The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-10
NATIONS EYES
 ON CHILDREN'S
 SAFETY TOWN
Mansfield, O., Program Proves Successful in
 Reducing Toll

Mansfield, O.-(UP) - Mansfield's s program for teaching children of pre-school age the rules of traffic safety is being studied widely.
 The basic idea of the safety pro- gram is to teach by experience rather than instruction. Mansfield children learn when, where and how to cross streets, obey traffic signals and signs and learn other traffic rules by talk ing part in the activities of minia- ture community-"Safety Town complete with miniature automobiles small-scale traffic light that Up- crates like regular ones, and tape lanes for automobiles and pedes- trians. Model homes and stores com- plete the picture.
 Now in its third year, Safety Town" is moved every four weeks to one of the four playgrounds in Mansfield during its eight-weeks run from June 19 to August II.
 The town" requires a 120 l20 foot layout. First, eight-foot streets and four-foot sidewalks are laid out, with the miniature traffic light placed at the intersection of tine two main streets. Other fixtures such as signs denoting stop streets curves and detours, are placed at ap- propriate spots.
 Toy Automobiles Are Used Twenty-Five toy automobiles were bought last year with $200 donated by the Richland County Auto club These serve not only to give the children training in their future re- responsibilities as motorists, but aisc provides an incentive to get them te enter the safety program. One group of children pedal the autos through the streets" while a second group walks up and down the sidewalks, crossing the streets in accordance with instructions.
 The idea for Safety Town" was originated by Patrolman Fred C. Boals in June, 1887. At first, he m- vited children to bring their bicycles and scooters to the miniature town Then the Richland County Auto club grew enthusiastic over the idea and provided money for the autos to add a more realistic touch.
 Patrolman Boals points out that Safety Town" still is in the experi- mental stage. Tt will be another two or three years," he said, before the program will be perfected to the point where any city can start a Safety Town with an investment of only $l0o."
 This Is his answer to inquiries about the program that range from New York to Corpus Christi Tex, and even from Toronto, Canada. And the results of Safety Town?
 Records show that the number of children Cup to 18 yearS, injured in Mansfield traffic accidents curing 1888 totaled 29 compared to 61 in 1887. Up to May 16 of this year only five children were hurt.
 Like Versus Dislike
 Patrolman Boels' theory behind his safety program is simple:
 "A child learns to do something he likes four or five times as easily as something he doesn't like. Therefore, one of the first requirements of a safety program is that 1t must affect the child.
 Because traffic is a physical sit- uation 1t must be met with a physi- cal education program. For this reason, we have inaugurated this program, made up--not of instruc- tions after instructions-but a plan of learning by doing" Boals said.
 Before Safety Town" comes to a neighborhod, it is advertised through letters mailed to parents and by house-to- -house distribution of cir eulars. The children are brought to the playground by brothers, sis- ters and parents, many of whom be- come interested in programs as they watch operations of the miniature town.
 Boals may yet realize his ambi- tion to see his Safety Town" pro- gram adopted an a nationwide scale.