The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-12-27
TRAFFIC CASUALTIES
DOUBLE WARS TOLL
Combined Deaths and lnju-
ries 100000 in 1928.

Washington. Is almost total
lack ofAsystematic effort to secure ac-
curate and complete data regarding
traffic accidents, their types and
causes, and methods of prevention"
declares the Committee on Statistics
Of the Conference on Street and High
way Safety, In a report to Secretary
of Commerce Hoover based on thor
ough survey which revealed an annual
loss in the United States due to street
and highway accidents in 1923 Of D.
600 persons killed, 67S,0OO serious in
juries and an economic loss of $780,
100000.
The committees report shows that
there were more than twice as many
casualties In street and highway &C
cidents in the United States during
1923 than there were for the United
States army at home and abroad In
the World war. The highway and
street casualties include KILLED and
seriously injured" This takes no ac-
count of minor accidents.
The report also shows that there
were only 1925 more Of our men
killed in action In the World war than
In street and highway accidents in
1923.
In states where centralized agen-
cies have been created to investigate
such accidents, 1t has been possible to
attempt a systematic remedy OF the
conditions. But "a states have no
adequate system for securing such in
formation and ip few states is any
record kept except where death or Sc
rious personal injury result from
traffic accidents.
Committees Recomme ndations.
Such facts, the committee says, "are
fundamental to the adoption Of ade-
Quate methods of traffic control, If the
present situation Is to be improved"
And the committees recommendations
provide that:
statistics regarding street and high
way accidents are so vital to any COM
prehensive understanding and treat
ment of the safety problem that their
collection and analysis in every state
and community Is essential.
where such do not exist, statutes
should be passed In every state which
should make 1t the specific business
OF some state agency, preferably that
clothed with authority to issue and
revoke licenses, to receive traffic ac-
cident reports and investigate all such
accidents, whether occurring within
or without the corporate limits of mu-
inequalities.
"It should be made, by law, obliga-
tory for those concerned to report all
traffic accidents, and an adequate pen
atty for failure to report should be
provided.
Reasonable uniformity in reporting
and tabulating data is essential, and
some competent body should under
take the compilation of standard def
nitions of terms.
Sufficiently detailed information
should be gathered to indicate clearly
whether the accidents occurred be-
cause of: Recklessness, carelessness
or incapaclty Of persons; fault Of
mechanism of vehicle; physical condi-
tions of the locality where the acci-
dent occurred
Urges Spot Maps.
The committee Includes Is items of
information which should be OBJ
tanned to constitute an adequate re-
port.
Spot maps, to detect danger points
and to serve as a basis for remedial
action, should be maintained.
The experience of the committee led
Its members to express the hope that
It's report will lead to improvement
In the field of traffic accident report
ing; that 1t will stimulate the govern.
mental agencies and the various pri-
vate organizations interested TO
more intensive study and
greater efforts"
In its study Of fatal accidents the
committee found from the records of
the census bureau that highway IA
talities are growing at a more rapid
rate than accidental deaths from all
causes and that automobile fatalities
are growing more rapidly than high
way fatalities as whole. For ex-
ample, the total number Of accidental
deaths increased 1O.7 per cent between
1922 and 1923, whereas the total num-
Der of highway fatalities increased 17.S
per cent, and automobile fatalities in
creased 20.3 per cent.