnings at railroad cross
ings; four by speeding; four by dliv-
ing on the wrong side of the road, and
four by reckless driving. None of the
fatal accidents were caused by skid
ding.
Statistics from city records in San
Francisco on automobile and motor
cycle accidents show 5000 accidents in
1921. Of this number only 1888, or 3.3
per cent We're due to skidding. OF
the 100 of these occurring on asphalt
pavements rs per cent wera the result
of carelessness. Four-fifths of San
Francisco's paved streets are of the
asphaltic types. Owing to rains in
winter and fogs in summer, they are
in a wet condition most of tho time, 50
the slight percentage of accidents due
to skidding is at once apparent.
The tabulation of an average thou
sand reports on causes OF automobile
collisions, filed with the claim depart
ment of the Inter Insurance Exchange,
Los Angeles, shows only 6 PEI cent OF
the~accidents We're due to skidding.
Forty percent of these skidding &C
cidents resulted from imprudent at
tempts to turn too quickly; 40 per
cent from ovcr-spsedirg. and only 20
per cent or IL per cent OF all accidents
were due to unavoidable skidding.
A rigid investigation by the Iowa
State Highway Commission during
1921 showed that of 4,688 accidents
which occurred in that state in which
359 persons were killed and 4,195 in
jured, ia accidents or "a per cent of
the total were due to skidding, and
Iowa has practically no asphalt roads
The greater percentage of accidents in
Iowa were collisions. Of these there
were 1910 with 1,O10 killed and in
jured.
Asphaltic pavements have not caus-
ed any appreciable number of auto
mobile accidents. While the tractive
resistance of asphaltic concrete is rel
atively low, it is not SO low as to cause
excessive slipperiness. AS matter of
fact, statistics prove that asphaltic
pavements are less slippery than are
the other so-called permanent types.