The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-06-28
Various Factors
Cited AS Causes
In Luncheon Talk
Waterbury Rates Compare With Highest in Nation
Loss Cost Per Car Higher in City Than Through
out State Carelessness, High Damage Awards,
Traffic Problems Are Blamed

wounds, whereas during the past
fifteen years in which the use OF
the automobile has risen rapidly
from a small beginning to its pres
ent figure q total of $4,000 peo-
pie have been killed by it or have
died of their injuries. In other
words the slaughter now going on
in this country every day because
of the automobile Is greater than
that sustained by our armies of
fighting men every day that we
were engaged in hostilities.
mo country can survive such
loss of life as this If it continues
for any great length of time. The
economic loss alone is estimated
at $4,000, 100000 to s3,000,0Q0,000
a year, a truly staggering sum to
throw out of the window annually.
We may be the richest nation in
the world but we will not occupy
such a position very long If the
present slaughter keeps up.
with facts like these before us
1t Is easy to understand why auto
mobile insurance rates throughout
the United States have been trend
ing upwards during the past three
or four years. Waterbury Is par
ticular has felt the results Of this
situation because automobile acct
dents here have been occurring
with alarming frequency during the
past few years, have been serious
in their consequences in many
cases, and have been costly for the
insurance companies to settle. 1t
may be that the people of Water
bury drive their cars more careless
ly than they do in the other cities
of Connecticut. 1t may be that
the juries in this section of the
state are customarily more liberal
in their verdicts for injuries of a
corresponding character than they
are in other sections Of the state.
1t may be that Waterbury presents
a difficult traffic control problem.
Whether any one of these posi-
bilities or all three of them are in
volved, the fact remains that the
loss cost per car alto the insurance
companies is higher in Waterbury
than in any other city in Connecti-
cut. In fact only a comparatively
small number of cities in the
United States have to pay automo-
bile insurance rates as high as it
Is necessary to charge in Water
bury, and it might be added that
the present high level of rates is
proving inadequate to pay the
claims now being reported to the
insurance companies.
"What is the answer to this
problem? A three-fold answer
may be more nearly correct than
any single specific remedy. A
combination Of more careful, more
thoughtful operation of motor vehi-
cles by the public, more conser-
vative estimate OF the real worth
Of bodily injuries on the part Of
juries, and a careful study of the
traffic problems Of Waterbury and
the application and strict enforce
ment of remedial measures will un-
doubtedly tend to- reduction in
the frequency, severity, and cost
illness of automobile accidents in
this city, as has been the case in
so many other cities of this coun-
try that have decided to call halt
to the slaughter of their citizens by
the thoughtless driving of motor
vehicles. The members of the
Kiwanis club can contribute their
share to the promotion of this
worthy cause both individually and
collectively, as heads of families
and as employers Of labor. Your
cooperation is earnestly solicited"