The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-08
x N N Seek tOCurb Increasing Accidents
 4 4 < Safety-C Conscious Program to Touch On All Accident Factors in City
By JAMES M. MOORE

By JAMES M. MOORE
 If the average pedestrian and motorist was told that daily he firt- ed with death his reaction would be one of ridicule.
 After all' he would be likely to say, .'the people who daily dirt with death are those whose occupations or careers invite such dangers. Like airplane pilots, or those working on high tension wires, or those who scale buildings.
 ''But not I, brother"
 His is 8 prosaic life-in terms of motivity-consisting principally or going to and from work or recrea- tional centers or visiting homes or friends or shopping and the routine movements around ones home.
 Given Statistics
 Yet such a statement is proven false; for statistics show that daily, in Waterbury and throughout Amer ica, the placid living ofice-worker or merchant or factory worker or housewife, who considers life as commonplace, meets with sudden death or crippling injuries because of accidents.
 He fails to realize the perils that hitch-hike with him as he careless lv guides a ton or more of metal down a highway by means of wna1 he considers to be safe" automo- bile.
 He turns and looks but one-way down a two-way street and perhaps never again has to brother to LOOK anywhere else on this mortal world except upward as the earth IS shoveled into his face, by an in different grave-digger.
 He hurries down poorly lighted or darkened stairways and hurtles to the bottom where his body lands with the thud of crumpled heap without life, or twisted in the agon- ilngly alive pain of sheared and splintered bones which have clawed through his flesh and ruptured his skin.
 After such things happen-n he gtill uves-he will be likely to show mitigation should you minimize the / causes of his tragedy by referring to them as perils. In his mitigation he will emphasize what he calls his tragic happening or pitiful accident --and that Is just what they are!
 Form Council
 Because all of this is true, and it's truth Is substantiated by factual statistics, a Safety Council has been formed in Waterbury in collabora- ton with the National Safety Coun- cil. This Council is now functioning.: It is not the purpose of the local committee to call attention to such accidents after they have happen ed!
 It Is it's purpose to bring home to the public, by cooperation with the public, the awareness of the cost in lives and damage of the tragic results of such accidents before they can happen!
 An educational campaign will be the principal means by which the Council hopes to make the public of Waterbury safety-consclous. Plans are now being formulated TOT publicizing such need by means of newspapers, radio, billboards, lec- lures, movies and similar means. In close cooperation with the police, education, health and city plan de- partments, insurance concerns and other agencies the Council will foster 8 daily, constant and repitl- tious hammering away at the fund amentals of safety so that the pub lie will heed the call for common sense on traffic ana pedestrian measures.
 Mayor Issues Warning
 Mayor John s. Monagan, honor ary chairman of the Waterbury Safety Council cites national statis- tics to highlight the prevalence of accidental deaths and injuries.
 The Mayor says:
 "There were more than 100000 accidental deaths in America dur ing 1914 and statistics reveal that this figure will be, exceeded during
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