Evening star., 1938-02-28
Carelessness Jamboree.

Every one who read the National
Safety Councils report for 1897 on what
1t appropriately called Americas "grue-
some jamboree of carelessness" must
have asked himself, Cant something be
done to stop the slaughter?"
Particularly appalling was the all-time
record OF 39,700 deaths and s1,74O,O 900 900
cost charged to traffic accidents-l 500
or per cent more deaths from automo-
biles than in 1936-307 deaths per 100000
population, an increase of 81 per cent
since 1925. If disease were causing
such casualties the gravest national
alarm would result
Few indeed are the ENCOURAGING fea-
lures of the report. 1t does note that
the peak highway toll was partially ex-
plalnable by per cent increase in
motor travel and that, on a mileage
basis the motor vehicle death rate de-
clined from 1856 deaths per 100000, 900
miles in 1886 to 159 Total reduction in
this rate since 1925 was put at about 20
per cent.
But there is small comfort in those
figures to the people who realize that
daily their children and other members
of their families must face the hazards of
the highways and city streets traversed
by potential juggernauts. For there are
nearly 100000 cars registered in the
United States-the total was 2S,22l ,291
in l936-about 10000 of them in Wash
ington. Thirty million machines that
may momentarily become instruments
of death!
What can be done to curb them? Some
OF the efforts that are being made were
disclosed in the same edition of The Star
which published the Safety Council re-
port: The local superintendent of police
ordering officers to make every effort to
fix the blame in every crash, instead of
letting the drivers 60 free if they settle
property damages among themselves;
group of 81 insurance companies adver-
tising return of Is per cent of the annual
premium to drivers who have no acci-
dents; Virginia Assemblymen trying to
legislate a prohibition against selling
gasoline to visibly intoxicated drivers.
These and other ideas are being pro-
posed and tried. Compulsory liability
insurance has much to recommend 1t.
Periodic mechanical examination of cars
has eliminated many potential death
traps from the highways. Similar peri
odic tests for drivers, such as are given
airplane pilots who want to continue to
hold their licenses, seem advisable. An
increase in the minimum age limit for
drivers certainly merits consideration in
view of recent report showing youths
between 10 and q years of age are in
volved in more than so per cent of the
major highway accidents.
The most logical and effective step to
take, however, probably would be to de-
prive the driver who causes a crash Of
the use of his car, to suspend his license
and impound his tags for short or long
period OF time, as his record justifles.
Thus the cause of the trouble would be
removed from the road The hardship
or inconvenience he and his family suffer
would but serve to make all motorists
more careful Drastic as such penalty
might be, the Nation seldom has been
faced with a situation where public
safety demanded drastic measures more
urgently.
Mass transportation has made every
citizen part of gigantic highway Gin
dustry." Other big industries do not
tolerate "carelessness jamborees." Their
safety first campaigns" do not stop
until they have shown results. It is
preposterous to say nothing can be done
about the traffic toll. Last years record
makes it imperative that Cautious and
careful" become the daily national
watchword of every driver during the
remainder of 1888