The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-03
Trained Drivers Are
 Safest On Roadways
FIuman Factor Enters Into Accident Prevention;
 Training Essential to All Good Records

household devices, farm machines and power tools that are more fool proof.
 But no matter how far we ad- vance in the development of these physical safeguards, the human fac- tor remains the supreme problem in accident prevention. The long run answer to this problem is training.
 Some are inclined to confuse talking safety with training for safety, Such mistake is common in industry. A supervisor tells a new man that he is not to take material out of the machine with his hands, but is to use tongs. Two weeks later the supervisor receives a report that the new employe had the end of his finger amputated because he didn't follow instructions.
 The supervisor thought that he had trained the man. Actually, he had simply carried on a brief con- versation. He had never gone back to see how the employee was hand ling the work, or to find out whe- ther he was following instructions. The employee had been told what to do, but had never formed the habit of doing it.
 Training Advocated
 We have been doing lot of talk ing about traffic safety, but not enough training of highway users. We need to convince ourselves and others that driving an automobile, or peddling bicycle, or even walk ing on our streets and highways, are tasks which to be done without mishap must be done with skill which only results from training in proper habits.
 Training is a positive thing. No one ever takes course in how not to do something. It is always to learn how to perform constructive definite task. Therefore, safety training must become an integral part of all training. We must learn to drive our cars habitually in a safe manner. Having done so, we have automatically eliminated the unsafe ways of driving.
 The driver training program should start at an early age. It should continue through the high school and the college and into adult life.
 One reason bicycle safety is so important, in my judgment, is that 1t offers an opportunity to train youngsters in safe highway habits.
 Judgment Important
 At the present time we are seeing new training techniques. At a New York University recently special att tention was given to the psycholog- ical and emotional phases of driver preparation. Good judgment event. ually will be recognized as a quail fication as important as mechanical skill.
 will we, perhaps adopt the plan of some European countries where the new car with the new driver ie labeled by a larger letter "L" (fof learner), with special examina- tions required to advance such a driver into the class of those per- manently licensed? Will we have training of drivers in drill groups like swimming classes or football squads with skilled coaches in charge?
 No one can prophecy exactly how this improved training will be ac- complished. But think we can all agree that 1t must be accomplish ed. Talking to drivers will not make them competent or safe. Only train ing will do that job!
 Merely understanding what should be done makes only good back seat drivers. Being able to do is automatically habitually - makes safe motor car operators"