New Britain herald., 1922-06-23
SAYS MOST HIGHWAY
 ACCIDENTS NEEDLES.
Speaker Says Women Should
 Be Doctors of Safety"

Chataudua, N. r., June 2s.---"I every club woman in the Tnitet States would confer on herset tn, degree of Doctor of Sofety, traffi accidents would soon be cirtuall, done away with" said John c. Long of the National Automobile chambe Of Commerce, speaking before tn, General Federation of Women's club here today.
 Most accidents on our highway are needless" said the speaker. "Th' conditions which cause them are pre- ventable Twenty eight cities lower cd their traffic fatality records 1T 1921. Detroit and St. Louis nearl, halved their previous highway nor tality figures. Credit for this decreas' belongs to local Doctors of Safety who diagnosed the trouble and ther applied strong remedies to bring abou convalescence.
 1o,O0O.OOO Cars In Use.
 The increase of motor vehicles tt the number Of 10000. o00 in use to day has come about so rapidly tha we have beon staggered by the traf fic problems md have often been let to handle in q panicky manner con dltion which will yield to norma treatment
 We have passed stringent laws cried for punishment of the speeder and demanded that traffic rule viola tors be put in jail. This is all wei joy t,1 Persons who spread disease should be quarantined, but that does not neces- sarily stamp out the source of the nalady.
 Among the causes Of traffic acci- dents are careless driving. children playing in the streets. poor parking accom- mo odations, insufficient play grounds, bad street lighting, lack of signs, narrow street limits, inadequate police force, unintelligent traffic reg ulations.
 Not Investigated.
 ''If d boy or girl in your colnmun- ity is taken ill, the doctor is called in and makes his diagnosis. He de- cides whether the trouble is croup, or scarlet fever, or what, before attem pt- ing to prescribe a remedy If a child has typhoid fever the whole water supply system of the town may need investigation.
 If a child is injured in an auto mobile accident, however, someone may be arrested, the police may in sist on all motorists carrying special cards, a few more ordinances may be passed, but in most communities there will be no exhaustive examination of why that accident occurred.
 If the club women of the United States would confer on themselves the degree of Doctor of Safety, accidents would soon be virtually done away with.
 To Determine Causes
 Any woman's club can make a safety diagnosis of its own town, and cure the accident evil. Make a map of the city. Place a white pin at every point where child accident oc- cured during the past year and a blue pin for every adult accident on the highways. There you have a basis for determining accident causes.
 Are there many pi"g concentrated at certain points? Perhaps better lighting, more signs, and more police are needed there. Are most of the pins in the middle of blocks rather than at intersections Then cam paign to urge crossing at the cross ings is needed Are the child pins prevalent? Then more attention is needed in school instruction, in home training, in local playgrounds.
 Study Police Records.
 Following this anatomy study, which should reveal the worst of the sore spots, should come a study of the police records on accident cases. At what time of day and year did these occur? Special traffic police relief at peak periods might help. What was the apparent immediate cause of the accident? If speeding and carelessness are coming more in evidence, a campaign on public opin- ion on the part of the mother would be of great assistance in all enforce ment
 This diagnosis of the anatomy and the records is but the beginning of the task, but it is d beginning which has been largely overlooked.
 What Some Cities Do.
 For the remedies one may turn to Detroit which has large playgrounds, and elaborate safety instruction in the schools; to Cleveland which has iu- nior patrols to aid the young and the helpless in crossing the street, to Buff falo, to Indianapolis, and to other cities on the Safety Honor Roll of 1921. where the local schools and as- sociations will 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, Ga: Bayonne, N. J.; Berkeley Calf; Bridgeport, Conn; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton Ohio; Grand Rapids, Mich. Lansing, Mich; Milwaukee, Wis. Minneapolis, Minn.; Newark, N. J.; New Rochelle, N. Y; Norfolk, Va; Ogden, Utah: Paterson. N J.; Peoria, Ill.,; Pittsburgh. Pa; Pfttsfeld, Mass: Providence. R. l.; Calf. Trenton, N. J. and Youngstown, Ohio"