Evening star., 1935-02-24


While recognizing the fundamental
Importance of contribution to scien-
tific research looking toward safety
improvement, the terms of the indus
try'S gift make it clear its leaders are
thinking in even broader terms. They
perceive, too, that efficiency in high
way transportation demands the elm
ination of factors contributing to
traffic congestion. This is evident in
the specification that the money made
available to the bureau shall be util-
lied in part in an effort to develop
faster, as well as safer, streets and
highways.
McClintock Heads Bureau.
DR. Miller McClintock, we'll known
in Washington and one of the out
standing figures in the traffic research
field, will continue to direct the new
and enlarged bureau at Harvard. In
the agency's broader program, he will
have the assistance of Maxwell N
Halsey, also a prominent figure in
the traffic world, who will serve as
assistant director. Halsey leaves
position with the National Bureau of
Casualty and Surety Underwriters
which he has held for years.
Both McClintock and Halsey have
been leading spirits in the National
Conference on Street and Highway
Safety, the agency through which the
Federal Government has made its
contribution to the improvement of
State and municipal traffic regulations
and their uniformity.
Solution Of the traffic problem is
not simple" said Alfred Reeves. vice
president and general manager of the
association, announcing the industrys S
gift. However. our participation in
this new project may be regarded as
an expression of the irdustrys conf
dence that tangible results can be
produced through the development
of more scientific methods for the
construction of highways and the reg
ulation of motor traffic.
Praises Bureau Work.
"Over a period of more than ten
years. the Harvard Bureau for Street
Traffic Research, under the exception
ally able direction of Dr. McClintock,
has demonstrated its capacity for the
development of better methods and
principles for the control of traffic.
These have been applied in scores of
cities and States throughout the coun-
try. with resultant reduction in traffic
accidents and marked Improvement in
the efficiency of motor travel.
Since the beginning of automctive
transportation, the motor industry has
spent many millions of dollars in re-
search to develop vehicles of maximum
safety and convenience. justification
of these vast expenditures is afforded,
we believe. by the current models.
Vehicles today, by virtue of tiIeir
greater reliability, flexibility and ease
of control. have a much higher safety
factor It is the constant purpose of
the industry to pursue this policy so
that the American people may have
complete assurance that vehicles
which they purchase will embody the
greatest safety and utility attainable
by engineering ingenuity.
Human Element at Fault.
although all studies of accident
causes are unanimous in their con-
clusion that from 80 to 80 per cent
of traffic mishaps are traceable di-
rectly to some form of human falli-
bility on the part of the individual
motorist or pedestrian. there is abun-
dant evidence that through engineer
ing. safeguards for the greater pro-
lection of highway users can be de-
Vised"
Through the Automobile Manufac-
turers' Association, the automobile
manufacturers long have played a
leading role in promoting the safety
and efficiency of highway transporta-
ton. The associations annual safety
essay and lesson contests have had
noteworthy influence in reducing ac-
cidents among children during the
last decade. The effort to bring about
better and more uniform traffic regula-
tions, which has been sponsored by
the National Conference on Street and
Highway Safety, has had the con-
tinuous support of the industry. In
addition, the motor truck division of
the association sponsors program for
educating the operators of CONNER
cial vehicles to exercise greater
courtesy and caution in their use of
the highways.
The new program of the Harvard
bureau will be conducted along the
same lines as those followed in the
past. Comprehensive researches into
the causes of traffic accidents and
highway congestion will be undertaken
with view to developing upon the
basis of factual data sound methods
and principles for improving highway
conditions. AS in the past, the bureau
will work in the closest harmony and
cooperation with public officials who
are confronted with special problems
of general significance. The results
of these studies will be published and
made available to those charged with
traffic responsibility throughout the
country.
Falling within the scope of the
bureaus new program are such sub
jects as rational and uniform legis-
lation and ordinances, police organi-
Zation and enforcement of traffic laws.
efficient traffic engineering technique
and organization, and the design of
new and basic types of traffic facili-
ties especially for urban areas. The
bureau will continue its efforts to
educate and develop traffic experts
through the cooperation of the uni
versity's department of government
and its Schools of Engineering, Busi-
ness Administration and City Plan
ming.
Officials Given Aid.
Under the bureaus plan for CO.
operation with governmental agencies,
provision is made whereby responsible
officials of State and local governments
may call upon the bureau staff for
information and advice bearing upon
local problems of safety and conges-
ton.
During the past week the National
Automobile Labor Board neared COM
pletion of its collective bargaining
elections, with balloting in five more
Michigan automotive plants. The
hoard som will move into alltOmctiye