The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-03-02

Ten rules for safe walking are given by Supt of Police William J. Roach in his weekly safety statement which today stresses the part unin- telligent walking plays in increasing the accident toll.
 Walking today the chief says, is not only a healthy exercise, but an art requiring skill.
 Weekly Statement
 His statement follows:
 People would think it foolish If they were asked if they had learned to walk. Learning to walk is one of the early lessons of life taught us at such an early age that walking be- comes second nature and we seldom think of the time when we couldn't walk. A review, however, of the toll taken in accidents last year indi- cates that tripping over objects, falling on slippery places, lead prac- tically all other causes as a producer of accidental injuries and deaths in our homes. Inability to walk with out falling is also an outstanding cause of accidenuts in industrial plants and factories, far surpassing accidents due to operation of dan- gerout machinery. Falls on streets and highways result in the injury of hundreds of individuals every year. Of greater importance, how ever, Is that fact that the inability of many individuals to use streets and highways without coming in con- tact with moving vehicles is the cause of a tremendous and increas- ing number of deaths and injuries. Reliable accident statistics show that approximately one-half\ of the in- dividuals injured in automobile ac- cidents are pedestrians.
 There's . Difference
 The interesting thing is that all motorists are pedestrians many times during every day and the increasing use of automobiles means growing number of pedestrians who are mo- torists. Apparently, however, there is a considerable difference between af1 individual behind the steering wheel and the same individual in font of the steering wheel. In case of accident, the motorist usually planes the pedestrian and the pedes- trian is equally willing to place the cause of the accident upon the mo- torist. To be sure there are many accidents involving pedestrians which are the result of careless practice and poor driving habits on the part of the motorist. On the other hand, 1t is equally true that many serious accidents on the streets could be prevented if the individual walking would use the same care and fore-thought which he expects of the individual driving. Frequently, with out thought, we commit the same errors ourselves in using the streets as pedestrians which we criticize in others when we sit behind the steer ing wheel of our own machine.
 Walking has always been consid- cred a healthful exercise but under modern conditions in our busy cities and even on the rural highways, walking has become an art of re- quiring skill. The skillful walker of today pays strict attention to the to anticipate the actions of others movement of trafIic and endeavors on foot or in vehicles. He observes trafiic regulations and realizes that other persons are equally anxious to reach their destination quickly and safely.
 Ten Rules
 Enumerated the rules for slIillful walking are:
 1. The safe walker does not step out caFeIessIy from behind parked ears or obstFuctlpns.
 8, The safe walker aees not try te weave hls way thFeugh tTsfIic.
 s, The safe walker crosses streets at right angles.
 ( The safe waikeF uses care ln setting en end elf vehicles in moving tFafie.
 s. The safe walker observes lFsiIle crossing . street.
 (. The ssse walker ebeyS sSsnie signals.
 i. Ths safe walksF aess net stand in the street.
 q Ths ssle WalksF teaches ehiis aEon net to play ln tho streets. C. The safe wniheg wnlks against Instead ss with, tFafile sa epen highways,
 IA 4he ssfs waikeF usos pagiies ulaF preaaBiian co niahk
 Check yeigSelf and seo heW many