Evening star., 1941-10-05
BY JOHN III. CASSADY, Jr.

P"'e
BY JOHN H. CAssADY,
In the face
on the streets of Washington sudden alarming Dis
by the September
the first nine months to 65 increase of IA the period
last year
the focal point safety problem
conadcab by the actua record of fatalities The figures show
that SO approximately of the
toawere pedestrians "a of them shown by the official
diSegarded elementary rules of safety.
Crosswak
Twenty-six "a pedestrian victims who violated rules OF
safety struck down While crossing streets at points other han
crowaid warnings by traffic officials against
careless walking Nine OF the 20 were ht as they stepped out from
twelve Other pedestrians were crossing the street at
toed intersections attempting to cross at controlled
lights lying in the street one was
and was crushed nder the wheels of sand truck 2year-od
girl by automobile The driver didn't have time TO
stop-becau had stepped from between parked cars
three other tragedies like hose-hve children,
parked along for unexpected
In all killed during the first nine months of
the whole of 194O-rong evil
Fairgrounds alertne in safe
guarding children away from home school, according
trict
Besides running from
between parked cars two were riding bcvces two were crossing the
points walking
walk and roller skating In the latter the child
hanging the of and struck by onomng
mobile when he released his hold on the car
Seven Drivers Exonerated.
of the motorists involved in the child fatalities
the declared
held Police action under the
guilty. another the
held for jury action but the ignored
negligent homicide still pending while inquest
has not been held in the other case
William declared yesterday that
obvious from the huge pedestrian death toll that there Is
safety consciousness the part of the
walking the streets but he said the traffic authorities
cant o the right people"
everything possible make the streets safer but
will not take of their own safety too we're
up against it, he said protect pedestrian
himself caeness and thoughlessnes something we can't
control by laws and signal lights
Asserting he believed personal educational
gram the pedestrian death problem Mr. Van
suggestion that this might be done by public
citizens working under the leadership OF the cs citizens oca
and other civic groups
person campaign of ringing dcorbes
appeals for walking and driving and
obedience to rules of safety
blocks and seems to me we could find
$500 pubicspried citizens do this job said the traffic director
so often, Just of warning will save life
Drivers Also Responsibility.
officials not absov mae the drivers involved in
the fatalities but they emphasize tha
in the the fatal accident originated in an unsafe
act by the pedestrian This borne out by the figures
pedestrian death the driver declared
baeess jury In instances
the urys specifically stated that death due Ito careless
ness on the part deceased other inquest
was held death termed accidental OF II drivers OF
vehicles which pedestrians who held for Police Court
under the Negligent Homicide Act one was convicted one
was pS t $500 nrv action and of these two we're indicted
and convicted indicted and awaiting trial and two
were freed - ,.
the rising congestion
enforcement safety education OF
the the most important factor IN the DIS
trics traffic safety program of this record In
dicates.
being planned studied
the movement OF trafh
designation prefer
entail timing OF traffic lights ban against oaog ana
unloading commercial vehicles the main trahc arteries during
rush hours; placing the far side OF Intersections
lights at heavyraveled inter-
sections highway connecting street
Key Bridge widening of Twenthird street from
construction of underpaes
Logan Circles and other engineering oects
Loading Platform to Be Built
projects certainly relieve congestion and at
safety conditions Mr. Van Duzer
problem of the pedestrian who
S about his safety
the ledger, traffic director
said construction of loading platforms replace the
present rapsloadng marked only with painted
lines-is Of being planned
lights dangerous intersections would add
4l inter-
sections pedestrian traffic is sufficiently heavy
said pointing out II OF the afnc
victims year killed uncontrolled intersections
where otherwise
heavy pedestrian movements
yield the right pedestrians crosswaks
also an important pedestrian agreed by Mr.
Van Dzer and Inspector Miller chief of the traffic dv
sion of Metropolitan Police Department.
traffic toll chiefly
lack should between 10
violations for each accident in which
some one is injured said adding that the District now averag-
ing only 7
believed firmly that there not enough
safety he suggested that such
sufficiently important assignment OF least man
specifically to educational work