The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-03-08
COLLEGE COED
SAFER DRIVER
THAN BROTHER
A. A. A. QUESTIONABLE to In.
surance Companies Dis
closed This Fact

Washington. d. c., March THE
college coed may be addicted to
many Of the late modes disapproyed
of by the colder generation but
when it comes to the driving Of an
automobile, she is an infinitely bet
ter risk than her brother.
This is one Of the arrcsting dis
closures Forthcoming as result Of
questionable addressed by the
American Automobile Association to
1875 Of the leading insurance and un
derwriting companies Of America.
Practically all the insurance COM
panies that have had experience in
underwriting college students agree
that the "femalc Of the species" is
a much safer risk than the mere
male" She doesn't take nearly as
many chances and even "in the
pinches" she appears to handle the
car with better judgment than her
strong armed brother She does bet
ter, also. when it comes to avoiding
emergencies. In fine, she is neither
SO reckless nor so careless as the
boy and, as a result, she is not
caught in anything like as many
damaging situations.
Often Reckless
But what about the brother OF
Miss Coed: Well, the QUESTIONABLE
clearly shows him to be unqucstion-
ably possessed Of high content Of
rccklessness in his complex. He is
often very reckless; he is often a
very bad risk and in many eases the
insurance companies shy clear of him
entirely. Moreover, they believe that
il they are compelled to insure him
at random, as they would be under a
compulsory liability insurance law,
he would prove drain on their
treasures.
Under compulsory insurance, Of
course, the companies could not side
step bad risks, as a blanket cOverage
would destroy the time-honorcd right
to select risks.
The A. A. A. QUESTIONABLE refer
red specifically to the attitude Of in
surance companies towards college
students as driving risks. The re-
plies were somewhat startling. Of
the 125 queried fifty-nine maintain
ed discreet and dignified silence,
but sixty-six answered, most of them
with considerable warmth. Fifty Of
the sixty-six companies sidestep in
suring college students If it is at all
perience with the campus, and thir-
teen are willing to write policies for
students, but most Of these admit
they always look very carefully in
to the history, prospects, ganglions,
rcflexes. and other equipment of col
lege youth.
Loss Might Be Heavy
Most of the compulsory insurance
plans, which are now up for legis-
lative consideration in approximate
ly 40 states, provide that the insur-
ance companies must insure any per-
son permitted by the state to drive
an automobile. II persons of the
high type Of college students are
bad risks, it is obvious that there
must be many more who are worse.
Thus the percentage Of loss might
become so great that many insurance
companies probably would have to
withdraw from the automotive field.
In discussing the college student,
virtually every reply uses the
phrases bad risk and "irrespon-
siblc." The companies all admit that
his youth, his healthy coordination
of thought and muscle should make
him "A better driver mechanically
than his father or older brother; but
they assert that this mechanical
of judgment. He gets pleasant little
chills running up and down his
sninal column when he takes a
chance" And not only does he appear
quite willing to take chances, but
seems even eager for them. In a
word, he is more than mildly advcn-
turous.
He is, the companies point out
quite nice young man, but away
from home and parental restraint
His exubcrance is quite likely to
lead him into an ambulance. He
keeps quite cool and collected when
Schopenhaucr, Aristotle or Joseph
Conrad is mentioned, but when some.
body says "step on it," he develops
spasmodic jerks in his accclcrator
toe.
Company Rules
Not one Of the companies replying
to the A. A. a. questionable insures
automobile drivers Of less than 1f
years Of age, and most of them will
not 60 under 18. Moreover, they hes.
itate to insure family cars where the
children are permitted to drive often
or without close supervision of THEN
elders.
Invariably the reply to the qucs.
tionnaire contained an extra para.
graph commenting unfavorably upor
compulsory automobile liability in
surance. Every company declared
that it's own experience had proven
that compulsory insurance would
prove detriment to safety and care.
full driving; that it would actually
breed carclessness and recklcssness
and that the nations bill for com.
pulsory insurance would run sc
high, and become so great a drain
on everybody concerned, that ma
tcrial inroad into the nationa
nnckcthook would be inevitable.