The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-01

encouraged by the pest safe driVs Ing record for the first six months of any years since the Connecticut state department of motor vehicles was formed Commissioner Michael A. Connor predicts that 1886 will be the best year in Connecticut's motor vehicular trafflc accident his- tory. "The record tells the story" said the commissioned yesterday, re- ferring to Q departmental bulletin giving data and figures for corn- parative periods.
 For the first six months of 1896 the depa ment of motor vehicles reports thirty-four accident per l0,- 900 vehicles registered as the aver- age for the first half-year. This compares with forty-two accidents per 10000 vehicles registered for the first six months of 1885, forty five for 1884, thirty-hve for 1883 and forty for 1892, No previous year in the history of the department equals the low accident record for l036 when the high registration is considered.
 Tt Is not fair to compare one year with another in any other way than through the registration totals" explained Commissioner Connor, commenting on the first record In- creased registration totals and in- creased totals of operators licensed, means greater use of the highways and greater mileage naturally. Thus, considering the traffic flow over our highways 50 far this year our Connecticut operators have eS- tablishcd the best record for safe driving in the annals of the de- partment"
 Predictions Fulfilled
 To emphasize further the com f1issioner's claims for the first six months of the year and substa1- tiate his prediction for the months to come the departments records show nearly a nine per cent de- crease in traffic accident fatalities and about q ten per cent reduce ton in injuries caused by traffic accidents. These two gratifying records were made despite Aye per cent increase in general traffic ac- cldsntS, an increase caused by the he,,yy traffic flow on the highways duang January and February which were registration bonus months, the registration date being extended to March lst. This resulted in Q mid- year trafIlc flow which with heavy storms and slippery streets offer ing extra hazards caused trc- mendous increase in minor acci- dents. Since January and February better weather has enabled the driV. CTS to cut down each month the increase in the accident total.
 Bicycle Accidents
 An increase of nearly thirty per cent in bicyclists injured during tho first six months is causing Com missioner Connor some concern as these riders are not amenable gen" orally traffic laws, coming under the direct Jurisdiction Of their respec- tvs local police authorities. A seven per cent decrease in pedeS- trians injured is encouraging to the authorities working on trafiic ac' cident prevention.
 Hartford and Bridgeport showed fatality increases and little inc provement in injury totals while Waterbury and New Haven reported substantially lower fatality and in- jury totals for the first six months of this year as compared with the first half year of 1035. Nine more children were killed from January to June of this year than last year but the adult fatality total was twenty-five less. Az iS always the case the major fault for traffic ac- cidents rests on Connecticuts own operators, there being but 40b vis- iting motorists found responsible as compared with 4,28l "nutmeggers. :"
 Comparisons
 4 brief summation of tho out- standing phases of the states trafiic