Evening star., 1925-05-10
STRESSES TRAFFIC
PERIL TOCH|LDREN
Cooperation for Safety
Urged Upon Public Officials
and School Authorities.

| Greater cooperation with public
officials In protecting school chill
dren against traffic accidents is be-
| ing urged upon superintendents OF
public school systems by Secretary
of Commerce Herbert Hoover. At
the request of DR.. Frank w. Ballou
Secretary Hoover has written to
school superintendents, calling their
attention to the conclusions Of the
| National Conference on Street and
Highway Safety with regard to
safety education in the schools.
In its report to the conference. the
| committee on education stated that.
as accidents are primarily the result
of ignorance. the success of any
| safety movement Is dependent upon
education. The committee made a
| number Of recommendations for the
Incorporation of education in safety
ricula of schools, calling attention to
the fact that 80 per cent of all fatal
automobile accidents happen to chill
dren of school age and under.
Protection Measures Urged.
In discussing this subject the COM
mittee, in addition to recommending
specific procedure and methods Of
making safety education part of
the regular curriculum, also made a
number of recommendations designed
for the protection of school children
going to and from school. That more
children are killed or seriously in
jured when on some definite errand,
such as going to or returning home
from school, than in any other way
is generally accepted as a fact by
students of the problem.
One Of the methods for the protec-
ton of these children recommended
by the conference, and which has
been put into effective operation in
Chicago, San Francisco and other
cities, is the organization of school,
boy patrols. Through these patrols
the students are given the oppor-
tunity for cooperation in carrying
out the principles learned in classroom
work. Older boys are assigned to the
work of actually assisting In handling
traffic at certain periods Of the day
and in caring for the safety of young
err children approaching or leaving
the school buildings. 1t not only
provides protection for small chill
dren crossing the streets in large
numbers at or near the school build
ing. but also arouses proper interest
in safety on the part Of all Of the
children.
In Chicago these schoolboy patrols
have been organized under the
auspices of the Chicago Motor Club
in cooperation with the police.
Members of the patrol when on duty
have a certain amount of authority.
If a motorist fails to stop upon be-
ing signaled to do SO by the patrol
his number Is taken and a report
made to both the motor club and the
police. The motor club then prose-
cutes the driver for failing to obey
the signal.
Junior Safety Councils Approved.
Junior safety councils, organized
along the lines of community safety
council and under the administra-
ton of the pupils themselves, have
been found to be extremely effective.
They provide for the actual working
out of the theories which the chill
dren. have been taught by their
teachers.
Another important provision which
is made for the protection of school
children in many communities Is the
assignment of traffic officers to loca-
tions in the vicinity of public schools
before the opening of school and
Immediately after closing. This is
particularly necessary in the case of
schools located on or near main
travelled streets and highways In
Washington, through the efforts of
DR.. Ballou, traffic officers have been
assigned to school buildings SO