Palisadian., 1923-05-18
MOTORS KILLED
$4,000 IN 1922
Deaths Attributed to Railroads,
Although Motorlst Is Usually
at Fault.
What do you think ought to
be done about this growing
menace to life2

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New York.-Fourteen thousand lives
were lost in automobile accidents in
the United States in 1922-an increase
of 1,600 over the total for 1921. The
1922 death rate was 12.9 per thousand
population, as compared with 11.5 for
the preceding year.
This estimate for 1922 Gas made for
the National Safety council by Ii. p.
Stellwagen of the automobile depart
ment of the National Bureau of Casu-
atty and Surety Underwriters on the
basis of statistics supplied by the
health officers of GO American cities
with an aggregate population of 49,
1I7,310. The cities included in the
study range in size from 5000 popu-
lation upward and are scattered over
the entire country. 1t is reasonable
to suppose, therefore, that the indica-
tiOnS for these cities are fairly repre-
sentative of the whole nation.
The 1922 automobile death rate for
these cities was - per cent higher
than the, 1927 death rate for the same
cities. Application of this factor of
increase to the 1921 countrywide death
rate of 11.5 per hundred thousand
population. produces IA 1929 country
wide death rate of 1919 This death
rate multiplied into the population of
the United States as of July l, 1922,
estimated At 100, ,245, ,402 by the bureau
of the census, produces total of
$4,000 deaths.
Some Comfort in Report.
The experience of the Metropolitan
Life Insurance company confirms the
estimate The estimated death rate
for the United States for 1922 based
upon the increase of 1922 over 1927 in
the Metropoltan's industrial depart
ment Is 127 This rate multiplied In
to the mid-year population produces
13,900 deaths.
Although the automobile death rate
based on population has steadily in
creased. the death rate based on the
number of automobiles registered has
decreased considerably. The number
of automobiles in use has increased
five-fod since 1913, but the number Of
automobile fatalities has little more
than doubled. The education of mo-
toriSt and pedestrian alike the more
stringent regulation of traffic, and the
institution Of safety campaigns
throughout the country have all helped
to pull down the ratio of automobile
fatalities to automobiles in use De-
cnifa thiS ha
fact remains that automobile fatalities
are increasing In actual number ut the
rate of 1000 year
The automobile was responsible In
1922 for 67 per cent of all deaths
caused by vehicles, more than four
times the number caused by railroad
trains and seven times the deaths due
to street railways. The horse, as
producer of serious accidents, virtually
has faded out of the picture.
Grade Crossing Deaths.
The foregoing totals do not include
all the desths for which the automo-
bile may be held accountable. Ac-
cording to the accident classification
throughout the country, deaths caused
by collisions between automobiles
and heavier vehicles (such as railroad
trains), are assigned to the heavier
vehicles. In the popular opinion,
however, the automobile is charged
with most grade crossing accidents
Failure on the part of many motor
lists to observe ordinary precautions
at railroad crossings has resulted in
tremendous loss of life year after
year. The Interstate Commerce COM
missions bulletins show the following
automobile highway grade crossing
casualties for 1919, 1920 and 1921:
Year Killed Injured
1919 l,232 3.53S
1921. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1862 4.O25
Figures for the entire year 1922 are
not yet available, but the statistics for
the first nine months indicate that the
last years totals Will approximate
1900 killed and 1000 injured.
Wisconsin reports covering the
trunk highway system, outside of
cities having a population of $500 or
more, include 1,069 accidents which
occurred between May /, 1922, and
January /, 1923. OF that total 631
We're attributed to "reckleSs driving"
61 to improper lights" 45 to "broken
car mechanism" and 40 to Intoxicated