| Show HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM Sponsored by liy Utah State Press Association TRAFFIC SAFETY IN UTAH LET SAFETY BE BEA BEA BEA A HABIT Uy ly JULIAN 11 II nn lL I Managing in Director National Con on Conservation lf Bureau Although traffic exports experts predict predil that motor vehicle accidents will increase c tremendously unless I t rat lIat fie fic laws are arr enforced more strict strictly ly 13 I the enforcement of till the law Iw de IC I more mOIe upon the man nuin behind I the Ihl wheel than it does docs on the till vip vig hence of the hr t traffic officer off The attitude of the average mo inn lorist towards highway high lawns I awns and highway safety will ill in till the opinion of most accident accident- prevention pic eilt ion men mn indicate more clearly than any ai other oIlier factor how good or how bad bud the driving habits on U. U U S. S highways will be in the future Each year the proportion of ac ac- accidents ac- ac accidents in which whelm law violations are arc present has increased until nearly three fourths of all fatal accidents now no involve drivers driven who at nt the time were ere disobeying some sOllie traffic statute or regulation Most fatal fat al accidents according to the National Conservation Bur Bur- Bureau Bureau eau coo figures occur on straight stretches of the highway and many involve high rates of speed About 15 per cent of the drivers in all states involved rc ni fatal auto accidents acci acci- accidents dents dell s are arc the speed lim lim- limit limit limit it while hil 5 per cent are an exceeding safe speeds although thy tim arc trav tray traveling traveling eling cling under the statutory limit Another 3 per cent are arc driving dring dr ing too loo fast for lor existing conditions where no speed limit is indicated In cit cit- cities cities ies jes about 15 per pcr cent are arc exceed exceed- exceeding exceeding ing the speed sped limit compared with 9 per cent in rural areas All safety specialists agree that the greatest single cause of traffic fatalities is speed They The claim that most speed limits are now too high for safety but agree that the ques ques- question question question tion of what is sane in speed sped lim lim- limit limit limit it depends somewhat upon street upon street and road conditions In congested business districts speed usually is held down by lights but in the residential areas the time tendency is to leter Ieter go a lit lit- little littie tle tie and on the rural highways the sky is the limit The American people are arc over over- overwhelmingly overwhelmingly overwhelmingly in favor of law enforce enforcement meat ment as a primary means of stop stop- stopping stopping ping highway and street accidents according to a nationwide public opinion poll made for the Nation Nation- National al Committee for Traffic Safety Safely which indicates that seven out of every very ten of the people say they want ant strict enforcement of traffic regulations emulations Next to speed 1946 nationwide show that driving on the rong wrong side of the road including passing assing is the most frequent traffic fic c violation and that 8 per cent of the he drivers in fatal accidents were under the influence of alcohol at athe atthe atthe the he time lime of the accident In addi- addi tion on another 10 per cent had been drinking drinkin More frequent and prolonged suspension of operating privileges for or certain serious infractions of traffic laws law's police authorities and I safety experts agree would prove to be an effective means of creating a wholesome re- re for law and law enforcement No matter how excellent the me- me mechanical mechanical equipment of a car may be there is a point at which it los- los loss loses es Cs s its effectiveness because auto auto- automotive automotive motive equipment depends upon 1 the he judgment and control of the person the wheel The most reliable safeguard against ac ac- accidents accidents ac- ac accidents is a sane attitude of mind towards safety on the highway Proper respect for law enforce enforce- enforcement enforcement ment meat and the rights of other in induces duces lifelong habits of safety safet safet which are arc salutary assets on the |
