Evening star., 1922-11-17
Method t6 End Auto Sayings Still
Remains to Be Devised.

Announcement by the census bu-
reau Of a great increase in the num-
Der Of fatalities due to automobile
travel has emphasized the fact that
no method whereby such killings can
be reduced or checked has as yet
been suggested. Strict enforcement
OF all existing laws and prison SEN
tences help. but the latter seldom
are put into effect, editors argue, and
trian and autoist get together for a
campaign Of mutual cooperation no
ticeable relief hardly can be looked
for.
"In the face of this growing prob
lem," says the Newark News. which
is the more poignant because the
annual toll is composed largely of
children. we have been helpless thus
far. Our trafiic organizations, our
persistent publicity as to the dangers
Of the roads and the streets, both for
motorists and for the victims of mo-
tors, have thus far failed to keep
down the growth of accidents due to
motorized vehicles stable. even when
the growth Of such vehicles is con-
sidered." There Is great difficulty in
suggesting any real remedy, in the
opinion of the Canton News, because
the human element is the chief fac
tor in all the efforts at conservation
Of life" and the News points out that
as long as all safety precautions are
systematically disregarded. no change
can be expected. Until drastic penal
ties for carelessness and negligence
are imposed by courts. the Pittsburgh
Gazette-Times holds cit will be a
credulous person who will expect
Ia. however. the view of the St Paul
Dispatch that, while fatal accidents
showed an increase Of 28 per cent be-
tween 1917 and 1921. according to
the report Of the census bureau" the
Statement takes no account of the
used in the same period" which also
is Of very great Importance to a
proper understanding Of the situation.
Because safety devices to date "are
still crude and unsatisfactory" the
Milwaukee Sentinel agrees that "the
necessity for unceasing vigilance and
constant maintenance Of every safety
effort becomes more apparent" One
excellent method along this line the
Boston Post holds. Is that parents
must teach their children how to
avoid street perils" and communities
must pfoVloe suitaDie Playing
grounds. There is nothing better.
nothing more humane. than the lat
ter. Our boys and girls must be saved
from death on the public roads" In
dorsing this idea in every way. the
Columbus (Ohio) State Journal also
feels that 1.-The Individual driver must
biiities." Ampiifying this, the Albany
Knfckerbocker-Pres points out that
1.-The only safety for all lies in the
absolute refusal of every man or
woman at the wheel of an automo-
bile to permit the car to move into
any predicament in which there
over thin Ice 4 thousand times, but
It Is on the thousand -and-fir at
tempt that trouble comes and crushed
and broken bodies are frequently past
mendinE" Excusins . speeders. In In :
gers, but mover does any good" the
Shreveport Journal argues. while ''on
the other hand 1t will bring harm.
There must be vigorous, determined
warfare upon these offenders II the
death rate is to be lowered"
have run their cars tens Of thousands
of miles without so much as killing
q chicken" the Chicago Journal
points out, and it believes every
youngster learning to drive should
be taught as his first lesson that an
automobile Is deadly weapon, to be
handled as carefully as q rifle. If
more started their driving in that
way fewer would end it in court" In
order better to accomplish such a
task the Utica Press would have
more rigid requirements, which
would exclude the untried and un-
trained persons at the steering wheels
~ cars from atreAta and hf9hwayS
crowded with such trafac." Incl
dentally I'VE are killing moro per.
sons every year In our streets ana
|AithVaYa than were killed In ono Of