Evening star., 1937-03-14

tlAt IeCOiQS disclose tIlht III Cue greater
out the Nation the pedestrian is to:
blame because of carelessness. Isn't 1T
clearly high time for the pedestrian to
take cognizance of this fact, and do
something about it?
Each walker should examine himself
or herself and see II there isn't some
thing that he or she can Go to protect
himself or herself Stop gambling with
safety, is the warning given by the
Travellers Insurance Co.
Many odd and surprising facts about
Americas automobile accident expert
ence In 1886 are revealed in a new
booklet entitled You Bet Your Life"
just issued by the insurance company.
BY comparing the hazards of traffic
with some of the common forms of
gambling, the editors have put forth
. clever argument against reckless
driving and walking.
The traffic gambler, the booklet
points out, is II times as likely to be
killed or injured in an automobile
accident as the holder of sweepstakes
ticket Is to win even small prize.
He is 80 times as likely to be killed
on the highways as the holder OF a
sweepstakes ticket is to collect major
prize.
The pedestrian who risks all the
remaining minutes of his life to save
q single minute by crossing the street
In the middle Of the block, the record
shows is as foolish as the man who
would bet $4,000 900 against 81 that
he could toss a booklet into the air
and catch 1T as it falls. He probably
would win, but the small gain would
not be worth the tremendous risk.
The gambling note sounded in the
title runs throughout the booklet, and
both text and illustrations frequently
refer to the Nations traffic problem
as a lottery" in which every one,
willing or not, must have hand.
"The Sky's the Limit" is the captioa
on one page containing a dramatic
illustration of pedestrians and motor
lists being ''lost" in game of roulette.
The subhead reads: mo pikers in this
game When you gamble III traffic by
driving or walking carelessly, you bet
your life!"
After analyZing reports OF $4,000
fatalities and 967,840 injuries in traf-
f1c accidents last year, the company's
statisticians point to these interesting
and little known facts about acci-
dents:
Nearly "a per cent of drivers in
volved in fatal accidents are male and
only per cent female. 1t does not
necessarily follow that women are
safer drivers than men, they care
fully point out, because adequate data
on the relative exposure are lacking.
More than 81 per cent of drivers
involved in fatal accidents have had
one or more years driving experience.
More than IS per cent of all fatal
accidents occur when the road is dry.
More than 85 per cent of all fatal ac-
cidents occur in clear weather.
Saturday was the most dangerous
day for driving in 1885, and Tuesday |
was the safest In the 1885 the fewest |
number of accidents occurred on
Wednesday, More persons were killed |
last year between 7 and 8 o'clock in |
the evening than at any other hour, |
but the heaviest injury toll came be-
tween and 6 O'Clock in the after |
noon.
About so per cent of the fatalities |
occurred during the hours OF darkness,
when there was only about rs per cent |
of the total traffic on the road.
Nearly 80 per cent of the total We
hicles involved in fatal accidents were !
passenger cars.
More than SO per cent of all We
hicles involved in fatal accidents were
in apparently good condition when the
accident occurred.
The number of Americans killed in
traffic accidents during the last is
years exceeds by g. wide margin the |
number of Americans killed In action |
or who died OF wounds during all the
wars in which the Nation has ever
engaged.
Mr.. Van Duzer, of course, is aware
that not all fatalities and accidents
are due to pedestrian blame. But. he
believes that inasmuch as the regula-
tions call for fines and imprisonment
of offending motorists, that strict en-
forcement Of the existing laws by
sufficiently large police force and
equitable melting out of punishment by
the courts can take care of this situa-
ton.
Also the traffic director is urging the
immediate passage of semi-annual
compulsory inspection law for all We
hicles in the District Of Columbia.
This law would greatly eliminate me-
chanical defects in cars caused by
old age or neglect and abuse.
A regulation to this effect, approved
by the Commissioners, was passed by
the House Of Representatives in 1885.
1t Is now in the hands of the Budget |
Bureau, where it has been referred.
1t should be approved at once and sent
back to Congress, Mr. Van Duzer
states, to keep in step with the actions
Of other States.
The Legislative Committee of the
Advisory Board of the District of |
Columbia Motor Club of the Ameri- /
can Automobile Association, headed !
by its chairman, Bishop James E. |
Freeman, had had its program for |
1887 adopted, and it is to be hoped |
1t will meet with congressional favor.
The report Is as follows:
THE committee has given much
thought to the problem Of expediting
traffic in the District Of Columbia, with |
due regard for a greater degree Of |
safety. We believe that the time for
very definite action along well-de-
fined lines cannot be longer post
poned. The number of vehicles in
Use is increasing rapidly. Along with
this = steady gain in street and high
way use and an increasing volume Of
nonresident trafflc. Many streets
are in need of repair, and new arteries |