Evening star., 1940-03-10

where safety is not only being
stressed but meeting great success,
comes the following:
Analysis of two full years of &C
cidents experience on a number of
streets affected by the new safety
lighting modernization program in
Hartford, Conn, shows II lives
saved and net saving of $50, 900
In property damage and personal
injury.
In his report to Mayor Spellacy
OF Hartford, R. E. Simpson, con-
sulting engineer for the city, said
that in the first year of the pro-
gram there was a decrease of 46.3
per cent in night accidents on the
relighted streets, and in the Sec
ond year there was a decrease of
6l.7 per cent. Contrasting with this
experience. in those sections where
modernized safety lighting was not
installed, night accidents increased
during the same period.
Mr.. Simpson also pointed out that
IN the two years prior to the safety
lighting program, there were IL
night pedestrian fatalities, contrast
ing with only one night pedestrian
fatality In the two-year period fol-
lowing the Inauguration of the new
program.
For an expenditure of $40 per
month per mile. Hartford succeeded
in saving the lives of II of its citi-
zens on only 10 miles of its streets.
insurance figures are not always
statistical alone. From investigation
they prove something, and that study
has an important part in accident
prevention. If you know the why of
things you have gone a long way in
solving troubles.
Many of the most dramatic smash
hits OF 1899 were not viewed on the
stage or screen but on the highway.
according to the tenth annual safety
booklet just issued by the Travellers
Insurance Co. The booklet, entitled,
Smash Hits" records pictorially
and graphically the facts about ac-
cldents in which 32,10O persons were
killed and almost a million and a
quarter others were injured last
year.
Americas street and highway
system is vast stage on which is
being presented the longest and
most lavish procession in history"
the foreword states. I'm a pageant
OF such magnitude there are bound
to be mistakes, usually caused by
some actor who becomes confused
or forgetS his part. In the great
spectacle, as a whole, these inter-
ruptions are scarcely noticed. but
to those who by accident or indis-
cretion become involved, these un-
rehearsed by-plays often assume the
proportions of major tragedy"
High lights from the annual re-
port, based on official records of
the 48 States, include the following
interesting facts:
Exceeding the speed limit was re-
sponsible for 365 per cent of the
fatalities and 225 per cent of the
injuries in 1899.
Nearly 40 per cent of all traffic
accident victims were pedestrians.
Almost 81 per cent of the fatal
accidents occurred in clear weather
and almost 80 per cent happened
when the road surface was dry.
More than SO per cent of the driv-
ers involved in fatal accidents were
male and less than per cent fe-
male
More persons were killed on Sun
day than on any other day of the
week, while the heaviest injury toll
came on Saturday. Wednesday was
the safest day for travel. The period
between 7 pm. and pm was the
most dangerous hour of the day.
The motor vehicle death rate,
based on mileage, is at least three
times as high by night as by day.
The report views with growing
concern the increase in automobile
pedestrian accidents, particularly in
metropolitan areas at night, and de-
votes an entire section to the prob
lens of the man on foot. One
graphic illustration shows that
while a man takes one step and ad-
vances one yard, an automobile be-
ing driven at 80 miles an hour ad-
vances nine yards. Another shows
that pedestrian in dark clothing
is all but invisible to the driver at
night a mere 100 feet away, but is
clearly visible in light clothing up
to 200 feet or more.
Failure on the part of both drivers
and pedestrians to appreciate these
and many other facts was largely
responsible for the record of 12,470
pedestrians killed and almost 300,-
900 injured in 1899, the report states.