Evening star., 1926-06-14
Automobile Fatalities.


! An increase in the number of auto
/ mobile fatalities is shown in statistics
! raiea sed by the National Safety Coun-
ell. la 1928 the death rate per 100 .U00
TO lo.' and in 1923 the rate was ~
per cent. During The past year zoe
! more people We're killed than in 1894.
These statistics show cvnclusively
that despite better traffic regulations,
better ears and better physical equip
ment for handling ira fiic the accident
toll will continue to mount as hong
as the number of automobiles in
creases and the incompetent drivers
rn the streets multiply us rapi,liN us
they have In the hast few wears.
The more automobiles. the more
accidents. That conclusion cannot i'r
denied. As street space available for
ira ffic becomes lessened through the
congregation Of autotolileS in all
cities of the United States, il is only
natural that collisions between pedes-
trians and ears will show IL startling
increase,
The same thing applies [" the open
road Long lines of automobiles daily
pass from city To- city. interminsied
with This passenger traffic are the
huge huSses and trucks. Attempts To
pass at high speeds un narr"w thor.
,t,f,. L in
turns or stopping and the simple con
sestiun Of ma chimes contribute 10 the
mounting list of accidents.
Add to these, things the large mum
Der of nIen aiid women who are being
turned loose on The highways and by
ways of The country without driving
experience aud ia some Ga ses unquaG-
fed in every way to operate auto
mobiles. and il is not hard to under
stand how the fatalities can increase
more than 1000 in oi,e year.
Driving an automobile in these days
VI heavy traf ffic is an art. 1t cannot
be learned or acquired overnight. 1t
takes years of careful training and
experience and with the driving tech
niuue itself must be combined the
elements of courtesy and the ordinary
variety of decency.
Engineers on the railroads are re-
Quired to pass the most stringent
examinations. They have in their
charge the lives of many persons.
Their vehicles. however, run ON tracks
aud are not free to roam at will
through city streets or country roads.
Is there any conceivable reason why
the prospective automobile drivers in
the American cities of today should
not ne required to pass similar exam
nations and be similarly competent
in order that the lives Of themselves
and others should he protected?
AS long as almost any one who
applies for a driving permit is allowed
to take his automobile and legally
operate 1t through the congested
ira ffic of today the figures at the end
of each year will show a decided up
ward climb.
When communities, however, begin
10 realize the basis OF the entire prob.
lem and put into effect as strict regu-
lations for the granting OF a permit
as railroads require for their ensi-
neers, then, and then only, will condi-
tions improve.
There is no short cut to end this
yearly sacrifice of American lives. 1t
il a reform hat can be brought about
only through the slow process Of
education. Some communities are
even now attempting to weed out the
incompetents, but they are few and it
will require nationwide effort. Until
that il done, all cities working to-
sether to refuse permits to those who
cannot pass the strictest examination,
America will continue to pay g. huge
levy to the pleasure, luxury and me-
cessity Of the automobile.