Milford chronicle., 1935-03-15

The worst automobile accident
casualty toll ever experienced in the
United States was recorded last year
when $4,000 persons were killed and
nearly million injured as result
of $4,000 personal injury collisions
on streets and highways.
Although practically two-thirds of
the accidents involved driving err
rors, pedestrians paid the highest
price in the loss of life as shown by
the death of nearly. 10000, or A per
cent Of the total fatalities.
Detailed statistics giving the cir
cumstances of the accidents as tab
ulated by The Travellers Insurance
Company in its annual analysis
show that the country's adverse ex-
perience was not due solely to an
increase in the use of motor We
hicles. Deaths gained 16 per cent as
against an increase of between 5
and 6 per cent in registrations and
6 per cent in gasoline consumption.
In this connection the analysis
points out that in 1881, the previous
high record in deaths, registrations
were per cent greater and gaso-
line consumption nearly one per
cent more than in 1884, while fatal
tiles in 1881 were almost 8 per cent
less than last year.
Too much speed for time and
place is cited as the dominant fac
tor in the greater seriousness of au-
tomobile accidents last year. AS an
example of the extreme hazard pro-
duced by driving too fast. the rate
of death per accident because of
exceeding the speed limit was 40
per cent worse last year than the
average of all accidents involving
driving errors.
Available records for the year
show that 3.16 per cent of the dri-
veTs in accidents were declared to
have been under the influence of in
tOxicants as against 2.43 per cent
in 1888, an increase of one-third.
The available records also show
that 4,47 per cent of the pedestrians
in accidents were declared to have |
been under the influence of intOxi- /
cants as against 2.99 per cent in
1888, an increase of 49.5 per cent.
Five out of every eight pedes- |
trians killed, according TO the sta !
tistics. were involved in accidents +
while crossing streets in the middle
of the block. crossing intersections
against signals or diagonally, dart
ing out into streets from behind
parked cars. or while walking along
rural highways. The rate of death
per pedestrian accident was As per
cent worse crossing in the middle
of the block than at intersections.
The rate of death crossing against
signals was "A per cent worse than
crossing with signals.
Nearly $500 children under the
age of four were killed and $4,000
we're injured in automobile acci-
dents during the year, while $500
the ages of five and four
teen met death and $4,000 were in
jured. il
Despite figures indicating that
nine out of ten cars involved in ac-
cidents were apparently in good
condition, three out of every four
cars examined in inspections were
found to be in poor or bad mechan-
ical condition. According to the in I
spections, 20 per cent of the cars {
required brake replacements or ad- [
justments, tires were in only fair or \
poor condition on Sc per cent. and
lamps required replacement or ad- I
iustments in 63 per cent of the t
,ars. {
Although 3S per cent of the SS2,-
300 personal-injury automobile ac- q
,ident occurred at street intersec- {
ions. by far the largest number of t
leath resulted from accidents that 4
happened on highways. t
The rate of death per accident on t
highways was more than 100 per +
,ent greater than the average for t
III accidents combined, the serious {
less of SUCH accidents being attri- d
,uted to the rate of speed that usu- II
lily prevails. AT a further indica- @
ion that speed is a hazardous fac v
or, it is pointed out that the rate t