The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-15
16 Auto Fatalities
 In Waterbury In 1887
Police Records Also Show I,l55 Accidents for Past
 Year-FOrmatiOn of Squad Decreases Mishaps

Motor vehicle accidents in Wa. terbury were reduced 10 per cent in 1897. During the first full year of service on the part of the police department squad established late in 1886 by Police Superintendent William J. Roach, total accidents were 1,155, as compared with 1,271 in 1886.
 There were IS fatalities last year the same number as in the previ- ous year. However, the city went for several months without a fatality in 1887, and only series of hit and-run deaths late in the year raised the years toll.
 Type of Accidents
 In 1897, there were PA accidents involving motor vehicles and pe- destrians. Accidents involving mo- tor vehicles and other motor ve- hicles numbered I'll. Other acci- dents were listed as follows: motor vehicle and electric car, 3; motor vehicle and bicycle, 8; motor vehi- cle and horse and wagon, 2; motor vehicle and fixed object, 122; non- collision accidents, 2.
 In IA of the 16 fatal accidents during the year, pedestrians were involved. One death was attributed to crash involving two cars, and one to an accident involving an automobile and fixed object.
 Cars Damaged
 During 1887 there were 327 non- fatal accidents, as compared with 376 in the previous year. There were SIP property damage accidents in 1887, as compared with 879 in 1886.
 Pefsonal injury accidents have been reduced 15 per cent and pro- perty damage accidents 8 per cent during the year of 1887 over 1886. During 1897 there were 1891 drivers involved in accidents, of this total 123 were local operators. The age group involving the greatest num- Der of drivers is the group between 20 and 29, and reaches total of 863. The second age group is the one involving drivers between 30 and 49 and this total is SIP.
 Superintendent Comments
 Supt. Roach said today:
 Que to the intensive work per- formed by the Accident Prevention Bureau and the Investigation Squad the City of Waterbury has bene- fitted greatly. A reduction in fatal accidents has not been obtained though in proportion to the increase in the registrations of motor ve- hicles in Waterbury the task of keeping fatalities the same figure as 1886 denotes that untiring ef- fort has been put into the work of saving the lives of our citizens. AS can be readily seen by the summary of 1887 accidents most of our trouble lies with the pedestrian. We have been pounding consistently during 1887 regarding the activi- ties of the pedestrian and theil careless practices but we have not obtained the cooperation necessary to reduce accidents to a very great extent along these lines. The reg ulation of pedestrians has been suc- cessful in many European cities but to try to goose-step the residents of Waterbury is an extremely diff ficult task. We have tried to bring about correct pedestrian contro and the curbing of "jay-walking but the pedestrians of our city vii persist in committing their bat practices and endangering thei lives. Theoretically, the provision applying to pedestrians is in keep. ing with good traffic regulation Practically, it is extremely difficult of enforcement but is certainly Ii a stretch of the principles of the