Evening star., 1926-03-16
SAFETY COUNCIL
URGES EDUCATION
Most of Street Accidents Due
to CareIesSneSS or Incom-
petence, Group Finds.

Declaring that fatal collisions of
motor vehicles with pedestrians
seem to be increasing at rate out
OF all proportion to the rate Of in
crease in the total number of fatal
traffic accidents. the committee on
causes of accidents of the National
Conference on Street and Highway
Safety urged today that education
and regulation of pedestrians as we'll
as of drivers should be given greater
attention.
The committee attributed the zap.
palling" annual increase in automo-
bile accidents in large measure to
the tremendous increase in number
Of vehicles on the highways.
1T is has not been possible" the
committee said, ain the compare
lively few years since the advent of
the motor car to alter streets and
highways to meet the need of this
enormous growth of vehicular traf
walk and drive been able to acquire
the necessary skill and judgment to
cope with the multiplicity of hazards
which have TaSulted.
Education Held Cure.
These hazards must be reduced
and at the same time the level of com
petence must be raised. Provision
nust be made for the greatest pos
;ble Improvement in cars. highways
and traffic systems. and the public
must be brought by education and
regulation to point where it can
and will avoid as far as possible the
dangers inherent in highway trans
portation.'
Investigating the problem Of the in
toXicated driver, the committee af-
tirmed the universal condemnation"
of such a driver, but added that 1t is
less generally recognized that even
small amounts of alcohol, quite insult
ticient to intoXicate, tend to decrease
the higher forms of skill and perhaps
also to lessen the sense of responsible
ity. 1T is highly probable" the com.
mittee report said. that alcohol has
contributed to many accidents which
have been ascribed to inattention, con-
iusion. recklessness, loose steering
gear or some other cause. Investiga-
tion is necessary to determine the ex-
| tent to which alcohol is either Il con-
tributory or principal cause of acci-
dents
Fatigue Contributes to Wrecks.
Fatigue, conflicting habits. and dam
gerous human traits, such as reckless
ness, carelessness and incompetence.
were listed as other causes of acci
dents.
The report urged collection Of de-
tailed information about accidents
and suggested that some central or
ganization be asked to undertake a
study Of all the causes surrounding
| accidents.
A study of drivers who have fig
ured in more than one accident was
| recommended to determine what APP
! plicantS for licenses are unusually
dangerous and that their applications
| may be denied. Special eNamina-
| tions should be given for professional
| drivers and the physically handicap
| ped driver should be required to pass
special tests.
Few Accidents Unavoidable.
Very few of the more than $4,000
annual deaths from street and high
way accidents are, strictly speaking.
unavoidable the committee found
Public policy would suggest that
until we know to the contrary every
accident should be regarded as on,
| that could have been avoided if there
had been competence and the will t,
use this competence Alright"
| A study of the time of accidents
! made by the committee showed that
! the hour between and pm. pro.
| duced the most accidents, bearing out
the result of similar study made
| by Traffic Director NJ. O. Eldridge in
! Washington. DIR. r. 4. Moss of
George Washington University is sec.
retary of the committee.