The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-14

fects in the drivers and careless
ness and ignorance in observing and
knowing the traffic rules. No auto
mobile has ever caused an accident
nor win any accident be due to an
automobile alone. An automobile
has no brains, no nerves. no eyes
and no muscles. No automobile is
capable of starting itself, continuing
to run or ceasing to move. Auto
mobiles are made by human agency
and by this agency are they opera
ted.
This being Fire Prevention Week,
items In regard to fire loss and
waste are given out. We are told
that over 80 per cent Of the annual
fires which involve losses of q bill
lion and a half dollars each year
are preventable. A large part of the
20 per cent which remain is repre-
scented by lightning as a cause. That
80 per cent Of all fires were prevent
able yet not prevented, means that
human carelessness or human Sc
fishness Is directly responible for
these losses.
3S,0OO Lives Taken
Applying the same remarks to the
automobile accidents, we find that
$4,000 lives were snuffed out last
year; that personal injuries are re-
ceived by the millions and damages
to property run into millions of dol
lars annually. If we say that the
proportion of preyentable losses
Through the agency of the automo-
bile is SO per cent. it may be thought
that we are INDUCING in a strong
statement.
The dictionary defines accident"
as follows: "An event which is un-
expected, or the cause of which was
unforeseen; contingency, casualty
or mishap; a property of q thing
which is not essential to it." This
definition, as will be seen, defines
the occurrence only, no thought be-
ing given to the cause, except to
state that is was unforeseen. Let
us dwell for a moment on the word
unforeseen" Few of us claim to be
able to see into the future, and still
fewer of us would likely be anxious
to develop such power. In spite of
this we continually and actually
look into the future as well as the
past. For most of us, what is UNI
foreseen" Is so only because it is un-
looked for and also for most of US,
what effects at the present had
its causes in the past.
The direct connection between
these statements and automobile
accidents should be obvious but the
mortality statistics show that we
often refuse to think.
When two automobiles are speed
ing along, approaching an intersec-
ton from different directions and
both drivers thinking about busi-
ness, neither of them can foresee
the crash that involves them within
a few seconds, though either or both
of them could have done SO and pre-
vented the crash. Perhaps when tes-
timony is taken, one of the drivers
will say that he did see the other
car approaching and tried to stop
but his brakes would not hold. II he
lives after the wreck, he may learn
something and perhaps have his
brakes llACOs buk eAlC PoAAAe w WtSH
to stress is that the faulty brakes
were not responsible for the acct
dent. Brakes have no brains, they
cannot do the thinking.
Concrete Suggestion
As a final concrete suggestion fol-
intelligent accident prevention lei
| me offer this, which is as old as
human nature. We recognize IN
each other only those qualities
which we ourselves possess. We car
apply this fact to accident preverf
ton by keeping our eyes open ano
our minds alert while driving OF
| our city's streets and highways. we
can observe the drivers whose &C
lions annoy us. the road-hogs, the
one-arm drivers, the excuse my
dust" drivers, the "dodge, or gel
sideswiped" drivers. We can observe
these drivers and resolve to ex-
punge these sources Of .annoyanct
from our natures. We can copy the
! actions Of those who call forth Q
pleased response from our own ma
lures, the aIll walt for you half tht
road" sort of fellow, to our advau.
tage and theirs. Z
| Remember, when you think Of au.
tomobile accidents, that this latte
| type is responsible for the fact thai
accidents are no more frequent thar
they are now"