Evening star., 1924-11-23
u. S. TRAFFIC DEATHS ONE-THIRD
OF NATIONS KILLED IN LATE WAR
Economic waste Of 5000, O,OOO,O 900 annually Also
Cires Impetus to Federal Move to Reduce Auto
Accidents Throughout Country.

"Reckiessness. carele ssness. or in
capacity Of persons: fault OF mocha
nism OF the vehicle; physical condi-
tions OF the locality where the acci-
dent occurred.
Accident spot maps should be
maintained. to be used primarily 10
detect those points at which accidents
occur most frequently, and as a basis
for plans TO eliminate the conditions
which cause accidents"
Intensfv. Study Urged.
Tho experience OF the committee
led its members to express the hope
that it's report will lead to improve
ment in the field Of traffic accident
reporting; that 1t will stimulate the
governmental agencies and the va
rtous private organizations interest
ed TO a. 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 a whole. For ex
ample, the total number OF accid lent al
deaths increased 1o.7 per cent be-
tween 1922 and 1929, whereas the
total number OF highway fatalities
increased l7.s per cent and automo-
bile fatalities increased 2o.3 per cent.
During the six years from 1917 to
1923 the total number OF accidental
deaths from all causes decreased and
automobile fatalities actually in
creased so per cent. or from e,os7 in
1917 TO l6,452 In 1923. Where the
1929 highway fatalities were in the
ratio of 17.6 for 100000 OF population,
the rate for 1928 was 2o.4 for 100,-
900. The records OF the Interstate
Commerce Commission were supplied
TO show that in 1922 grade crossing
accidents cost 1910 lives, while for
1923 this had climbed to 2,268. These
did not take into account the num-
Der of victims who had died OF their
injuries "a hours or more after the
CT ash.
Complete Figures Lacking.
The dearth OF anything like COM
plete figures was most sharply real
ICED by the committee in its investi-
CATION OF the ratio OF non-fatal to
fatal casualties. Here the figures for
grade crossing accidents OF steam and
electric railways were supplemented
by figures compiled by the American
Electric Railway Association, the Ma
tional Bureau OF Casualty and Surety
Underwriters, the State figures from
Connecticut and Massachusetts, from
the Wisconsin State trunk line high
ways and a dozen large cities. In
these studies the fatality ratio rang
ed from death to ia non-fatal
casualties UP to ! death to SO non
fatal casualties, but combining all
the available statistics and weighing
each group roughly according TO the
total population covered, the commit
tee estimated the average as about
80 to I.
Not only is the problem a grave
one" says the committee, "but 1t is
growing. The total number OF motor
vehicle fatalities-automobi and
motor cycles combined-increased 20
per cent between 1922 and 1928"
Census Bureau statistics for 1928 for
ss cities of 100000 population and
over showed an increase in almost
every city, and the average was 14.6
per cent The Interstate Commerce
Commission figures on steam railroad
crossing accidents showed not only
a 25 per cent increase in fatalities,
but II per cent growth in non-fatal
injuries.
Accident Record Compared.
After comparing the accident rec
ords with the registration Of motor
vehicles, the committee found that in
1917 there were ls0 motor vehicle
fatalities for 100000 motor vehicles
Registered, while for 1928 there were
106 for 100000: but 'it is recognized
10 ." says the report. that these
figures should not be used to encour-
age satisfaction" or to minimize the
urgency Of unremittinS effort.
In studies OF the records OF Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut, where ef-
forts have been made for some time
to analyze causes and determine the
responsibility, the principal causes
were found to be reckless driving, in
attention or careless operation on the
lpart of the motorist. But these fig
ures also indicated that pedestrian
|carelessness, both Of adults and of
children, was an important contribu
ting factor.
Figures supplied to the committee
by the National Bureau of Casualty
and Surety Underwriters regarding
2,o20 accidents which resulted In 81
fatalities and the non-fatal injury of
2,S46 other persons, indicated nearly
80 per cent as being due to the mo-
torist and 23 per cent the fault OF the
pedestrian. Approximately the same
result was indicated in figures sup
piled by the American Mutual Alli-
ance, an organization OF mutual in
surance companies.
Causes OF Accidents.
Figures were supplied by the Ma
tional Automobile Chamber Of Com
merce as to fatal accidents for the
first seven months Of 1924, collected
for the chamber by 200 newspapers.
OF 1890 motor fatalities, 356 were de-
clared to result from the fault of the
motorist, 2s1 were due to physical
conditions of the road-weather or
lightins-and 727 were recorded in
which the fault of the pedestrian was
the major factor. OF the latter group,
adult jay walking was charged with
375, children crossing in middle or
playing in streets, 224: children
coasting in streets, 20. and pedestri-
ans becoming confused, II.
In it's estimates of the ese0, 100000