Evening star., 1934-10-07

last Sunday in which the need OF
Mr.. Van Duzer'S message fol
During the fiscal year 1884, in the
city of Washington, there were 1884
pedestrians injured and IS pedestrian
deaths. The child pedestrian under
IS years, an age group consisting OF
209 per cent of the population, re-
turned Ais per cent of the injury
accidents; the adult pedestrian, Is to
49 years, forming 59.8 per cent of the
population, reported 395 per cent of
the accidents; those between so and
GA years, 1873 per cent of the popula-
ton, received 14.4 per cent of the in
juries, and the aged pedestrian, over
IS years, consisting of SIS per cent Of
the population, returned 4.6 per cent
of the injury accidents. Only the
age groups between Is and 40 years
and over IS years show percentage
of injuries less than their percentage
of population. The age group between
Is and 40 is the least liable to injury,
the frequency in the child-pedeStrian
group being three times greater, in
the group from so to 64 years, 1.58
times greater, and in the group over
65 years, lis times greater.
Increase With Age.
A study of the fatalities and per-
sonal injuries indicate that the pro-
portion of deaths to injuries increases
directly with the increase in age. The
child-pedestrian group shows 4.35 per
cent of the accidents in that group
resulting in death, the age group from
Is to 40, 4.73 per cent, the group from
so to 81, It's per cent, and in the
group over IS years, II per cent OF
the accidents resulted fatally.
Although the intensity of injury in
creases with the age of the injured,
based on the population, the age group
between Is and 40, as with injuries, is
the least likely to have a fatal acci-
dent. The child pedestrian group
shows q frequency of fatalities of lis
times the IS to 40 group, as against
the three-times greater frequency in
injuries, while the older groups, so
to "a and over 65 show 236 and 5.3
times the frequency in deaths, as
against the injury frequencies of 1.58
and 1.26, respectively.
444CoC 4oG1Oo VI Q6dIIl
indicate clearly the groups in which
much work must be done The child
pedestrian, the group most liable to
injury, with his excess of animal
energy and his unconsciousness of
the dangers of the streets presents
the largest problem. He must be
closely supervised on his way to and
from school. He must be kept out
of the streets; inclosed safe play
areas must be built for him providing
q sanctuary away from the streets
for his normal games and activities.
Parents must be educated in the
dangers confronting the child in his
outdoor activities, to keep closer sur
velliance over him and to agitate for
more and improved Fairgrounds.
Finally, the child himself must be
educated to the dangers of the high
way. In this connection, let me
say, that the public schools of the
city OF Washington have, this year,
instituted program of safety educa-
tion in the primary schools. This
education will be progressive factor
In the campaign for greater safety.
AS the twig is bent, so grows the tree
and impressions gained in the forma-
tive years of life determines the fu-
ture course.
High Accident Frequencies.
The next group that attracts our
attention is the pedestrians over so
and especially those over IS. These,
like the child pedestrian, return high
accident frequencies. Whereas the
child is unconscious and needless of
his dangers, the elderly person is
careless and introSpective, no longer
keenly aware of his surroundings.
Atrophy and diminution of his ply
sical attributes striking at his agility
and resistance is illustrated by the
higher percentage of accidents result
ing in death over any other group.
What is to be done with the elderly
pedestrian? He cannot be educated
or impressed. He is afflicted with
egolSm and external things no longer
command his attention.
A recent pedestrian study in Wash
ington, made at every Signal-con-
trolled intersection in the congested
area, indicates that So per cent of the
pedestrians cross or attempt to cross
against the red signal-240,61l of
the 664,497 checked crossed on the
red signal. Three deaths and 122 in
juries were sustained by people cross
ing against the signal during the
year, as against deaths and 81 in
juries sustained by those crossing
with the signal-that is, those cross
ing against the signal had 641a per
cent of the accidents and those cross
ing with the signal 3512 per cent.
These figures indicate that, although
signals do not afford absolute pro-
lection to pedestrians at an intersec-
tion, it is 3.27 times more dangerous
to cross against the signal and 2.67
times more deadly.
The pedestrians rights and duties
at controlled intersections, as stated
by the traffic regulations of the Dis
trict of Columbia, are as follows:
AT intersections where traffic is
controlled by traffic control signals or
by police officers, drivers of vehicles
shall yield the right of way to pedeS-
trians crossing or those who have
started to cross the roadway on q
green or go signal, and in all other
cases pedestrians shall yield the right
of way to vehicles lawfully proceed
ing directly ahead on a green or go
signal"
AS the above figures show this reg
ulation is consistently violated, even
though, except for few hours on
Saturday afternoons. the crosswalk
space is adequate for the volume of
pedestrians, and at no point is a
pedestrian required to wait over 80
seconds before receiving the signal.
In view of this fact and the greater
risks involved in crossing against the
signal, do not think it unreasonable
to adopt more stringent, definite
regulation regarding the legal rights
of pedestrians at signal
intersections. believe the alterna-
tive regulation approved by the Ma
tional Conference on Street and
Highway Safety forbidding pedes-
TRANS to cross on the green light
should be adopted after proper educa-