Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-02-01
The Death Dealing Automobile in
Virginia.
By Carter w. wormeley.

deaths from typnoid, tuoeCu'oNs
Infant diseases and other Causes
directly influenced by health
work, says DIR. w. A. Plecker.
State Registrar. The Bureau
has also referred to the increas-
ling number of deaths from iieart
disease, Bright's disease and
|other diseases of the circulator,
system, influenced largely by
focal infection of teeth, tonsils
aud other parts. It has also
shown the decrease in pellagra
aud the increase in diabetes. as
we'll as a decrease in malaria aud
increase in cancer.
Death from violence in many
forms are on the increase. says
DIR. Picker, but none can in any
compare with the terrific increase
| of automobile deaths. as shown
by a comparison of the first nine
months of 1928 with like period
for 1922. The first nine months
l1922 there were 81 deaths from
Automobile accidents recorded by
1.-THE State, while for the same
period in 1923 these had increas.
ed to 1877, or about 10 per cent.
For the entire year of 1922 there
were 142 such deaths, or five
more only than for the first NJ
months period of the sue = .di
wear. Should this rate OF IN
Icrease continue for ten wears II t
lautomoble will rise to the posi-
ltion of one of the major causes
Iof death in this State.
| The above showing reveals,
however, only one part OF the
lstory, SAYS DR.. Picker, who
Ipoinls out that when fatality re.
Isults from the collision VT an
automobile with a street-car, or
train, the rule is to classify the
death as caused by the heavier
lear. Therefore, continues the
1octor, when a venturesome boy
Figures that he can beat an ex-
press train over a railroad cross
lug aud 6uds when he and his
passengers wake up in eternity
THAT. while the f1ivver nearly
won the race it still lacked half
L length, fine fatalities are as
lsigned to the train aud not to
tile automobile, where they right
fully belong. The above rule
accounts for a considerable pro-
lportion of the 124 deaths during
l1922 from railroad and street-car
accident in Virginia. During
1.-THE first nine months in 1922
There were 80 such deaths in the
Estate, with ia for the some
lperiod in 1923
/ A singular interesting facl
drought out by DIR. Picker is
THAT deaths from automobile ac-
lcidents increase with good
weather and improved roads. Is
lii possible, inquiries he, that one
lean estimate the increase in good
Ireads by the increase in automo-
Ibile deaths? In September, 1922.
there were II such deaths. while
lin September, 1928. these had in
lcreased to IS, which means that
they had more than doubled,
This would indicate either that
road conditions were improved.
The doctor laugliingly pointed
tout that lie was not advancing
an argument for Anti-road-bond
advocates, but maintained that
during months when the roads
were bad and travel more labor
|ious and slow. death from auto
mobile accidents were materially
less.
A study of deaths from railroad
and street-car accidents, says
DR.. Picker, shows that these
run along uniformly, month BY
month, unaffected by weather or
track conditions. He says lie
has made no comparison between
automobile deaths as recorded by
Virginia and North Carolina.
With regard to the situation in
Virginia his comment is that,
the killing of the large number
OF reckless drivers of cars has no |
! Iparent affect. When one
speeder is killed there seems all
ways two others eager to take
his place, says DR.. Picker, who
admits that he can offer no
to this problem.
legislative RI ooram (DufIjnpds