Evening star., 1935-11-28
LIQUOR IS SEEN
SAFETY MENACE
Business Mems Research
Foundation Cites ''Had-
Been.Drinking" Drivers.

The re-established liquor traffic,
with its 100000 retail outlets now
operating under governmental pro-
lection 'is rapidly coming to be the
outstanding and major menace OF
the motor traffic problem in America
today" according to a statement is
sued by the American Business Mems
Research Foundation.
It was pointed out that many ac-
cidents in which drinking was a
contributory factor, are credited to
other causes in police reports, and
that as a matter Of fact, mot
drunken but 'had-been- drinking
drivers are the real menace in traffic
accidents
A cocktail or a couple of beers it
was emphasized. may render the
reckless and speeding driver a
major risk on our Nations high
ways"
The foundations statement. signed
by Fred D. L. Squires, research secre-
tary, was issued to controvert a
statement signed by w. H. Stayton,
executive director of Repeal Associ-
ates, with headquarters in Washing
ton, in which it was argued that
alcohol is "an exceedingly minor, If
not infinitesimal, cause of traffic ac-
cidents; that the primary death rate
from automobile accidents increased
tremendously during prohibition years,
and that causes other than alcohol
explained SO per cent of automobile
casualties"
Held At Variance With Facts.
"These claims" Squires declared,
"are so completely at variance with
the facts that we ask the privilege
Of briefly correcting their implica-
tions."
He explained that students generally
agree that "So-called official figures
throughout the country, taken as
q whole, do not adequately reveal
the presence of alcohol as a factor
In these casualties" He cited traffic
authorities as stating that thousands
OF cases of accidents caused by drink
ing drivers are commonly credited
to speeding and reckless driving and
that in other cases where alcohol is
factor, the records show such causes
as over confidence, inexpertness, ir-
responsibility, carelessness, inatten-
ton, etc. He cited investigations
which have revealed the presence of
alcohol in more than 60 per cent
Of scores of consecutive. accidents. :"
Used Outdated Figures.
"Mr. Stayton," he said, apparently
relies upon the now completely out
dated classification of liquor bred acci-
dents as being due to drunken drivers
and to abuse of alcohol Everywhere,
during the past II months, expert
opinion has emphasized the fact that,
not drunken but 'had-been-drinking
drivers are the real menace in traffic
accidents, and that not merely abuse
but use Of even small quantities of
alcohol-a cocktail or a couple of beers
may render the reckless and
speeding driver a major risk on our
Nations highways.
"Mr. Stayton's assertion that the
total death rate from primary auto
mobile accidents increased 5S.7 per
cent from 1928 to 1882 surprisingly
neglects to compare death rate figures
Of the last ten years of the prohibition
period Q923 to 1882 with 1888 (in-
cluding eight months Of legal beer
and with 1884, the first full IL
months Of the relegalized liquor traffic.
The of1cial figures show that the
motor traffic death rate for 10 years.
1928 to 1882 inclusive under national
prohibition, averaged 20.1 per 10000
population, as compared with 25 for
1888. first year of legalized beer and
28.l for 1884, the first year of complete
repeal.
The statistician of the National
Safety Council, in Public Safety, its
official publication, summarizing the
record of 1894, the first full year fol-
lowing repeal, declares:
"'All motor death rates for 1884 are
sharply up
1.-The population rate deaths per
100000 population) advanced from
Is in 1888 to 28.1 in 1894
The rate per 10 900 motor vehicles
increased from 1872 to 143.
1.-The rate per 100000 gallons of
gasoline consumption increased from
"a to 233'
1.-The 1884 population rate is the
highest ever recorded, twice as high
as in 1922. The registration rate is
the highest since 1919, when the an
nual mileage per car-and thus the
exposure to accident-was much less
than at present. The gasoline con-
sumption rate is the highest since
1927
with the possible exception of
December, there were more motor
vehicle fatalities in each month of
1884 than in the corresponding months
Of 1933.'
"The latest estimates of the
National Safety Council, United States
Automobile Association, Travellers In
surance Co. statistical department