Evening star., 1928-11-25
NEW SPIRIT URGED
TO CURB M|SHAPS
More Optimism Is Needed for
Better Frame of Mind,
lose Declares.

That more optimism and less discus
| sion of statistics relating to automobile
accidents and fatalities will serve to
put motorists in frame of mind which
will assist them to drive carefully, is
the opinion of Rudolph Jose, director
of the Washington Automotive Trade
Association, who has been actively
identified with motoring for more than
quarter century.
There has been too much pessi-
mism regarding the large number OF
automobile accidents" declares Mr..
Jose. Motorists have been caused to
feel that they are criminals at heart
and are bound to be at fault no mat
ter how faithfully they try to do the
right thing. What we need is definite
note of optimism. Cheerfulness must
be substituted for fear and a suspicion
of the drivers ability to manage MS
car we'll"
Motorist Frightened, He Says.
This comforting note comes in the
wake of what Mr.. Jose considers TO oe
excessive emphasis on instances OF
horror, and occasional willful violations
of the traffic laws. His contention Is
that morbid details of fatalities have
their place in the records of experts
who are endeavoring to devise accl-
dent-prevention measures, but are de-
pressing rather than helpful Tor the
average motorist.
I'VE are frightening the careful
motorist out Of his Senses" he says.
He has reachedfa point where he eX-
poets collision at every crossing Such
an individual pictures his driving not
as a convenience and as a relaxation,
but rather as duty and a risk. In
other words, he has become morbid.
If this sort of thing is allowed to con-
tinue the average driver will become
unsafe. Every time he steps into his
car he will think of the possibility OF
an accident. He will become confused
through fear.
Give the motorist some pleasant
thoughts. Get his mind of accidents
and he will not have SO many Of them.
The average automobile driver Is rea-
sonably careful, otherwise the number
of accidents would be overwhelming.
For constructive purposes, 1t would be
more logical to stress that fact. There
is positive danger in stressing the reck-
lessness and careleSsneSs of the minor
ity. What the Nation must do is to
make it plain that careless drivers are
in the minority and that there are not
enough to be cause for undue alarm.
New Spirit Is Urged.
During the influenza epidemic sever
al years ago many persons died through
sheer fright. Any illness was taken as
an ATTACK of the dreaded disease. MotoT
accidents. and fatalities are being
treated as plague in America today,
and thousands of innocent motorists
are making it difficult for themselves by
imaging that every one must come in
for share of the trouble"
"The truth of the matter is" de-
clared Mr. Jose, "that safety still pre-
dominates in America and there will
be a material reduction in fatalities
when this fact is recognized. The
odds are very much in favor of every
motor trip turning out success. With
this idea in mind driver is certain to
60 at his task with a new spirit and
a more genuine idea of safety. The
motorist has been led to believe that
safety is staying just beyond the reach
of trouble.
Thinking of safety in terms of dan
ger is fundamentally wrong. One must
think of safety in terms of honest
pleasure, comfort. convenience, kind
ness and economy. Joy-riding is a
misnomer There can be no pleasure
in recklessness. It must be accom-
panied by thoughts of impending dis
aster. LawleSsness always Is stripped
of pleasure. The speeder watches for
the motor cycle policeman, and retires
at night wondering If he may be ap-
pretended on the morrow. Motorists
who honestly enjoy themselves are. on
the other hand, naturally law-abiding.
They need no code of laws because
they approach their tasks from the
standpoint of common sense.
Optimism can go a long way to-
ward solving the accident problem, be-
cause it emphasizes the idea that safe
ty is matter of finding honest pleas
ure in motoring Pessinism represents
safety as sacrifice, whereas it is a
pleasure. The sooner motordom recog-
nizes this truth the sooner the motorist
will be discouraged from imagining
that he is giving up pleasures and
privileges when he drives carefully"