Evening star., 1937-09-05
is SAFE

next highest country, in deaths per
10000 motor vehicles, the report points
out, there are not more than four or
favorable a record.
I'VE have gone much farther than
the rest of the world" the bureau con-
tinues, "in adjusting ourselves to the
machine, both in the psychological
conditioning Of our population and in
the improvement Of highway facilities
and traffic control"
However. says the bureau, traffic
ACCIDENTS and fatalities have reached
proportions that place them tn the
front rank of critical national prob
lems." despite the fact that unani-
nous sentiment for safety has result
ed in great gains in accident preven-
ton.
A MONG the bureaus findings were
that:
l. There is still an utter lack of
uniformity IN essential features of
motor vehicle and highway law among
the several States.
2. There is an undesirable variation
in the methods of recording and an
alyzing accident data.
g. Accidents do not result from
single causes, but from consultations
OF contributing causes. CThere are
at least three important contributing
causes for each accident)
4e Ia,
Of definitely accident-prone drivers
who experience relatively large num-
Der Of accidents. There is also a
large group of accident-free drivers.
S. Disciplining and control OF delin-
quent drivers is in many instances
strikingly deficient
I. Highway police organizations,
even though the personnel is efficient
and conscientious in the perform
ance Of its duties, are usually so small
and so occupied with other duties as
to be unable to operate effectively in
accident prevention.
8. The limited compulsory inspec-
tions required in some States disclose
a high percentage of Improperly ad-
justed or inadequately maintained NO
tor vehicles.
ON THE basis of these findings the
bureau recommended that:
Appropriate steps be taken to ef-
feet greater uniformity of motor
vehicle and traffic laws, especially In
essential details-uniform speed laws,
boulevard stop regulations, left turn
rules and the requirement that appN-
cants for drivers licenses be subjected
to rigid examination
Laws regarding reporting Of acci- ,
dents should conform at least to some
minimum standard, present laws in
many States being "far from ade-
quate."
Inspection, license suspension, nnan- d,
cial responsibility and car accessory
requirements be uniform.
The bureau said it had been unable
to determine definitely the importance
Of speed as . cause OF traffic accidents.
Speed may or may not be major
cause" says the report, "but 1t = .
constantly recurring factor"
Though the motor vehicle accident.
record is dark, there are some encour-.
aging signs" the reports goes on.
Accidents during the past 10 years
have increased faster than the num-.
Der OF motor vehicles, but have not
kept pace with the increase in mileage
travelled. =,
Accidents to children of school age
have shown a definitely downward
trend.
Accidents involving buses and taxi
cabs have decreased greatly.
There has been q definite decline
in some States in the number Of day.,
light accidents, but accidents at night,
have counter balanced this"
Among the contributory causes of !.
highway accidents at night, the bureau
lists fatigue, driving too fast for linn
ited headlight range and intoMcatiou,>
Drivers between 16 and rs, the
bureau found, have one and one-half
times As many fatal and personal
injury accidents as their number IN
the total population would indicate
AZ probable on the basis Of chance.