The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-10-22

Police superintendent William
J. Roach In O series Of questions
and answers, today explains the
function Of the police department
In handling Waterbury's trafiic &C
cident problem.
The police, he says, have con-
tributed largely TO accident re-
duction In the city, and their work
In investigating mishaps con.
tributes greatly 70 prevention OF
similar crashes. He lists eight
principal reasons for motor We.
hicle accidents.
The questions, and 5upertin-
tendent Roach's answers, ere as
follows:
/. why should the police be
concerned with the trafiic prob
lem?
It Is one OF the duties Of the
police TO provide public safety
and convenience Trafiic acci-
dents are today the greatest SIM
gle threat against public safety
and convenience. Not only are
lives at stake but there Is an eaor-
nous economic loss greater Tor IN.
stance than ten entire expense OF
the Police Department.
2. Are the police In q position
10 produce effective results?
Yes, most accidents are caused
bv wrong acts Of motorists. These
represent violations Of traffic laws.
Enforcement Is the most import
ant key to the situation. The po-
lice are the chief enforcing
agency.
Department produced important
results?
Yes, the City Of waterbury's ac-
cident total has been reduced ~
per cent through better enforce
ment alone during the current
year.
1. How do the Police 80 at the
problem?
they obtain the facts Of the &C.
cident situation and then organ
lie their program to meet these
facts, they have TO develop pub
lie support for this program.
They acquaint themselves with
methods used effectively elsewhere
and make use Of such methods
that might be applicable locally.
5. what facts about accidents
should be known ~ . basis for
prevention7
Enough facts should be known
about each accident to show ex-
actly how 1t happened, such as lo-
cation, the time, the weather con-
ditions and the condition Of the
pavement, the violation which
caused the accident, the identifi-
cation Of drivers and vehicles; In
addition to these specific facts
there has to be general informa-
ton about the speed Of trafac
and dangerous points and It's vol
ume and direction Of movement,
the physical characteristics Of
particularly dangerous points, the
safe approach speeds for various
blind corners, curves and hills,
the percentage Of motorists violat-
ing the various regulations.
9. How can these facts be had?
BY having officers investigate
every accident, requiring garages
to report ell damaged vehicles and
requiring hospitals to report all
persons injured In accidents; BY
having trafiic studies made Of
speed, volume and intersectional
visibility.
I. How can these facts be put
In useebIe form2
BY fling accident reports BY
location and by keeping an oper-
tor-file containing each operators
trafiic history. by keeping Q day.
by-day accident spot map" UP to-
date, by preparing collision dia-
grams" Of high accident tntersec-
lions, by preparing charts show
ing when most accidents occur
and showing proportion Of acci-
dents caused by each violation,
by making "ficw map" Of the
trafYic volume, By making charts
OF speeds ut dangerous points and
charts showing the observance
factor for each regulation.
8. How can such facts be use65