Evening star., 1926-05-16
SAFETY CAMPAIGNS
/ SHOWING RESULTS
Automobile Man Urges Police
Regulation of Pedestrians
as Improvement.

Is the American gradually hecom'
ing endowed with sixth sense that
warns him of an automoblleS ap-
proach?
With safety education In the public
schools attaining such encouraging re-
suits and with the Younger generation
or at least part Of it. growing up ac-
custOmed to stop. look and listen,
II. H. Brooks of the Marmon Motor
Car Co. thinks the above question can
be answered affirmatively.
The time, however" observes Mr..
Brooks. lis still far in the future. for
evolution IS a slow and gradual proc
eSS. Pending the advent of that mil
lonnium. it would he we'll to give Sc
rious thought to legislation regulating
the pedestrian
Pedestrian Often Careless.
Mr.. Brooks comedies the RESPONSE
bility Of the motorist and admits that
In many cases of accident the driver is
at fault. But the pedestrian. while
often the victim. he points out. is
often more reckless and more thought
less than the most car"l~sS motorSt.
A recent anai'SiS of automobile ac-
CidentS ir so cities of the United
States" says Mr.. Brooks. "shows that
the blame can he about equally di-
Iided between the person afoot and
the man at the wheel. These accidents
resulted In 6.l20 deaths and approxi-
mately 14j. 900 in n!uries. In 1928 In.
stances the victim was walking, run,
ming or playing in the street; s 3aS
were crossing at intersections against
signals; 919 were riding or hitching on
vehicles and 81 were jay walkers.
With a little consideration on the
part of these pedestrians. a little
sense % fair play, many of these
accidents might have been averted. You
can imagine how a motorist feels
when he runs over a child who darts
suddenly across the street after ball
The way some pedestrians step direct
~ under the wheels is enough to
give a motorist heart failure. | have
seen more than one reckless fellow,
lost, apparently, to all the world,
snatched by more watchful bystand-
erS from under the very wheels Of a
passing car.
Laws Bind MotGrist.
IF a motorist violates a traffic law.
he is liable TO penalty. A pedestrian.
however. seems to be immune. Pedes-
trianS-the kind who get run into
may be divided into three classes.
Those who do not think. those who do
not care and those who lack the abii-
itN to either think or care. 1t is al
most as impossible to anticipate their
movements as a hens.
Until some of the pedestrians be
gin to show little consideration.
Willingness to cooperate and to go
half way, the public should not be too
severe on the mOtOriSt
The boy on the bicycle is a con
Stant menace in the busy streets--a
terror to the m0torist. 1t is a hard
ship for the boy to be denied his bike,
but | believe bicycle paths should be
provided along the houlevardS and
highways. Every city needs more
parks and Fairgrounds. too; more
open spaces, which will keep the chill
dren off the streets. A city street
these days is about as safe for a small
boy as a railroad yard.
Times Have Changed.
with 10000, 900 automobiles in use
in the United States today, and with
this number being increased by sew
eral million year. we must realize
that we have outgrown the horse-and-
buggy age and are living in an age of
gas and steel.
Countless laws are constantly pro-
posed-many of them actuated by
selfish motives. sponsored by politi-
clans, street car companies, bus and