Smyrna times., 1953-07-02
SPEED CONTROL
PROGRAM SET.
Eleven States Unite in Sum-
mer Speed Control
Program
ORDER SHOWDOWN

For the first time in history of
Delaware together with the ten
other northeastern states have un-
tied in a summer speed control
program attempting to make their
highways the safest of any in the
country during the peak travel sea-
son which started June /. Alarm
ed by a series of summer bulges"
in serious accidents in recent
years caused by record flows of
vacation traffic, the states from
Maine to Maryland have mapped
out an intensified highway safety
program for June, July, and Aug
ust. 1t will be the first regional
effort of its kind ever undertaken
in the United States. The IL states
have ordered Showdown" cam
paign, aimed primarily at rural
travel to meet the threat of an
indicated record summer traffic
toll of nearly 1000 dead and 12O,-
900 to 125,000 injured in the area,
according to an announcement by
j. James Ashton, manager of the
Delaware Safety Council and State
Safety Coordinator. The safety
coordinators, who act as liaison Of
ficers of official accident preven-
tion agencies in their respective
states banded together in the ef-
fort several months ago at the
suggestion of Mr.. James r. Bar
reta, who is chief of the Police
Bureau of New York States Divis-
ion of Safety and William M.
Greene, of Hartford, director of
the Connecticut Safety Commits
sion. Other states represented in
the coordinators group include,
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con-
necticut, New York Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and Maryland.
At sectional meetings held re-
Gently in Boston and Philadelphia,
the heads of traffic law enforce
ment and judicial agencies and or
ganizations of the individual states
and the entire region joined forces
with the coordinators in putting
teeth" into the Showdown cam
paign," according to Mr.. Ashton.
The Boston meeting was attended
by 55 top traffic safety, motor We
hicle and police officials from all
New England states and New
York State, who pledged fullest
support of the summer safety eff
fort. Similar action was taken by
So official representatives of the
state police, driver licensing and
highway departments of Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey, Delaware and
Maryland at the session in Phila-
delphia, which likewise was at
tended by the president of state
associations of chiefs of police, as
sociations of sheriffs, judges and
magistrates, and other highway
safety officials.
Excessive speed is the target OF
this summer showdown campaign
in the northeastern area because
it is known to be the cause OF
most of the deaths and severe in
juries suffered in accidents on the
open highway" said Mr.. Barrett
mot only will police intensity
their efforts to reduce the expected
number of accidents this summer
by apprehending violators of speed
regulations, but the courts will be
solidly behind their enforcement
program. Linked with these of
fetal activities will be broad
scale educational campaign direct
ed toward the individual motorists
Millions of resident and non-resi
dents drivers will be crowding the
highways of the IL states thi!
summer in unprecedented mum
bers. We want the individual driv
er to understand that the slow
down campaign does not mean {
series of speed traps on the high
ways in all of these states. 1t i.
an effort which needs his obedienc,
of the rules of the road in ordel
to make the highways, safer fol
him and his family"
Accumulative figures for tn,
Northeastern states show tha
about 102,500 men, women ant
children were killed or injured il
the northeastern area Unles
speeding and other law violation
on the highways are drastically re
duced, the fatality toll could in
crease from about 1000 in tn
1852 summer period to a recor'
list of 1000, AT the same time, tn
number of injured might rise from
101, 900 in June, July and Angus