New-York tribune., 1922-09-24
Increase Seen
I'm Mid w est
Accident Toll
City Officials Throughout
~'idc Territory Adopt
ing More Drastic Rules
10 Aid Careless Pedestrian
Traffic Problems Grow
Educational Campaigns for
Motorists and Persons on
Foot Are Well Under Way

Despite the passage of numerous
ordinances and the adoption of traffic
regulations in the larger cities Of the
country in an effort to curb accidents
from motor cars, reports from more
than g. eoSen Of the cities OF the Mid
die West show an increase in the num-
Der of accidents for the fret six
nl0nths of 1929. compared with the
same period of 1921, says an Asso-
csstcd Press dispatch from Chicago.
This increase has caused city off =
etais to prescribe drastic rules IN gov
erhing motor traffic in an endeavor to
lessen danger in modern travelling.
Several of the cities are shown to be
waRing war on the speeder, in many
cases imprisonment being added TO
fines by muricipal judges. Adoption of
rules in turning at street Intersections,
elimination Of glsring headlights and
educational campaigns are other meth
DDS Ased in many cities in the cam
psjgn against accidents.
In Chicago in 1921 deaths attributed
70 motor accidents totaled 575, as COM
pared with Ats in 1920. Non-fatsl &C
cidents totaled 1857 in 1921 and 1885
in 1920. During the first four months
If 1922 non-fatal accidents totaled
1888.
Cleveland Accident Toll
Forty three persons were killed and
,e55 injured in automobile accidents
in Cleveland from February to Au-
gust !. 1922. To Offset this workhouse
sentences have been imposed upon
speeders and reckless drivers, no one
under eighteen years of age may drive
q car, and second offense for failure to
have lights burning results in arrest,
no matter what the circumstance.
To curb accidents in st. Louis, where
sixty-two were killed during the first
six months of this year and ] 1927 were
injured, an educational campaign has
been started, one-way traffic has been
established in congested districts dur
ing business hours, autom obies must
come to complete stop at all boule-
Yards. must not pass q. streetcar dis
charging passengers and must not ex-
ceed eight miles an hour in the con-
gested districts and twenty miles in
the residential districts.
Detroit's attempts to increase safety
are the adoption of the tower system
of regulating traffic and the establish
ment of safety zones for streetcar pas
sengcrs. Another ordinance requires
All persons to be able to drive an au-
tomobile under all conditions before
being granted state drivers license.
Seventy persons were killed lhere dur
ing the first six months of 1922 and
s21 were injured.
Enforcement of Speed Laws
Strict enforcement of speed laws and
frequent Jail sentences for speeders
and reckless drivers has been the
method adopted in indianapolis for in
creasing safety. In downtown sections
irsfhc officers direct pedestrians while
others direct street traffic,
In Oklahoma City most of the main
Travelled streets have been designated
boulevards and before crossing those
motorists are required to come to q
complete stop. Heavy white stop"
intersections remind the driver
An "unwritten law" is in effect in
Louisville, where police court judges
assess a fine Of 50 for each mile an
hour above the speed limit. Peniten-
'iary sentence under charge of man
slaughter is provided for drivers found
responsible for deaths resulting from
accidents Cars must be under full
control at all street intersections
Milwaukee has barred the left hand
turn and instituted q walking ordi-
nance requiring pedestrians to cross
streets at Intersections. Automobiles
on prescribed thorou ghfares are giver
. right of way over all traffic crossing
a uch streets.
81 Thirteen deaths because of automo
bile accidents were reported during
the first six months of 1922 in Dallas
Tex. In downtown Sections the right
hand turn only is permitted cars are
required to stop at least five feet ir
he rear Of streetcars dischargng pas
scngcrs and safety sones have beer
established at various points in down
town streets