Evening star., 1935-03-28
CITY RANKED 68TH
ON NATIONAL LIST
IN TRAFFIC SAFETY
Rate of 37.3 Fatalities Per
100, 900 Exceeded by Only
| 18 Other Cities.
MARKED GAINS SHOWN
IN FOUR WEEK PERIOD
Record Contracts Sharply With
II Per 100000 Made in
San Francisco.

Despite its traffic safety campaigns,
Washington ranks very low in the
roll Of leading American cities with
respect to safety of human life on its
streets, according to a summary of
automobile accident deaths made
public today by the Division of Vital
Statistics of the Census Bureau.
OF S6 leading American cities in
which detailed studies were made, ST
had better traffic records than Wash
ington, the figures show. The report
March l6.
For the 50 weeks Washington had
death rate from automobile acci-
dents Of 373 per 100000 of popula-
ton. Only l8 cities had worse rec
ords.
Not only is the city's rate for the
past year high in comparison with
the death rate of other cities, the
summary shows, but the local total
is increasing. During the four weeks
ending March l6, the Census Bureau
figures show, Washington had IA
trafhc deaths due to accidents in the
city proper, as compared with 10 for
the same four weeks Of last year.
So Weeks Toll Is 11s.
During the So weeks which ended
March l6, Washington had total of
1l8, the figures show. During the 50
weeks which ended March II, 1884,
there were 90. according to the report.
As a result of this increase in traf-
fic deaths, Washington's automobile
mortality rate has climbed from 81
deaths per 100000 of population for
the year ending March II, 1884, to 37.3
for the year ending March 16 last.
The Census Bureau announced that
during the four weeks ending March Is
the Sc large cities in which its detailed
studies were made reported 678 deaths
from automobile accidents, as COM
pared with 531 deaths during the same
period of the preceding year. Most
of these deaths, it was explained, were
due to accidents which occurred with
in the corporate limits Of the city.
Cities With Worse Records.
The only cities in the United States
which now have a higher traffic ac-
cident mortality rate than Washington
are Atlanta Camden. Canton. Gin
cinnati, Columbus, E. Paso, Flint,
Indianapolis, Kansas City, Kans.;
Knoxville, Memphis. Miami, Peoria
Richmond Salt Lake City. Seattle,
Tacoma and Trenton.
x.-ffI I1f ~ fe
record of 373 deaths per 100000 OF
population; Detroit, Mich, had 17.2;
Milwaukee, 14.6: New York, 1872;
Philadelphia, 1874, and San Francisco
only II deaths per 100000.
In a radio speech today in connec-
| ton with the presentation of awards
to winning cities in the National
| Traffic Safety Contest, Secretary OF
Commerce Roper disclosed that United
States traffic accidents in 1884 took
| $500 lives. He said:
The year 1884 marked the highest
point We have yet experienced in
motor vehicle death accidents.
1T is estimated that automobile
accidents resulted in $500 deaths in
the United States and injured a
million and a quarter others, many
| thousands for life.
Cost Billion and Half.
"The cost of these accidents, in
cluding wage loss. medical expense,
overhead insurance and property
damage is estimated at s1,570, ZOO, 900.
At a cost of $4,000 per dwelling no
less than $4,000 homes could be
constructed at the cost of American
automobile accidents"
Roper said progress was being
made in securing greater uniformity
in traffic laws and regulations
throughout the United States. Thirty
two States are cooperating in an
effort to adopEa uniform traffic code.