Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
AUTODEATHSGROW
At APPALLING RATE
Study Of Drivers Reactions
Urged as Way to Cut
q Annual Toll.

+ : . 4 r. < n + al
ii Natural abilities OF automobile
drivers and their reactions, both
physical and mental. to their re-
sponsibilities while operating auto
mobiles must come in for more IN
telligent and closer scrutiny in the
battle to keep down the number OF
highway accidents, in the opinion OF
Col. E. Austin Baughmah, Maryland
e motor vehicle commissioner.
q 1.-THE Importance of the automobile
as a cause of vehicular traftic acci-
dents is evidenced by the fact that
last year over $4,000 people We're
killed in automobile accidents, SAID
4 Col Baughman. The worst OF 1t Is
that the number Of automobiles is
steadily increasing, and the death
toll Is continuing to grow at an ap-
Railing rate" says Col. Baughman.
two factors are involved in every
accident: First, the purely inani-
mate, including the machine and the
condition Of the highway, and second,
the animate, including the driver,
pedestrian or other contributors to
the accident.
Driver to Blame.
"a careful analysis of over $4,000
automobile accidents recently shows
that 1854, or about 20 per cent were
the fault of the operators; 3,464, or
about 90 per cent, were the fault OF
sother persons; 500. or about per
cent, we're attributable to detective
equipment, and 413, or about 2 per
rent, were due to all other causes.
! In other words, approximately 80 per
Hent of these $4,000 accidents, were
The direct result of deficiency in the
human factor.
These figures leave no doubt as
10 where we must center our efforts
AZ we are to expect any considerable
reduction in the number of trafiic
Fatalities. In the past nearly all eff
Mort has been given to the physical
side of the traffic problem. The
mechanical engineer has done such a
thorough Job in perfecting the auto
mobile that the word unavoidable
has practically been eliminated from
the category of accidents. He has
so standardized and perfected brakes.
lights and steering apparatus that
such q thing as the sudden giving
away Of any of these is almost UNI
heard Of.
Sharp Curves Eliminated.
"The civil engineer has likewise
contributed his share to the reduce
ton of accidents. Sharp curves and
DINO COrIiSI6 are fhptuty DClhs ClIlAA~
mated Narrow bridges have heen
replaced by more adequate ones. To-
day less than per cent of all acct
dents can be traced to the condition
of the roadway.
"It is obvious, therefore, that the
traffic experts must shift their en-
phasis, and begin paying attention
to the element that offers the great
est possibility of improyement-the
human factor.
MANY authorities on the traffic
problem state that very large pro-
portion of all accidents are caused
by a particular class of drivers who
compose a very small percentage
of the total number of drivers OPP
Grating motor vehicles. One OF the
first things undertaken by traffic
directors should be to devise some
means to discover those who are
especially prone to cause accidents,
and to take the necessary precau-
tions to prevent them from being
Entrusted with the operation Of such
o deatif-dealing machine as the auto
mobile.
Results of Survey.
"A survey of the present conditions
shows that practically nothing is
being done on this phase of the prob
lem. Only about 20 States require a
drivers license of any kind, and sew
eral of those that do require license
make no pretense of examining those
who apply for licenses, but issue
licenses as a routine procedure to all
who purchase license plates for their
machine. In many of the States
where examinations are required the
questions are of such a superficial
character as to indicate little or
nothing of the applicants fitness to
operate a motor vehicle. =
1T defies contradiction that in
motor car driving nothing is more
important than quick and accurate
reaction in an emergency. Assume,
for example, that a motor car Is trav-
cling at the rate of 80 miles an hour.
If under such conditions it takes the
driver. one and one-half seconds to
transfer his foot from the accelerator
to the brake in a moment of danger,
the car will have gone So feet before
he began to apply the brake. But IL
he can transfer his foot from the ac-
celerator to the brake in half a Sec
ond, the car only goes % feet from
the moment he observed the impend-
ing danger until he applied the brake.
. Obviously a difference of as feet may
very readily mean the difference be-
tween an accident and safety.
Requirements for License.
eff an applicant has a very slow
reaction in an emergency, but rates
high on judgment and information,
20 that he would be more able to keep
out of an emergency. he could be
granted. license; but if in addition
to his slow reaction in the face of
danger, he showed by other tests
that he had poor Judgment and little
: information which would aid him in
keeping out of danger, It would be
proper to refuse him a license. In
other words, 1t is suggested that the
granting or withholding of the license
would be on the basis Of compre-
hensive sizing up of the Individual"
SPRINGS CUT TRACTION.