The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-08
City;s Safety Council Plans Broad Campaign

 ments in machinery geared to high speeds and the worn-out equipment from pre-Pearl Harbor time which is still being utilized.
 These dire anticipations are not just scare-heads designed to frighten people into being safety minded.
 Rather they are proven out by facts. Such as:
 In July 1945 when a little more gas was granted the public the motor vehicle fatalities of the na- tiOn jumped IS per cent over the July figures of 1914. In September of this year they had scOared to 40 per cent over September 1914 when 2,31O fatalities occurred in the nation. If this trend, con- tinues, it is the opinion of nation al authorities there will be about 5000 more motor vehicle fatalities by the end of 1945 than there was in 1914 when 23,300 occurred.
 These fatalities are viewed as doubly tragic because of the fact that national safety authorities are firmly convinced that they could be reduced to the barest minimum If the known facts and knowledge about safety could be sufficiently applied by the public.
 Household Accidents
 Yet motor vehicle fatalities and accidents are by no means the greatest results of ignorance or dis regard of safety. Household acci- dents, so-called, are numerically the highest of all. National statistics re- veal that during the first eight months of this year 3,150,000 occur red. It seems unbelievable but such proportion has remained almost constant for many years.
 Fatalities in 1914 from this type accident totaled 16,0OO. Sixteen thousand people Killed in homes is an appalling number considering the nature of such type accidents! Industrial accidents have de- creased during this past year simply because their numbers increased enormously during the high produc- ton and employment periods of the war and now more workers are be- ing laid of, generally.
 Last years fatality totals were: falls in households, 16,00O; motor vehicle, 24,3O0; burns, 10,60O; drown ing, $500; railroads, 5,05O; firearms, 2,450; poisons (except gas) 1,150; poisonous gases, 1850 and all others 19,000.
 Loss of life or limb or mental health as result of accidents is the most serious loss resulting from ignorance of common-sens safety or disregard of its maxims. Yet equally appalling and incredible to belief Is the loss in dollars. It has been estimated by national experts that dollar and-cents cost for all accidents for the first eight months of 1945, was well over 3 billion dol lars, and will likely amount to over 5 billion dollars by the end of the year. This is just about equal to the cost of servicing the nations entire national date.
 Safety Methods
 Some of the means likely to be employed by the Waterbury Safety Council in its drive toward dimin- ishing deaths and injuries in Wa terbury will include the following:
 A constant check by the city's mo- tor patrol and other policemen on speeders and reckless drivers. A constant vigil for violations of ped- estrians in crossing streets. Possible city ordinance for bicycles. A spe- cial safety squad of the police force and special safety car. Members of this squad and the Council will ad- dress school children, community groups and others. Newspapers, radio, billboard publicity and many other means.
 Theme of Program
 It should be stressed that any endeavor to make the public "safety-conscious" is not intended to make the public anxiety conscious" There is 8 tremendous difference between confidence in safety and fear of accidents.
 If we are educated to, and thus aware of, safety means predicated on common-sense there will be no embarrassing or annoying feeling of Self-conSciouSneSS toward each ped- estrian or vehicular move we go to make. Safety procedure by means of common-senSe awareneSs will be- come natural habit to all.
 However, if our conception of od4CVy 10 W 44sC All ACdo VI 1NS4- dents then grotesquely enough they will tend to increase; We are more apt to walk into trouble of this na- ture through confused and fright ened awkwardness. Look for trouble and you are apt to find it, is an old saying. Anxious fear is not normal once we are able to determine the reason for and nature of our fear.
 The citys goal in this campaign is not one of cold statistics, but the realization of the lives saved and the bodies still healthy and not twisted by pain and deformities. It is one of storing up happiness rather than dissipating happiness through careless accidents.
 PLAY SAFE!
 Democrat Photos by COviellO.