Show single factor seldom causes h auto accident expert reveals by EDWARD DUNCAN RAKES shrieked the car Bs BRAKES skidded kidded dizzily then left the pavement to hurtle against a tree not long before its driver had taken a few drinks and stepped out into the rain to race for home he was driving all right until he failed to make that curve newspaper stories of the accident would probably attribute the drivers death to driving while drunk but enforcement officials and highway engineers who must work to prevent such accidents regret that the explanation as simple as that an automobile accident is a lot me like a winning poker hand or a losing one according to J stannard baker traffic safety consultant with the national safety council suppose youre sitting in a game and draw a straight flush you win the pot did any one card contribute more to the winning hand than the rest of course not it took all five cards to complete the flush the same test should be applied to a braf traffic fi ic accident baker explained pla ined darkness rain intoxication a curve it if any one of these circumstances had not been present the accident probably would not have happened this fundamental analysis will be one of those presented by baker in the course he is teaching at the national institute for traffic safety training at the university of tennessee in knoxville from august 12 to 24 the course will be one of nine to be taught at the institute d by the nations outstanding traffic authorities ties now levs lets look at our sample ac aident again said mr baker the circumstances darkness rain rain in intoxication and a curve are familiar it is possible even probable that the darkness rain the curve or the cars speed had as much to do with the accident as the drivers driver s degree of intoxication if we keep statistics on that same curve for a year we may find that 20 drivers missed it and piled up in accidents and that of the 20 only 4 had been drinking so we put a safety engineer to work on the curve he studies all the statistics on the accidents that have occurred perhaps the curve will be straightened out a little or obstructions to the view may be removed possibly the engineer finds that the crown in the surface around the curve gives a reverse bank which throws into a ditch any car taking the curve at more than 45 miles per hour on the right half of the road this is changed the following year we find that only five drivers missed the curve and that four of these had been drinking the number of drivers who cant negotiate it safely has been reduced to a minimum to those who are grossly careless or quite drunk it is true said mr baker that one factor alone seldom causes an accident but it is equally true that if any single factor which contributes to motor vehicle accidents can be called a joker or wild card in our poker game analogy it is intoxication the car and the highway can be improved tor for the safety of sober drivers but when a joker or wild card is introduced in the form of a drinking driver things can go wrong anywhere any time |