Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-08-31
$4,000 KILLED
BY AUTOMOBILES
Deaths From This Cause in
Country Showed Increase
Last Year
BUT DELAWARE
SHOWS DECREASE

l. A decrease OF 40 per cent. in the
number of accidental deaths in VIII
mington in 1921 over 1919 and of SO
per cent. in the State of Delaware
has been reported TO the annual con-
vention of the National Safety Coun-
Gil being held in Detroit, by T. A.
Walsh, secretary of the Delaware
Safety Council. who is attending the
national meeting.
Mr.. Walsh today sent a resume OF
some of the figures presented to the
convention. This resume was made
public at the Office Of the Delaware
Safety Council in the Industrial
Trust Building. It shows that one
sixth of all deaths from accidental
causes in the United States during
1921 are checked against the auto
mobile; thirty-five persons were sac
rificed each day 10 the gods OF speed
and nce-taking-the total num-
Der of victims reaching the appalling
figure Of approximately 1900, an
increase OF about three and one-half
per cent. over the deaths in 1920.
While the automobile was grimly
reaping the greatest harvest Of lives
ndLAIun
culiar to traffic conditions were ex-
periencing a decided reduction in
fatalities. Figures for both steam
and electric systems show that each
passed through 1921 with about
23.5 per cent fewer fatalities than
during the previous year There
was an increase Of about IA per
cent in the number OF persons kill
ed by vehicles other than those mem
toned. but despite this fact the
total number killed from all traffic
causes in the so cities tabulated was
as per cent less than in 1921.
While Los Angeles lead all other
cities Of the country in the percent
age OF population killed by automo-
biles. with a percentage OF 291.0 per
million population, Chicago, with but
60 cars to every thousand citizens.
leads the list with a death rate OF
821.5 per 100000 autos. Los
Angeles. with 327 cars 10 every
thousand population. had a rate OF
50 deaths per 100000 automobiles.
According to statistics compiled
by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission there were 1902 persons
killed at railroad crossings in 1921.
About rs per cent OF these. or 1875,
were occupants OF automobiles.
THE number Of people injured
In automobile accidents cannot be
estimated closely because OF the
scarcity OF data on the subject.
However. an approximation OF such
injuries may be made from the fol-
lowing: In the State Of Massachu- I
sets for the six-year period 1915
10 1920, 2,6OS persons were killed
in automobile accidents, and 6s,671
injured, or 26.4 injuries for every
fatality. In the State Of Iowa, from
1915 10 1919. there were 1920 per-
sons injured and 92O killed. a ratio
OF 15.4 to 1. Naturally the ratio
OF injuries to deaths would be low
er In a State like Iowa. where &C
cidents are proportionately more Sc |
we're, than in Massachusetts. where I
the congestion Of population in the !
cities accounts for the minor ac- |
cidents.
According to figures compiled |
by the Police Department of New 1
York City. S4S persons were kill I
ed 2O.461 injured in that city dur
ing 1921. making 242 injuries to
every death. II is reasonable to
suppose that the countrywide pro-
portion between injuries and fatal
tiles Is between 20 and "a to one.
This means that there were at least
100000 persons injured in automo-
bile accidents in the United States
during the year. and. possibly. as
many as 100000"