Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-06-23
John C. Long
Outlines Plan
for is
Believes Mortality Records
Can Be LOICered by Per-
SiStent Efforts.

CHAUTAUQUA. n. 7. June 23.-"If
every club woman in the United States
would confer on herself the degree of
Doctor Of Safety traffic accidents would
soon be virtually done away with" said
John c Long of the National Automo-
bile Chamber Of Commerce. speaking be
fore the General Federation Of Women's
Clubs here today.
Most accidents on our highways are
needless said the speakers. THE con
ditions which cause them are prevent
able. Twenty eight cities lowered their
traffic fatality records in 1921. Detroit
and st. Louis nearly halved their pre-
vious highway mortality figures Credit
for this decrease belongs to local Doc
tors OF Safety who diagnosed the trou-
bic and then applied strong remedies to
bring about a cOnvalesence.
The increase of motor vehicles TO the
number Of ten million in use today has
come about so rapidly that we have been
staggered by the traffic problem. We
have passed stringent laws, cried for
punishment of the speeder and demand
ed that traffic rule violatOrs be put in
Jail. This is all well enough, but it is
not fundamental
Among the causes Of traffic accidents
are careless driving. children playing in
the streets. poor parking accommoda-
tons. insufficient Fairgrounds, bad
lighting. lack Of signs. narrow street
limits, inadequate police force, unlntel-
lgent traffic regulations.
"If the clubwOmen OF the United
States would confer on themselves the
A.
would soon be virtually done away with.
ANY woman's club can make safety
diagnosis OF its own town and cure the
accident evil. Make a map Of the city.
Place a white pin al every point where
a child accident occurred during the past
year and a blue pin for every adult ac-
cident on the highways. There you have
a basis for determining accident causes.
Are there many pins concentrated at
certain points? Perhaps better light
ing. more signs and more police are
needed there. Are most Of the pins in
the middle of blocks rather than at in
tersectiOns. Then a campaign 70 urge
crossing at the crossings IS needed. Are
the child pins prevalent? Then more at
tention is needed in school instruction.
in home training in local Fairgrounds.
Following this study, which should
come a study Of the police records on
accident cases. At what time Of day
and year did these occur? Special traf
&c police relief at peak periods might
help, What was the apparent immediate
cause Of the accident? If speeding and
carelessness are coming more in evil
dence. a campaign on public opinion on
the part Of the mother would be Of great
assistance in law enforcement.
This diagnosis OF the anatomy and
the records is but the beginning Of the
task. but It is a beginning which has
been largely overlooked.
For the remedies one may turn TO
Detroit. which has large Fairgrounds
and elaborate safety instruction in the
schools; to Cleveland. which has junior
patrols to aid the young and the help
less in crossing the street: to Buffalo. to
indianapolis and to other cities on the
safety honor roll Of 1927. where the local
schools and associations viii be able to
tell what methods are being used to
make their highways more safe.
Among the other leading cities which
recorded fewer traffic fatalities IN 1921
than in 1920 are: Akron. Ohio; Atlanta.
Ca: Bayonne y 7: Berkeley. Cal;
Bridgeport Conn; Cincinnati. Ohio :;
DAYTON, Ohio: Grand Rapids Mich ;
Lansing Mich: Milwaukee. Wis. Mime
apoIs. MINI Newark y. J.: New Ro-
cheIle. y. Y: Norfolk Va: ogden. Utah ;
Paterson y T.: Peoria Ill; Pittsburgh.
Pa: Pfttsfeld Mass: Providence. r. L;
Richmond. Cal: Trenton. y. J.. and
Youngstown. Ohio"