Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

oAds for 1929 in cities of more
than 100000 population, accord
ing to the monthly report OF the
street traffic committee of the
National Automobile Chamber of
Commerce published last week.
There has been a decrease of
more than 6 per cent in motor
fatalities in the first two months
of this year as compared with the
same period last year.
The five big cities having no
fatal motor accidents for the
period are Bridgeport, Conn;
Kansas City, Kans.;; New Bedford,
Mass; Fall River, Mass, and
Lowell, Mass.
The intensive accident preven-
ton work of the Milwaukee Safety
Commission is pointed to by Ed
ward S. Jordan, in the Automobile
Chamber report, as an example
Of the growing technique in deal
ing with this problem. Milwau-
KEGS fatal accidents this year are
just half the record of a year ago.
The progress in safety has been
widespread, not limited to any
special size of city nor to any
| particular locality. Chicago, De-
troit and Cleveland, for example,
all show improvement over a year
ago, while Birmingham, Ala;
Norfolk, Va, and DeS Moines,
Iowa, also have better records.
T-a,ouno 80 VuooAL
Before regarding the increase
in traffic safety with too much en-
thusiaSm, we must bear in mind
that the heavy SHOWS and the
cold weather of the past Winter
have cut down the actual amount
of travelling, which has had some
influence on the reduced accident
total in certain quarters.
1--WE might feel that that was
the whole story except for the
fact that the improved condition
is evident in all sections of the
country without reference to the
sncw belt. The Eastern seaboard
did not have a severe Winter, yet
the cities in that area, with two
or three exceptions, have had ex-
ceptionally fine safety records.
Il look to see the ratio of acct
dents to motor travel steadily i'm
prove. Progress will come about
by the increasing motor conscious
ness of the public. The present
younger generation was reared in
a motor age and is less subject
to accidents than older people.
But in addition to public
familiarity with motor traffic is
the very important development
of improved technique in the ad-
ministration of traffic by public
authorities.
Milwaukee, Conditions.
1.-THE Milwaukee Safety Com
mission has made a very exhaus-
tive study of the accidents in that
city during the past year. The
facts brought out are an illuStrat-
ing guide to our approach to this
problem.
'Milwaukee's total highway &C
cidentS of all sorts dropped from
12,135 in 1927 to 11,472 in 1928.
The total of persons injured was
little over one-third of that num-
Der, while the fatality figures
were ITO and 1872, respectively, in
the two years.
"It is a significant fact that the
intersection collisions dropped
from 4,301 to 3,744.
1.-THE rear-end collisions also
declined, from 476 to 1879.
These two totals seem to in
dictate that accidents due to in
competence are declining as the
quality Of driving improves.
UNFORTUNATELY, carelessness and
jay-walking increased consider
ably, so the progress was some
what Offset.
Milwaukee has taken an initial
important step in it's thorough
analysis of accidents and fatal
tiles. Any attack on this problem
must be based on the facts, and
the better the analysis of the facts
the more convincing will be the
demand for remedy"