Evening star., 1936-06-14


bile traffic deaths and casualties.
Each year." said Cameron, "the
Nation has seemed helpless to arrest
or reduce the monthly increase in
in highway accident tragedies that
begins in April and reaches peak in
October In 1885 the month of April
saw $3.50 persons go to their deaths
in traffic accidents on American
streets and highways. In October,
after a steady increase through the
Summer months, the total was 1850"
Congested highways, strange roads
and the present high speeds and
recklessness. he said, largely explain
why the Summer months are a crit!-
cal period in any drive to control
traffic accidents.
Cameron used what he called the
splendid records of many cities in
cutting down traffic accidents" to sup
port his statement that the Summer
of 1886 will witness remarkable reduc-
tionS in accidents and thousands OF
lives saved if automobile drivers,
whether vacationing or driving to busi-
ness, will religiously adopt safe,
sane. sensible" driving methods and
courtesieS.
The Safety Council director said
the press and radio of the country are
being urged TO lead midyear cam
paign" for safe driving and walking
during the Summer and are respond
ing with willing acceptance from
coast to coast Editors of news
papers in large cities and small cities,
he continued, have consented to place
still more emphasis on the careless
causes of motoring accidents and the
sad sequence of sorrow, suffering and
expense that inevitably follows.
Cameron pleaded for the serious CO.
operation of both drivers and pedes-
trians through safe driving and walk
ing to the end that for the f1rst
time Americans not only will reverse
the seasonal increase in traffic acci-
dents which the law of averages tells
rs already has begun, but make for
themselves and others enormous saw
ings in property losses and human
waste"
Contributing to Cameron's solicita-
tion for cooperation in the counclls
war on traffic accidents" Sidney
Williams, director of the councils
public safety division, said: The
next few months will show whether
the people of the United States are
really interested in reducing traffic
tragedies this year.
The 8 per cent reduction IN
traffic deaths for the first three
months of 1895 as compared to the
corresponding period of 1885 has
slowed down to a gain of only per
cent at the end of April, during which
month 2,460 persons were killed IN
traffic accidents. 100 more than were
so killed in March.
Good weather, vacation time, will
bring still more travel, especially
on rural highways where control is
lax, where high speed is tempting
and where unexpected hazards await
the careless motorist Last year
traffic fatalities rose steadily until
the August toll was so per cent greater
than for February"
Lending his bit to warning about
Summer driving dangers. R. L. For
ney, council statistician, said Satur-
day and Sunday will be the most
hazardous days of the week for mo-
torists and pedestrians. Each OF
those days. he added. recorded 10 per
cent of the total accidents for the
average week in 1885 that resulted in
fatal injuries for one or more per-
sons. Friday he said, was only a
little less dangerous and that average
figures on 1885 traffic accident ex-
perience unmistakably point IAN ac-
cusing finger of guilt at the week end
with its increased volume of traffic
as the most dangerous part of the
week"
Forney also said statistics indicate
that many motorists, out of their
home cities for vacation or holiday
highway excursions, often exceed
speed limits and excuse themselves for
not minding traffic lights and signals
as closely as they would in home
towns because they feel they are
visitors and probably will not be dis
ciplined as severely, if at all, for their
violations"
Figures in the files of the National
Safety Council, said Forney also re-
cord that by far the greatest number
of persons killed in automobile traffic
accidents meet their deaths after
nightfall, often the result of driving
at speeds too high to permit control
of the car within the range of the
headlight beams.
All three officials urged that mo-
torists take the twofold precaution of
putting their vehicles in tip-top shape
for the Summer driving season and to
drive only when they are mentally
alert and rested for the strain of
Summer traffic tangles.
Characterizing the motorist who
drinks when he drives as a major
traffic menace, Alfred Reeves, vice
president and general manager of the
Automobile Manufacturers Associa-
ton, has drawn a distinction between
the drinking driver and the drunken
driver.
"A driver who Is drunk" declared
the motor industry's spokesman, be
trays himself both by his appearance
and his conduct. His numbers are
comparatively few and the enforce
ment officers are doing fine job Of
eliminating his kind from the high
ways. Occasionally drunken driver
runs amuck and causes a deplorable
and tragic accident, to which wide
spread attention is drawn.
"On the other hand, the motoriSt
who drinks and drives seldom takes
enough to make his actions conspicu-
Gus. Ordinarily he will be seen by
half a hundred policemen, none Of
whom could be expected to identify
his condition by his appearance.
Nevertheless, alcohol has either ex-
hilarated his emotions to a point
where he will take long chances or
depressed him so that his reactions
are too slow to adequately respond
to an emergency.