Milford chronicle., 1960-08-26
Holiday Safety Q e A

cent wrong. We would be the hap
piest people on earth il we esti-
mated traffic deaths over a holiday
might total 400, for example, and
no one was killed.
@. But isn't it a fact that your
forecasts have been amazingly ac-
curate?
A. No. AS a matter of fact, our
pre-holiday estimates have been
consistently wide of the mark. This
is natural, of course, since we are
basing our estimates on what could
happen mathematically and human
behavior doesn't follow any such
pattern.
@. Just how far do you miss it?
A. Since we began our holiday
campaigns in 1916, we have missed
the actual traffic death tolls over
20 major holidays in IA years by
an average of 41-or IL per cent.
@. / don't understand.
A. Well, our estimates have var
led by as much as 1O9 under the
actual toll to 1870 above the actual
toll On the other hand, some of our
estimates have been tragically
close. But the average over the 20
holidays has been difference OF
IL deaths between our pre-holiday
estimate and the actual toll.
@. Do you have any feeling that
your holiday estimates may
frighten drivers so that actually
they become susceptible to an acci-
dent?
A. No, we don't feel that way.
On the contrary, we believe our
warnings alert drivers to the ex-
fra holiday danger and thus make
them more cautious. We certainly
don't want to scare anyone, but
we firmly believe caution and con-
>cern help prevent accidents-on
holidays or at any other time.
@. Do you urge people to stay
/ home over the holidays-or at least
to stay OFF the road?
A. Never. We don't believe that
is the way to hold down the traffic
toll. Holidays are natural and in
evitable periods of family reun-
| ions and outings. People will and
should travel. We only want them
to do it safely-to compensate for
the extra travel with extra care.
@. What else do you do in your
holiday safety campaigns besides
issue pre-holiday estimates of the
traffic toll?
A. We contact the governor of
every state, the mayors of the lar
Eger cities, traffic officers and other
public officials, urging them to step
up their traffic safety efforts inn
mediately before and during the
holiday period We issue specific
traffic safety hints to drivers and
pedestrians through the press, ra-
| dio-TV and other media. We also
issue safety hints on swimming,
| fireworks and other holiday activ-
tiles. We work actively with other
nationwide groups in these holiday
campaigns-with the churches, for
example, at Christmas time, and
with organized labor over Labor
Day. We, concentrate in our holi-
day campaigns on the drinking
driving problem. For instance. for
the last two years we have encour-
aged business and industry to dry
up Christmas Office parties, since
our studies show early hours of a
holiday period are peak danger
hours on the highways due part
ly, we believe, to drinking.
@. Do you think all this does any
good?
A. We certainly do. 1t is our
conviction that the thousands of
safety stories and warnings which
reach the public by radio, televis-
ion and newspaper throughout the
holiday periods can't help but pre-
vent accidents. The media do a
magnificent job of focusing public
attention on the need for extra
care over the holidays, and in fact
throughout the year. I'd hate to
think of what the toll would be if
all this should stop.