Evening star., 1924-09-15
THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM
BY ERNEST GREENWOOD
Secretary Highway

States are not only reporting on, but
are studying, the causes Of motor We
hicle fatalities. But all the news
paper space in the world is of no
value in any publicity campaign II
newspaper readers won't read it.
X 4 X
Education in the public schools Is
one of the most effective means Of
teaching safety. Not only are the
children themselves reached, but they
carry the message home. The inter-
esting and highly scientific methods
which have been adopted to carry
safety in the schools is a story by
itself Much of it is based on the
psychological fact that physical acci-
dent is the outstanding tragedy in
the mind Of a child, and that it is
therefore comparatively, easy to Gre
ate a state of mind which will make
for accident prevention. 1t is not
necessary to introduce it as sepa-
rate subject. Much Of the work is be-
ing done by Interpreting such sub
jects as arithmetic and nature study
in terms Of safety and accident pre-
vention. Schoolboy patrols which ac-
tually assist traffic officers in the vi
cinity of schools at certain hours not
only act as agencies for accident pre-
vention, but impress the children with
the idea of danger on the streets.
Talks by traffic officers in uniform
have proved to be of the greatest
interest to school children.
Many of the larger engineering
schools are introducing optional
courses in what might be termed
traffic engineering in connection with
their regular courses. The time Will
come when the profession of trafhc
engineer will be recognized as such
and classed with mechanical, civil
and other kinds of engineering.
The education of employees by em-
ployers operating large fleets OF
motor vehicles such as taXicabs,
motor busses and commercial trucks
is advancing rapidly and of great
Importance to the public. The stand
ardiZed taxicab companies are eX-
pending a great deal of time and
money in this direction. One COM
pany in this city accomplishes habits
of safety on the part of its drivers
by a system of financial rewards or
penalties. Taxicab drivers are paid
a percentage of the gross receipts
of the cab, calculated twice a month.
If driver for this company has an
accident no matter how trivial, this
commission is reduced by per cent,
which may make difference OF $l2
or SIS in his Semi-monthly pay en-
velope This is serious matter II
he happens to be married man. and
the company tries to employ only
married men. Some motor bus COM
panies employ only married men with
at least one child.
One Chicago transit company spent
$50. 900 installing a system of signal
control on the streets with the un-
derstanding that the city would re-
imburse it il the experiment was a
success. 1t was, and the company
was reimbursed. The same thing
was done by a company in Omaha,
Nebr. The drivers of all standardized
taxicab companies must go through
thorough course of training before
they are intrusted with a cab
Owners of large fleets of CONNER
cial vehicles are installing schools of
safety and accident prevention. and
checking up their drivers through in
spectors to see that they profit by
these courses and practice safety on
the streets. Aside from the humani-
tartan motives, accidents mean inef-
ficiency, and inefficiency means f.
nancial loss. Even national organiZa-
tions Of employers, such as the Ma
tionaI Retail Dry Goods Association,
are making intensive studies of the
whole subject. All of these measures
are part of the movement from the
standpoint of education.
Police departments everywhere are
adopting methods for the training of
traffic officers in their highly special
lied kind of work. The police recog-
nize the need OF education in any ac-
cident prevention program perhaps
better than any one else, for it is the
only way in which they cnn hope to
secure the corporation of the pub
lie, first, in obtaining the necessary
laws, and, second, in enforcing them
They will go to almost any length to
assist in educational work and their
assistance has proved to be invalu-
able in innumerable instances.
(Copyright, 1924, by Current News Features
Incl