The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1940-09-20
AUTO CLUB
GIVES RERORT ON
LOCAL SURVEY

Richard IIarfSt. general manager of
the Automobile club of Michigan, on
Monday submitted an exhaustive re-
port of thu. findings that resulted from
recent survey of traffic conditions
in Wyandutte
In fnrrword. the clubs traffic en-
ginecIS state that lin considering
moi. efficient use OF existing traffic
facilities. it is not unusual to find
thar measures necessary To correct one
phase of u traffic problem often, OH
first consideration. seem TO conflict
with other present traffic regulations
and control. Ii is the purpose of this
survey To 20 further than Il first con
SideratiOn' and to determine from en-
gineprng data and facts not casual
opinion. the changes necessary To pro-
duce a safer and less cOngested flow
of traffic: in other words. To provide
Il basis for an unbiased. factual cor
rectiOn of traffic ills. The following
recommendations contain no changes
that are visionary or expensive, but
gre rather. suggestions of IL practical
nature that can be- accomplished with
n minimum of effort and expense"
The. report states that during 1929,
7l3 accidents were reported To the
police department y check on cars
parked in the business district for
visible damage such a> might liz cauS-
ed 10y collisions of one kind or another
developed the following reSultSe On
B:ddlc avenue from Oak street To
Eureka avenue. II per cent damaged;
First from Maple To Oak. 3D. per
cent: Van AlStyne from Oak To Eure-
ka. 80 per cent.
\ study of the reported accidents
shows that December ana January ac-
counted for Slightly more than - per
cent of the years total. The peak time
of accidents conceded with the peak
hour of traffic volume. from 1 pm 10
10 pm.
\ striking feature of the survey was
the discovery that 56 per cent of the
interSt ctiOnal collisions occurred ut
points where stop signals are install
ed. while Il per cent occurred 1T i'll
terSectionS which had no control.
The average cost per accident i'll
1879 was found To be $3.50 for the
entire city.
The following changes were recon-
mended in the official approach to the
traffic problem in WyandOtte:
I. \ revision of the city traffic or
dinance along the lines of the "MOdel
Municipal Traffic Ordinance" as sug-
gested by the National Conference OH
Street and Highway Safety. This or
dinance contains provision for the re-
porting of all traffic accidents for
statistical and analytical use by the
police depa rtment as means OF me'l-
surfing the traffic experience and et-
fectiveness of control measures
>. 4 change in the accident report
forms used To the standard developed
by the Michigan state police.
3 The installation of the location
method of filing accident reports IT.
respective of date of occurrence TO rae
iIft,gte their use in determining control
,olicy lt any location. This method re-
0uires the continued use OF the spot
map as an index TO the location file.
nriyer experience files may be cOntin-
ued aS ut present. cross indeXed into
the location file.
!. Creation. within the administra-
tive staff of the police department, OF
the poSt of traffic directOr( sergeant
or lieutenant). the occupant of this
poSt to he specifically charged WIN
the duties of:
direction of the mechanical person
mel of the department.
Maintenance of accident records ana
Investigation OF accidents
Direction of issuance of operators
licenses.
Maintenance of continuous trattlc
study of the city. with authority 10
invite expert advice and consultation
from outside sources. if same may be
obtained without cost to the city.
development. with the approval OF
the chief of police. of a policy OF trslf-
fic law enforcement based upon the
results of the continuous traffic study.
!. Increase of the traffic depart
ment personnel to total of seven
men (including the directory.
q. Provision of sufficient mOtorlz-
ed equipment to permit most efficient
ax.e of personnel with reference 10
peak traffic volume. etc.
Officials Move
to Act at Once
After the report had been submit
ted 70 the Council at its session Tues
day night. Mayor Louis w. Benin an
nounced that he would appoint a com
mittee to meet with THE Police anu
Fire Commission. To study the reSuHs
of the survey.