The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-26
Pro- German Propaganda Reported In Circulation Here
Defective Equipment
4 Blamed For Accidents
State Police Conduct Survey OF Auto Crashes on Mer.
rift Parkway-Results Justify Checkup on Cars

with the State Department Of Mo-
tor Vehicles by Commissioner Ed
ward j. Hickey of the Connecticut
State Police, injuring twenty-seven
persons and resulting in property
damage Of nearly four thousand
dollars.
Reports Of state policemen in
vestigating traffic accidents on the
Merritt Parkway emphasize the
value of police investigation" states
Commissioner Michael A. Conner.
while twenty-nine out of 2O5 ac-
cidents does not seem a large per-
centage 1t is better than fourteen
per cent of the total. And it must
be remembered that the state police
were not able to make detailed
mechanical inspections. The facts
developed came from survey of
the motor vehicles at the scene OF
the accident, coupled with admis-
SionS by the operators concerned
who, in the excitement of the mo-
ment, made admissions they would
never have written in their own traf-
fic accident reports"
Emphasizing the chances opera
tors are taking today Commissioner
Conner stated that eighteen of the
mishaps were caused by "blowouts"
In the majority of instances, &C.
cording to the commissioner, the
cars were running on tires which
had out-lived their usefulness anc
were unsafe. Four of the cars hac
defective brakes, three had defects
in the steering mechanism, on three
cars wheel came off and one cal
had defective equipment not stated
in detail.
The commissioner stated that j
probably is too much to expect tina
every traffic accident should be in.
vestigated because in that case thu
police would have little time for en-.
forcement but he added that tn,
police should check personal injur!
accidents carefully, particular!
where the circumstances indicated
possibility of other defects thar
operating fault exclusively.
There vol be personal injur,
accidents" explained the commits
sioner, caused because of contrib
utory negligence by all parties con
cerned. But, when an operator run
down a pedestrian, crashes into {
parked car or causes some othe
type of outstanding traffic conflic
the police should study the operate
and the car with suspicion. One O
the two is weak in most instance
either the operator will be foun
unfit to drive at the time or tn
vehicle will be found not in prope
mechanical condition.
Accidents caused at intersection
where traffic is controlled by signal
should be most carefully investigate
by local police. Either the opera
tor was proceeding at such a hig
rate of speed he could not stop {
the signal or else he disobeys tt
light and starts ahead of time. ]
serious accidents one of the two, Il
car or the operator, is at fault. Ger
orally speaking, serious acciden
should develop at least one arres
based on degree of responsibility (
operators involved"
The commissioner believes ths
traffic accidents should be invest
gated by police at the scene of til
mishap when operators involved an
witnesses can be questioned and tn
vehicles given at least a casus
check. He estimates that from fiji
teen to twenty-five per cent of Con
necticuts traffic accidents al
caused by either defective equip
ment or faulty mechanism of one c
more of the vehicles involved.