Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-12-12
The Danger Month

Inc Danger MOHtH
Since the start of the accident pre-
vention drive begun three months
ago by the Minnesota Editors Save
100 Lives Campaign committee there
has been TIA deaths on the highways
of Minnesota as compared to 1875 for
the corresponding period in Septem-
Der, October and November of last
year or a total of 81 lives saved.
However, in organizing their cam
paign and setting up a budget for
monthly traffic fatality reductions,
the editors fixed their goal for these
three months at total of not more
than 165 fatalities. The excess of
actual deaths over allowable-deaths
budgeted was exactly that of the num-
Der of lives lost in the early Novem-
Der tragedy near PipeStone when
eight passengers in one car, return
ing from funeral, plowed into a
truck which entered the highway
from a side road, killing all passen-
gers in the auto and the driver of
the truck.
Efforts to cut down the death toll
on the highways are being redoubled
during December which is statistical
ly the most hazardous month of the
year. Motorists and pedestrians alike
must be on the alert at all times be-
cause of slippery driving surfaces,
icy street intersections, steamed or
frosted windshields, poor visibility
because of the long hours of dark
ness, and increased pedestrian traf-
fic dangers resulting from the pres
ence on the streets of large numbers
of heavily clad, hurrying and Oft
times bundle-laden Christmas shop
pers, both young and old.
Last year some $500 persons in the
United States were killed in auto
mobile accidents during the last
month of the year and this years
total fatalities for December is ex-
pected to be about the same. How
ever, ordinary common sense and
caution, plus little courtesy on the
part of the man behind the wheel,
if practiced universally, can cut this
figure down. The hard part is to
educate the careless drivers before
it is too late.
Driving at sensible speed, es-
pecially on icy roads or in heavy
traffic, such as is generally found
during the holiday season, the auto
ist will not be delayed more than
a few minutes at the most, and will
have much better chance of reach
ing his destination safely. Further
more, holiday season free from &C
cidents will be happier one for all
concerned. The vacant chair" at
Christmas brings despair and sor-
row to both the bereaved family and
the person responsible for a serious
accident.
Winter traffic has been increas-
ing steadily in recent years. More
and more highways are being kept
open by the road crews in the north
ern states every month of the year
and warmer and better cars have
eliminated many of the discomforts
of winter travelling. Snowplows are
at work before a storm has ended
and motorists are kept informed at
all times as to the driving and road
conditions at various points. Slip
perry hills, curves and intersections
are sanded and warning signs set
up. Science lends a hand to make
machinery and equipment as safe as
possible.
In short, safety is stressed to the
limit in road construction, car build
ing and maintenance but it is still
the man behind the wheel or the one
on the street who is directly re-
sponsible for nearly every traffic mis-
hap. An unavoidable" accident is
not always unavoidable. Some one
was negligent. Someone did not think
to look before he crossed the street
or drove out on a highway. Some
one forgot to dim the headlights. The
man who neglected to have the de-
fective brakes on the family car
checked may wake up in hospital,
or, worse yet, some innocent child
may have paid the price of careless
ness. A person driving somewhere
in a hurry to have a few more min
utes to spend doing nothing when he
gets there may land in the morgue.
And so the sorry accounting con-
tinues from one end of the country
to the other, not only in December,
but in every month of the year. A
moments mental lapse, a lessening
of vigilance, and pleasure or BUSH
ness vehicle becomes terrible ma
chine of destruction. We shudder
to think of the havoc being wrought
by the warning nations abroad but
hor, nrouonfohlo auto deaths MAIN.