The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-23
9 OF %10FATAIITIES
CAUSED BY DRIVERS
HAVING EXPERIENCE
32,5OO Persons Were Killed in
Automobile Accidents Dur
ing Last Year
WOMEN ARE SAFE AND SANE
Operators with Three to Six
Months Experience in One
Per Cent Of Mishaps
WOMEN ARE SAFE AND SANE
Nv FREDERIC J. HASKIN

BY FREDERIC J. HASK1N
Washington, d. c., Feb. 23.-The
nc.vice automobile driver Is more care
FIJI than the experienced n and suf- !
.ers fewer accidents. Nine out OF
every 10 Of the $4,000 persons killed
In such accidents last year had at
least a twelve months experience in
operating motor cars while persons
with less than three months exper-
ience were involved in only two per
cent of the fatal accidents.
The accidents are not all listed but
through the insurance companies
which indemnify participants in them
figures have been compiled listing
1900, 900. Less than two per cent Of
these were caused by persons with
only three months driving experience.
Drivers With between three and six
months experience with accelerator
and brakes were involved in not quite
one pei cent of these accidents which
did not end fatally and in only two
per cent Of those which did so end.
Perhaps it is because the experience
ea drivers use their cars more or are
more reckless. Certainly the figures
are impressive. The figures show that
Of the cars involved in fatal acct
dents during the last year 1881 or
OIL per cent were operated by per-
sons with a year or more experience.
In accidents which caused sufficient
damage to come to the attention OF
the insurance companies, numbering
1921 oil, those involving drivers with
experience of a year or more count up
TO 1.1O7, Gal or SO per cent Of all.
Out of all the classes listed by the
Insurance companies. drivers In the
group who have had between three
and six months experience appear to
be the safest. They were victims IN
only 1858 or one per cent Of the acct
dents recorded.
A curious coincidence which prob
ably never will happen again Is that
precisely the same number OF drivers
of between six and IL months exper-
fence and of unlicensed drivers were
involved in fatal accidents. The num-
Der was 500, which was 1.9 per cent
OF the fatal mishaps. Continuing the
remarkable condolences which the
year brought forth the non-fatal but
serious accidents show precisely the
same numbers in the class OF drivers
with between three and six months
experience and those driving without
licenses. That number was 1918 or
nine-tenths of M per cent.
The drivers having less than three
months experience who became in
yolved IN fatal accidents numbered
1856 or two per cent and those involved
in n~on-fatal accidents numbered 49,
o56 or is per cent of the total for
the year.
Kind Word For Youth
The charge that modern youth is
wild and reckness does not stand up
under the eyes of the statistician. The
Young and the old appear to be the
safest drivers. Only 1,141 or 81 per
cent of all those involved in fatal &C.
cidents we're under 10 years Of age
and 1906 or 1.6 per cent in the
non-fatal accidents. This was the
smallest classification. The next larg-
est was composed Of persons OF SIS
a or more and numbered 1855 or
ga per cent for the fatal accidents
and 46,499 or 3.9 per cent for the non
fatal ones.
It might be argued that not very
many youths under 10 have cars to
drive but a scrutiny of the street
traffic of any city b~ereaves such an
argument of merit. In city and town
and on the country roads these youths
NAV be observed behind the wheels
Cf motor cars.
The dangerous age in motoring ap-
bears to range from Is to 81. This is
the most numerous group figuring in
automobile accidents during the last
year. In 60 per cent of the years mo-
tor car accidents causing fatalities
22,O1O cars were involved. The same
proportion holds good for the nom
fatal accidents. There were 828. 944
or 69.6 per cent ars driven by per-
sons in this age group which came to
grief during the year.
Between the ages of ID and "a it is
found that 1900 or 30.7 per cent
were victims of the years fatal mis-
haps while 296. 562 or 24.9 per cent
were involved in the non-fatal ones.
The vindication of the skill and
slertness in motoring Of modern
youth is found in the fact that 81 out
Of every 100 fatalities found drivers
more than Is years old.
Women Safe And Sane
Women drivers show a favorable
record for the year in spite of the
prejudice against them. Whether
because pedestrians or the drivers OF
other cars give them a wide berth or
from some other cas- the annual
compilation shows that 80 out Of
every 100 fatal accidents involved
male drivers. The numbers of male
drivers in all accidents during the
last year was 1.146, 781 or 93.4 per cent
of the total. OF these 34,671 ended
fatally. Women drivers who died or
whose passengers died while they
we're at the wheel numbered only
c,i35 or So per cent of the total. In
the non-fatal accidents men were
driving in 1914 per cent Of the cases
and women in only sc per cent.
It Is the passenger car which fig
s:res most largely in accidents. OF
the total Of all types Of vehicles which
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