Evening star., 1951-09-14
It's Not Autos
By jones BirchfieId

py JUWGS OUSultStu
The automobile-or rather, the
man behind the wheels killing
more people in Maryland every
year.
So alarming has the mounting
death rate become-there were
498 traffic deaths in the Free State
last year, and 355 deaths through
Labor Day of this year-that Of
f1cials have decided it is time to
do something about it.
The automobile, in itself, is
innocent. Unlike the horse of pre-
horseleSS carriage days, it never
kicks, bucks or runs away. But
always there is the human element
involved.
Maryland safety officials have
pointed out that even in cases Of
accidents where mechanical fall
ure or faulty road engineering is
directly blamed, there still usually
remains an error in judgment on
the part of the operator.
Cite Examples.
They cite as examples the man
who operates his car over a poorly
engineered road at an excessive
speed, and the operator who fails
to remedy some known mechanical
weakness. In the end it means an
accident, and possibly a fatal one.
At present Maryland has on the
books a law requiring a yearly
inspection of vehicles. This law
has not operated since it was
suspended during the war, how
ever, and the General Assembly
has turned down proposals to
establish State-owned inspection
stations. Formerly, inspections
were made by private garages.
Evidence from other States
leaves little doubt Of the value
of periodic inspections. In New
Jersey, for example, traffic deaths
averaged 1900 between 1928 and
1888. When the inspection system |
was adopted in 1898, traffic deaths
dropped nearly so per cent, and
in 194S had dropped to SGT. This
in the face of steadily increasing /
number of automobiles.
Comparisons Made.
For the Nation as q whole, It |
is estimated that II per cent of /
all traffic accidents are caused by |
mechanical failure, while in the /
District, which has a rigid in
Spection law, about 8 per cent Of /
the accidents have been attributed |
to mechanical troubles.
Last year, a total of "a We
hicleS in the District were involved |!
in fatal accidents. OF these, one |;
had defective brakes and two had |;
other defects.
OF 26.305 vehicles involved in
all accidents in the District last
year, 225 had faulty brakes; Is
had defective headlights; 20 had
steering defects: six had bad tires,
and 101 had other defects.
Whether Gov. McKeldin'S ad-
n1iniStration will ask the Mary
land Legislature next year for a
State inspection system has not
been decided. Paul E. Burke, ex-
ecutive secretary of the Traffic |;
Safety Commission, said a broad |;
program Of safety promotion is
now being studied. He said this |;
program may include many {
phases, such as driver training, |;
revision Of the driver license law |
and a system of either State |
owned or State-controlled inspec. /
ton stations.
Opinion Differs on Stations.
While officials agree that We |;
h1cle inspection is a good thing, |;
there are differences of opinion as |;
to how the inspection stations |;
should be operated.
Advocates of State-owned sta
tionS to be set up at a cost of
more than $500, 900, point out that
while the initial cost is high, fees
for inspecting the States 7I4,673
motor vehicles soon would return
the initial investment and provide
future funds for safety work.
Mr.. Burke is an advocate Of B
vehicle inspections, and believes I
licensed private garages should &
do the job. His idea parallels the Il
pennsylvania plan where private b
garages do the inspecting and are S
carefully supervised by the State. B
This plan also is followed in IS
Virginia. S
Where a private garage opera B
tor faced the loss of his business B
license" Mr.. Burke said, there Il
would be little chance of his vio- +
hting inspection laws"
. While vehicle inspection mayIs
be an important phase of high s
way safety promotion, records
compiled by the State Police Traf-
nc Collision Statistical Bureau, B
headed by 1t. Joseph K. CuShwa, B
indicate that other factors play B
an even greater part.
Last year, for example, only B
6.S per cent. or about SO persons Of IL
the 498 who died in traffic acci-
dents met death in faulty vehicles. B
I'll per cent of the fatal accidents +
were caused by driver violations, &
including driking; SO per cent s
occurred at night; 80. per cent oc- E
CURED during bad weather; 23.8 &
per cent were on curves, and 29.5
per cent were on bills.