Evening star., 1936-06-21

1885 1854 1892 IS
The death rate last year from
motor vehicle accidents was 1913 for
each 100000 persons in Milwaukee,
while the average death rate for all
cities was 1871 per 100000. This is
attributed to education, engineering
and enforcement. The city's. simple,
understandable system of traffic con-
troll signals and signs is held the best
way to guide motorists and pedes-
trians with safety and speed. Schools
are held for motorists and pedestrians,
which point out to each group their
individual responsibilities. Laws are
enforced without partiality. There is
no "ticket-fXing."
So it would seem that a careful
study there by William A. Van Duzer,
traffic director, and Herbert c. White
hurst, District highway director, may
bring about an improvement Of con-
ditions here. Maybe these officials
have been too close to conditions in
the National Capital and can get a
better slant on traffic by comparison
from afar. Milwaukee, because Of its
record, was well chosen for the in
spection.
Nearly $500 lives will be saved dur
ing 1886 if present reduced trends in
highway fatalities can be made to con-
tinue during the remainder of the
year, the American Automobile Asso-
citation has declared.
The traffic death record, after get
ting off to bad start in January, re-
Gently has shown improvement, and
for the first four months Of this year
was about per cent below the 1895
level the association reported.
This improvement" said Thomas
P Henry, president of the A. A. A.,
sis clear evidence that the intensified
safety campaign is proving effective.
1t shows that we are moving in the
right direction. It shows that our
traffic toll can be reduced-and re-
duced ubstantially-when motorists,
as a whole, adopt safer driving prac-
tices.
There is no royal road to safety,
but at the same time there are certain
specific things every motoriSt can do
for his own protection and for pro-
lection of others using the traffic lanes.
"One of the most important rules,
and, perhaps, the one most frequently
broken by Summer tourists, is: Don't
drive too many hours at stretch or
try to cover too many miles a day.
Motoring fatigue is major factor in
large number of accidents during the
touring season.
Many tourists elect to cover a great
deal of the trip by driving at night,
but it should be remembered that visi-
bility IS reduced tremendously after
dark and speed should be cut down
accordingly.
"Other safety rules that should be
specially observed by Summer tourists
are: Be careful when overtaking and
passing other cars; keep a sharp watch
for signs and signals when driving
through cities and towns; make sure
your car is in good condition before
starting the trip; slow down when ap-
preaching cross roads; always give
hand signals before stopping, turning
or changing lanes; don't drive when
you have been drinking, and always
show courtesy to others using the
highway"
Elimination of the gear shift lever
stands at the top of the list of i'm
provementS for which automotive en-
gineers are striving in their efforts to
give America better motor cars, ac-
cording to the North American News
paper Alliance.
More time has been spent on this
object in the engineering laboratories
in the last year than on any other
single problem. Members of the So
ciety Of Automotive Engineers who
Journeyed to the recent meeting at
White Sulphur Springs were almost
unanimous in stating that no refine
ment is more sought for by the manu-
4acturerS.
REQ and Hudson are the only COM
panies that have eliminated the con-
ventional gear shift lever. None Of
the manufacturers in the lower price
class has come forth with any solu-
tion. The tendency of the manu-
facturers to emphasize the roominess
of their cars nevertheless leaves the
problem an issue Of much vitality for
all price brackets.
A prominent parts manufacturer
has been experimenting recently with
a device that shows much promise.
This equipment can be attached to
the dashboard and occupies no more
than a few inches of space. It con-
sists of a small cylinder, with buttons
for each of the transmission speeds.
1t operates mechanically and not by
vacuum force, as have most of the
other devices in this field.
It is still questionable, however,
whether any more makers will dis
pense with the gear shift lever in their
1887 models. All indications point
right now to minimum Of revision
in models for the coming year. When
sales are running heavy. executive
Offices find less reason for demanding
reconstruction Of their lines. With
hardly more than four months before
the appearance Of the 1887 models.
most of the companies are willing to
stand pat on the basic structure of
their cars.
Hailing the 1-cent reduction in the
New York State gasoline tax as the
first step in a Nationwide movement
toward tax relief for motorists, Baird
H. Markham, director of the Ameri-
can Petroleum Industries Committee,
predicts that automotive taxpayers Of
other States will insist upon similar
reductions when their Legislatures
meet next year.
He sow another faY victory Of great