The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-06-01
Cause Accidents?


Less than $40 of one per cent
of all the hundreds of thousands
of motor vehicle drivers in Mime
sofa caused, or were implicated in
causing traffic accidents which dur
ing 1888 killed 610 persons, injured
S,463 more, and cost the state the
terrific economic loss Of $11 800 900
in life, human injury and property
damage. Are you one of this Tess
than one per cent?"
During the year 1890 drivers
were involved in a total Of 8,127
reported accidents. OF these 513
brought death to one or more per-
sons. Six hundred and forty-three
drivers were involved in fatal acct
dents, 7,703 in non-fatal accidents
involving human injury, and 4,247
in accidents involving property
damage.
Were these drivers old or young?
Did they come from the city or
rural areas? Were they driving
within or without the law?
These are questions which may
naturally be asked-and which the
Safety divisions record readily an
swers.
Most startling Of all deductions,
the records show that 5,066 driv-
ers, or 40 per cent Of all those in
volved in accidents, were violating
the law at the time the mishap
occurred. Drivers operating in vio-
lation Of the law were involved in
43 per cent of all of the fatal acct
dents! And SO per cent Of all acct
dents involved law violation on the
part of one or more drivers.
Furthermore, minor violations
may be just as disastrous to life
and property-may be just as ready
to bring death or injury to your
family-as are major violations.
OF all law-violating drivers in
volved last year, LAOS, especially
those in urban areas, did not have
the right-of-way; 986 had simply
swerved to the wrong side of the
road; 1913 were speeding. OF the
total fatalities involved, 80 were
from speeding, AZ from not having
right-of-way, and Al from driving
on the wrong side Of the road.
The most dangerous ages" for
drivers were from rs to A, with
1924 involved in accidents; from
As to ga involved, and from n to
"a with 1,19O.
Of all the 1890 drivers involved
in 1927 accidents, $500 or 1873 per
cent were residents Of urban areas
and only BITS were rural residents,
while per cent were not residents
Of Minnesota.
Persons who were learning to
drive under instruction caused few
accidents, only II of them being in
volved during the year.
But the immediate physical and
mental condition Of the driver, after
all, had greater bearing on his &C
cident-proneness than did age or ex-
perience. Drivers who had been
drinking headed the list of all Of
tenders. Including those obviously
drunk, those whose ability was i'm
paired, and those who had taken
alcoholic beverage but whose abil-
tiles were held not to have been
impaired, the drinking driver &C
counted for 1,079 implications.
Fatigue also took a heavy toll,
as ITO drivers had fallen asleep,
and defective eyesight or hearing
accounted for 40 and IL, respect
lively.
No. TYPE of Accident
Most Dangerous
Which holds the most danger to
the 1889 motorist-another vehicle,
a railroad train, or fixed object?
These are among the questions
which the Safety division of the
State Highway department may be
able to answer for him with rec
ords Of what happened in 1888.
The total number of motor veh-
icle traffic deaths for the year was
$40, as compared to 632 for 1887.
This represented % lives saved, a
decrease despite a 3.5 per cent in
crease in motor vehicle miles trav-
elled.
Accidents in which there were
the highest number of fatalities
were: pedestrian, motor vehicle col
lisions, non-collisions, fixed and OBJ
ject and railroad mishaps, in that
order. OF the total Of $40 fatal
aties, 1S1 were killed in pedestrian
accidents, 1874 in collision with an
other vehicle, 122 in non-collisions
(such as overturning), So in COLI
sions with fixed objects, and A in
motor vehicle railroad accidents.
But it must be noted that, although
the number of fatalities from col
lisions with other motor vehicles
Is second highest, the percentage of
fatalities incurred in this type of
accident is very low, for 4,541 mis-
haps, or SO per cent of all motor
vehicle accidents during the year,
were of this class.
In other words, collision with an
other vehicle Is the greatest acct
dent peril of the road, but it is less
likely to be fatal.
death to Sc persons between the
ages of Is and A years, At persons
between ages As and "a, and u per-
sons between ages Of Is and "A.
No. S-Blame the Driver
or the Pedestrian?
Is the much maligned driver al
ways to blame? Indeed not, accord
ing to 1888 Minnesota accident sta
tistics.
The pedestrian, under the spot
light Of the Highway departments