Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-04-13

That traffic regulation should not
be localized but standardized through
out the United States was the opinion
given by William Phelps Emo, inter-
national traffic expert, il an address
to the conference on motor vehicle
traffic held under the joint auspices
of the state of Connecticut and Yale
University at New Haven last week.
MIR. Emo is the chairman of the board
Of directors of the Emo Foundation
for Highway Traffic Regulation and
his home is in this city.
object Of Regulation.
The object of highway traffic reg
ulation is to save life, time ana
money, said Mr.. Emo. Wv hat really
makes traffic regulation of absorbing
human interest is that il saves many
lives and prevents much physical SUI
ferns. If we could save all the lives
now being sacrificed and prevent all
tho accidents resulting in human IN
jury and in property damage, the
equivalent in money would be FAR
above $1,000, 100000 per year in the
United States alone.
There is as yet no adequat' SyS-
TEN of recording accidents anyvi here,
and in many places pracucalI| no
system at all, SO that many people
get home or out of town and II ere
is no record of the accidents. although
they may finally result in death.
During the nineteen months of thH
world war it was estimated that tn.
loss of life by highway traffic acct
dents in the United States was pretty
nearly twice as great as our loss OF
life through the war itself. 1t may
be remembered that during that time
hundreds and perhaps thousands Of
pedestrians were rui down by Army
trucks driven over our streets and
dc nv in. dri
a reckleSSnesS never surpassed
Mortality for Yenr.
Other estimates based on deaths
recorded indicate mortality of
about $4,000 for 1928. personal injur-
les 45O, 900 and number of property
damages $4,000, but. as already
pointed out, these figures are ReceS-
sarily very Incomplete.
The writer believes that If a really
complete tabulation had been pos
Siblt il would have shown something
like twice the above figure. or 30
900 deaths, 900, 900 injuries and 6,'5o,-
co0 property DANA ges.
suppose We take an average Of
these two estimates which would give
- 0O0 deaths, $4,000 injuries and
5.0S2. 800 property damages.
IF the value of a life were esti-
mated at $4,000, ii bodily injury at
$500 and property damage accident
al SIUb, W. would nave made 4 total
loss Of Sl.1l3.150,0 600.
These figures are largely guess
work, although based on considerable
experience. 1T would be interesting
to know what conclusions different
people would arrive at through their
individual mental processes.
Less From Delays.
we have not as yet gone into money
loss by traffic delays. 1t has been
ms 90 =
900. per year in London. 1t must be
far greater in New York on account
of the higher cost of labor and ma
terial. In the United States it might
easily amount to as much as S1,5Oo,-
100000 per year.
We have. il round numbers, cost
of accidents. s1,11S, 100000; cost of
delays, $1,500,000,00 Total. S2,613,-
1905
This is a large sum when we con-
slider that the actual expenditure of
the United States government for
1923 was 1882, 269, 266.32.
My object is not to attempt to give
an accurate computation of loss, but
simply to show that it is by any pos
sible computation so staggering that
no means should be spared to re-
duce it.
There is no doubt but that with
the best talent available and proper
organization il would be practical to
reduce traffic accidents at Feast so
per cent and traffic delays IS per
cent. This would have saved 1881,
$751; for 1928, or nearly one-quar-
ter of the amount of money spent to
run the federal government for the
year 1928.
"In cities like Washington, d. c.,
which, is better laid out for traffic.
but where it is worse to handle than
in most cities, at least IS per cent
OF the accidents could easily be elm
mated. while in cities like New
York and Detroit. where traffic is
better handled. the saving would
not be so great in proportion, but an
average for the whole country of so
per cent is perfectly reasonable
estimate of what should be expected.
Delay in Country.
Reduction of traffic delays would
vary in proportion to the perfection
of traffic management, to the layout
IF "A city and to road width and de-