Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-26

| IT, as result of highway research
| a saving of even ] per cent in the
| sum expended for road purposes in
| the United States during the present
year could be effected, the public
| would benefit to the extent of So.
900, 900, according to Prof. S. S. Stein.
berg of the University of Maryland
Prof. Steinberg, who is assistant di-
rector of the Highway Research Board
Of the National Research Council
made this assertion in recent
address.
This year more than 81 900 900 900
is being spent in the United States on
highway construction and mainte.
nance, and research into methods of
better construction or means of build.
ing highways at q saving, without
detracting from their quality, has he
come of the utmost Importance, Prof.
Steinberg said.
From the standpoint of the high.
way engineer, as we'll as the public,
the most important problem at pres
emit however, is that of safety, &C.
cording to Prof. Steinberg. Engineers
are devoting much of their time study.
ing the problem of making roads
safer and, although a recent survey
showed that the human factor" was
responsible In 80 per cent of the motor
vehicle accidents, according to Prof
Steinherg these efforts toward i'm.
provement of safety devices are con-
tinuing undated.
Universities Are Aiding.
Tests and Investigations of various
kinds are being conducted throughout
the country by universities as we'll as
other bodies, such as the Bureau of
Standards Of the Department Of Com
merce. These tests include skidding.
braking control wear on tires and
wear on various types of. road sur
faces, the speaker asserted, and they
have contributed greatly to advancing
highway construction as well as safety.
The text of the address follows:
Few Of us realize, as we travel
rapidly along our modern smooth
highway. the part science has played
in the development of our present
system of highway transportation.
The highway industry, which in the
last decade has become the largest in
the engineering construction field,
recognized early in its growth that its
progress was dependent upon the de-
velopment of the science underlying
the industry.
LAS soon as it became evident that
the motor vehicle had come to stay,
highway engineers commenced expert
mentation and research to establish
the scientific principles that would
guide Them in the solution of the
many problems arising from this new
means Of highway transportation and
to assure the economical expenditure
Of highway funds. The spirit OF scien.
tific inquiry in highway engineering
has spread so rapidly and grown to
such proportions that some six years
ago there was organized, under the
National Research Council, High
way Research Board whose function
it is to coordinate the results of high
way research throughout the country.
Safety Greatest Issue.
"Of the many problems confronting
the highway engineer, the most inn
portant. the most complex and the
one in which the public is most vital
~ interested, is that of highway
safety. The loss of some $4,000 lives
annually. the injury OF several times
that number and the enormous prop
erty damage, have focused the atten-
ton of many agencies upon this grave
problem Of national concern. High
way safety. though primarily an en-
fiuenced by the psychological as we'll
as the physical demands upon the
driver of a motor vehicle.
"a recent statistical study Of the
distribution of blame among factors
involved in highway accidents, has
shown that the human factor" is
responsible for approximately 80 per
cent of motor vehicle accidents, and
that causes attributed directly to de-
fects in the highway or the vehicle
are Of small relative importance.
I'm order to secure concerted ac-
ton in studying the causes and means
of prevention of highway accidents
the Highway Research Board recently
appointed committee to initiate and
coordinate research on all phases of
this serious problem. This board, be-
cause of its contact on the scientific
side with the National, Research Coun-
Gil and on the practical side with the
highway departments of the several
States. is in peculiarly fortunate
position to accomplish important WAX
in this field. assuring that the results
of scientific research will receive
prompt consideration by those who
may be able to apply them.
Causes OF Skidding.
"Skiddng of tires on wet pavements,
which is frequent cause of accidents,
has been investigated at Iowa State
College. These experiments, using
pneumatic tires on various road sur
face conditions, show that on roads
coated with snow or ice or with oily
slime or mud, the force required to
cause skidding is approximately one.
third to one-fourth of that on clean,
dry surfaces; while on icy roads that
are thawing little, the coefficient
may be as low as one-sixth that on a
clean, dry surface
"a number of problems, especially
those affecting motor vehicle opera
ton, are being studied by the United