The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-27
943 PERSONS DIE
IN ROAD CRASHES
Total OF 7,190 Injured Or
North Carolina Highways
During 1889
Star.News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel
By HENRY AVERILL

RALEIGH, Jan. 26.-Automo'
bile accidents took a CORY toll OF
943 killed and 1870 injured on
North Carolina roads in 1888, &C
cording to figures released tooay
BY Ronald Hocutt, director OF high
way safety.
Fatalities exceeded those Of 1888
by six, an increase Of less thai one
per cent, but injuries dropped 443
from the previous year., making the
complete casualty list 4S shorter.
Not Satisfied
Despite the fact that a reason
ably good case for the states rec
ord can be made out by citing the
tremendous increase in automobile
registration and equally tremendous
increase in total mileage travelled
curing the year. Director Hocutt
said frankly that he is not at ali
content with what he termed moth
ing better than standing STILL"
simultaneously wlh release OF
the figures he issued a statement
in which he pledged redoubled ef'
forts toward a better safety rec
ord in 1910 and sought cooperation
of ali c~oncerned-a group which he
believes includes every man, wom-
an and child in North Carolina.
1.-THE tragedy Of these figures lies
in the fact that virtually all of the
fatalities and injuries could have
been prevented had the drivers in
all cases been alert, careful and
courteous. AS we analyze all the
causes contributing to highway ac-
cidents we are brought to the In
escapable conclusion that the driv-
er remains the chief cause of traf-
fic fatalities in the great and over
whelming majority Of cases." he
said.
I'VE are prepared to redouble
our efforts in 1910. The toll of
deaths and injuries must be de-
creased. I appeal to every citizen
Of our state to help in this humanl'
tartan. life-saving work. This year
must be our best year. We feel we
have soWed the seed, this year we
ought to reap the resulting mar
vest"
Analysis Of the figures tended to
confirm Hocutt's belief that the
driver Is the key to the whole sit
uation. AS in previous years the
statistics showed that most Of n
accidents cannot be ascribed to
faulty equipment or material haz-
ards of any sort. For instance H.
4S5 Of the 1851 cars involved In
accidents in 1899 were in apparent
good condition: 2.631 of $40 acct
dents occurred on straight sections
of improved state or federal high
ways; $3.50 of the 8.170 accidents
happened on clear days; and 6,47O
of them on dry surfaces.
All Of which brought responsible
ty for most of the crashes squarely
back to the man or woman at n
wheel.
Few Were Drunk
AS to the condition Of these drlv-
ers, only TAB out Of 1918 were re-
ported as being in any other than
a normal condition. OF the abnor-
NAL, SOB were reported intoxicated,
five suffered from physical defects
and As were found to have been
asleep when the accident occurred.
Which left 12,430 drivers in ap-
parently completely normal condi-
lion when the crash came.
OF the 943 persons killed, more
than one-third (331) were pedes-
TRANS, most Of whom were like
wise reported in complete control
Of their faculties, with Is reported
intoxicated and one suffering from
a physical defect, which contribut-
cd to his death. Two were said to
have been confused by traffic."