Evening star., 1937-02-14

owning ana operating more Glau TWO.
thirds of the worlds automobiles: for
enjoying-if it can be measured that
way-two-thirds of the opportunity
that that ownership offers for travel
for the free. healthy intermingling
enjoyed by all the peoples Of the
earth.
We might ask that, but let us ask
instead-because, relatively. it is a
narrower and more pressing problem
"What price night driving?"
OF course, most of those who own
automobiles know how much they pay
for them, what it costs to put them
on the road and keep them there
You yourself are probably vaguely
aware of the multiplicity Of taxes on
gasoline, tires and other essentials;
some even have an idea, but not too
accurate one, of the cost per mile Of
operation. A few-a very few-realize
that almost $1,000 100000 of taxes
are collected each year from users
Of automobiles. Yes, maybe we know
all that, but still What is the real
price-the whole price-that we, the
people, pay for driving after dark?"
Well, to begin with. and over and
above all other costs, we pay with
21,480 nves-our lives. We paid that
for night driving in 1885; will pay
more than that in 1886, and more in
1887. And still more and more If
something isn't done. And that isn't
all. We paid in 1885 with almost half
million night traffic casualties
pain and crippled lives.
These things have no measurement
in dollars and cents. Every man and
woman must set upon their own loved
ones their own price. But we pay in
dollars and cents, too. Oh, yes!
Night accidents cost us in the one year
of 1885 one and half billion dollars
not one and a half million-just a
thousand times that amount.
IT SOUNDS like a war. It is, in a
way, sort of battle, life being
stamped out by carelessness, incom-
petence. criminal negligence; by in
adequate laws and enforcement. and
by failure to provide proper facilities
for safe driving. In many ways it is
worse than war. It is more insidious,
just as devastating, and just as ex-
pensive. It Is an utter waste and
sacrifice without a cause, and GER
tainly without glory.
You may ask but why stress night
accidents? Don't accidents happen all
the time, night and day?" And the
answer, of course, Is Eyes" But con-
slider these facts. In 1917 only one
third Of the total fatalities occurred at
night. Since then, while the rate OF
deaths from day accidents has fallen
off slightly, the rate Of night fatalities
has sky-rocketed until today they rep
resent very nearly two-thirds Of the
total. During 1885. of the 36,200
people killed, 81, 400 met their end
after dark.
Practically all rural fatalities hap
pened at night-to be exact, 12,200, or
one-third of all traffic deaths. The
fatality record for specific sections OF
the highways have been found to be
100 per cent higher during Winter
evening hours when it Is dark than
during the Summer when those same
hours are light.
In our own State on the Saw Mill
River and the Hutchinson River Park
ways night accidents increased 81
per cent when the lighting was dis
continued for reasons of economy.
That same experience has been COM
mon to thousands of communities
throughout the country over the past
dificult wears. Economyl OF
course every word depends on the
definition you give 1t. But it SOUNDS
like false economy.
And remember, when you figure 1t
oil up, that night trafic is no more
than one-fourth or one-fifth OF what
1t is in the daytime. That is why
night driving Is stressed-because It Is
six to ten times as dangerous as drlv-
ing with the aid Of daylight.
Thinking about it, it isn't at all
surprising. Not SO many years ago,
after supper, and quiet chat, we
hitched up the horse, and away we
went down the dusty road. The horse
knew the way home. Maybe we had a
smoky lantern, and maybe we didn't.
And if we met by chance one neigh
Dor we considered it rare good fortune.
Nineteen-seventeen looked upon 70
miles an hour as fairly respectable
speed after the sun had set. Head
lights were pretty good then, too
Just about as good as they are now.
But our speed today! Think about it!
Fifty miles an hour-sixty, even-ls
thought nothing Of, day or night. And
we can't see adequately at those speeds
after dark--that is all. It's quite
natural.
At 60 we are travelling at the rate
of 80 feet q second-a missile weigh
ing on an average of around 1000
pounds, moving at 80 feet a second!
At co. for all practical driving pur-
poses, we can see only half as far as
we can at 20-our eyes are strained
and they, and we, tire quickly; we
can't distinguish colors really; we
are not able to judge di-'-nce and
speed as well.
That Is Just ourselves. It doesn't
take into consideration the glitter of
wet streets, unmarked hazards, the
glare of oncoming headlights, poorly
maintained lights or lights out Of ad-
justment-sometime one light, maybe
no lights at all. Nor does it consider
the pedestrian, unmarked by any light,
orthe parked car, nor any combination
Of any or all Of these.
MO, TT isn't strange, now that we
think Of it, that driving at night
Is so much more dangerous than in
the safe light of day. Darkness comes
down like q blanket to multiply all
other hazards. The bad curve becomes
twice as dangerous; the drunken
driver twice as muddled and unsee-
ing; the defective eye half as eficient.
The new year comes. What Is there
to do about the problem? What has
been done? What are we going to do?
Well, the answer 70 the first is simple.