Evening star., 1936-01-19

Outstanding improvement in the MID
western group Of States was shown ny
North Dakota, Illinois and Minnesota,
with decreases of %, IL and per cent.
Florida and Mississippi showed the
most favorable reduction in the South'
while in the West, Oregon, Utah,
wyoming and Montana all showed re-
auctions of more than lC per cent.
In spite of the somewhat unexpected
increase, the council pointed out tha'
the population of the country also IN
creased about per cent; thus ue
death rate per 100000 population was
2S.5 in 1895, the same as IN 1884.
The increase in deaths was also less
than might have been anticipated from
the considerable advance IN MOTOR
vehicle travel. Auto registration aa-
yanced 4.3 per cent from 1884 to 1889
and gasoline consumption went up
approximately per cent. In otner
words. there was an increase IN the
number of miles the average motorSt
vas able to travel without an accloeht
If fatalities had increased as much
As motor car registration last year. the
1925 toll would have been 37,ooO IN
stead of 81, 400, and had fatal accloeh's
kent mace with gasoline consumption
there would have been over 3o'ooo
deaths.
Certain cities turned in outstanding
safety performances Ill 1884. Amohs
these was Milwaukee which nnlSiieo
the GEAR with a rate of only ll.2 deaths
rer 0.0OO population, the lowest OF
anv city over 100000 population
Providence, r. l., in the group o'
cities from 25O,OOO to 100000 popula'
tion. had a rate of only 7.0-abou
one-third the average for all cltleS
its group.
Although 1885 motor accidents went
sNphtly higher than the previous all
time high reached in 1884. the year
record is in some respects more satis-
factory. the council points out.
From 1888 to 1884 motor vehicle
deaths increased Is per cent whereas
population advanced only l per cent
car registration 4 per cent and gaso-
line consumption per cent. In 1889
there was an increase in fatantieS Oh
but per cent, just equivalent 10 '"e
advance in population, while car regis
tration increased per cent ana eaSo'
line consumption 6 per cent.
In the National Safety Couhcli
campaign. 36. 400 motor vehicle fatall-
ties will be taken as par" A reduc-
tion of 7 per cent for the country a.
large will mean an actual saving OF
2,548 lives; therefore: the aim Is 10
reduce deaths this year to at most
S3,852.
The records of many cities ana
States during the last year, the coun-
Gil feels, justifies the belief that the
goal can be attained. II dozen
states can reduce their fatalities all
the way from to % per cent IN a
wear when the national average was
going up, other States should be aDie
to effect substantial reduction by using
the same intelligent accident preven-
ton methods.
Plans for the five-year campaign
are DdSeU Ol VIC So"A~AA' W.
belief that the "tools" for accident
prevention are at hand and need only
to be put in use by all States. counties
and cities. Efforts will be made to
show delinquent States just how
Massachusetts,, New Jersey. Florida
Minnesota and others are solving the
problem. The methods Of Milwaukee
Providence, Evanston and other safe
cities will be made available to those
municipalities having bad records.
Oficials of 43 States and the Dis
trict of Columbia have indorsed the
program and pledged their co-opera-
ton. Hundreds of cities have also
promised full participation In the
drive.
According to Editors Service,
published weekly by the Greylock
Corp. of New York City, as cause
Of death, automobile accidents with
23.6 and all other accidents with 437
fatalities per 100000 population, are
exceeded only by diseases OF the cir
culatory system. 3l5.6; cancer. 1875;
pneumonia. 93.7. and nephritis, 82.9.
Appallingly high as the annual
death toll of motor vehicles may seem.
fatalities from this cause, neverthe-
less, account for only 2.5 per cent OF
total annual deaths in United States
all accidents for per cent. In 1884
the number of deaths from all causes
was 1896, ,903. the number Of fatal ac-
cidents, $4,000, Of which were: Motor
vehicles, $4,000; home. $1,000; public
places, 1850; occupational, $500.
If the proportion of automobile
deaths to total automobile accidents
Is compared with the accident death
ratio in homes and of occupations, 1t
becomes apparent that motor vehicles
are only 10 per cent more deadly
than the home-supposedly the safest
place on earth-and that work holds
comparatively little danger for life:
Accidents reported in 1894:
Fatalities
per 900
Total. Fatalities. accidents.
2ssuDational- 1883 tsSSSS "SS aiSSS II SSS ssa
Automobile---- 1855 900 $4,000 27.20
The extent of the disparity in the
accident figures is probably due to
the fact that there is every incentive
to report occupational accidents. while
the opposite is true Of accidents at
home or on the road.
Apart from the cost In human life.
the material losses due to accidents
are immense. It Is estimated that in
1894 they amounted to $500. .00O, 900.
Of which:
Occupational accidents--- $500 600 600
Home accidents 500. 900 900
Automobile accidentS reO. 600 900
AN others 1.540.O0O. 900
Total S 81 500, 900 900
These figures, compiled by Editors
Service, include wage losses, medical
expenses and cost of insurance as well
as property damage. The relative i'm
portance of accidents in the Nations
>nn,@ ~. In 1ifn 10 =, INo q onrraciatQd WhAn