The Washington times., 1922-12-23
Most Statistics Are Based on
Unfair Comp asisons, Ex-
pert Shows.

number those que 10 autOmODfie &C
cidents.
During the period from 1918 to
1921, In an area comprising ~
together with the District of Co
lumbia, the number of deaths due
to automobile accidents and injuries
per 10000 automobiles In use has
decreased consistently from year to
year, the rate for 1921 being less
than three-fifths as high as that
for 1915.
For every one Of these "a States.
and for the District of Columbia,
the 1921 rate was lower than the
1915 rate-in most cases much
lower; in fact, in nine States the
later rate was equal to only half
or less than half the earlier one.
Vehicles ouadrupled.
During the six.year period under
consideration the number Of motor
vehicles Uncluding trucks and other
commercial motor vehicles, but ex.
cluding motorcycies) in use In the
United States as a whole consider.
ably more than Quadrupled. in-
creasing from 2,445.664 in 1915 to
10, ,463. .295 In 1921. In the area for
which death statistics are available
as far back as 1915 the number of
deaths due to motor.vehicle acci-
dents rose from asia In that year
to 8,198 In 1921: but while this in
crease was taking place the number
Of motor vehicles registered in the
same area shot upward from 1.764,-
os4 to 6.933,437. Thus an increase
of approximately 130 per cent In
deaths occurred. alongside an in.
crease of nearly 800 per cent In
number Of motor vehicles.
Among the twenty-four States
covered by the figures for 1915, the
cles in that year ranged from 6.2
for Kansas to 34.s for Rhode
Island. For 1921 Kansas also shows
the lowest rate recorded for any
of these twenty-four States, 81.
while the highest, 20.1. appears for
New York. Data for 1921 are also
available for ten other States, one
of which, Nebraska. shows a rate
Of only ~. Striking decreases ap-,
pear for a number Of States: Colo
| RADIO. from 1873 to S.3: Kentucky.
from 90 to SO: Missouri, from Is to
i 8: Montana. from 21.3 to So; New
Hampshire, from 1913 to 3; Rhode
Island. from 34.S to 1872; Utah.
from 25.1 to 11.2; Virginia. from
ell to 10.1: Washington, from q
to 1913. In each of these nine
States the rate for 1921 was only
half or less than half than for 1915.
ID. {. Showing Good.
The showing made by the District
of Columbia in 1921 is especially
praiseworthy. The District. being
wholly urban. naturally has a far
higher degree of traffic congestion
on its highways than exists on the
average Of most Of the States. 1t
might naturally be expected. there.
fore, that traffic accidents would
be relatively far more numerous in
the District than in the States.
Nevertheless, the thirteen fatalities
per 10000 motor vehicles In the
District of Columbia in 1921 did not
greatly exceed the average Of 11.6 fol-
the entire area covered by the 1921
figures and was below the rates for
a number Of States; for example,
New York. with col and New Jer-
sey with III.
The foregoing figures put the
matter in a very different light
from that thrown upon 1t by com.
pilations of death rates based on
population, disregardlng the num-
ber of automobiles. Such compila-
tions. as made public through the
press. show the death rate from
motor vehicle accidents and injuries
to have increased from So per
| 10O,0 900 population in 1915 to lis
per 100000 population in 1921; that
Is to say, the death rate based on
population nearly doubled In six
years. Announcements of this
character bring out the usual
deadly Streets" demands for the
gestions that automobilists who vio-
late traffic regulations be jailed:
but references to the tremendous
increase in the use of automobiles
are few and casual and rarely IL
ever is mention made of the fact
that the death rate based on num-
Der of automobiles is decreasing.
The wholly misleading effect Of
comparisons which take into &C.
count only death rates based on
population and disregard entirely
the number Of motor vehicles In
use is well illustrated by the fol-
lowing citation from a writer dis
cussing statistics Of automobile
fatalities
I'm England and Wales. death
rates from automobile accidents
and injuries are very much lower
than in the registration area of
the United States. A death rate
from this cause in England and
Wales for 1919 has been calculated
10 .. as per 100000 popula-,
ton, a rate which stands In
marked contrast to the rate of "a
in the United States registration
area for the same year."
In the light Of the well.known
fact that the number of auto
mobiles In the United States In
very much greater in proportion to
incubation than in England or
wales or any other foreign country,
the utter worthlessness of the.
above comparison Is obvious. 1t
would have been almost equally
reasonable to compare. by means
of rates based on population. the