OCR Text |
Show SSpeed should be cut down if weather wea-ther or road conditions are bad. Hurry and speed are at the root of most serious accidents. Dusk Means Danger Pedestrians should remember that it is much harder for drivers to see them in darker winter visibility, visi-bility, especially at dusk. Don't obscure your view with umbrellas or Christmas parcels. Both drivers and pedestrians should remember that accidents due to drinking are much more prevalent during the holidays. Watch out for erratic behavior by both drivers and pedestrians, and if you take a bit of holiday cheer yourself, stay away from your car and be wary crossing streets. Growing Accidents Dims Outlook For The Holidays Everybody looks forward to the Christmas-New Year's holiday season, sea-son, with the possible exception of the National Safety Council. The Council, struggling to hold in check a rising accident toll this year, knows that the year-end holiday period includes the most dangerous dates on the calendar. Traffic deaths alone this year are running more than 10 per cent ahead of 1949, according to the Council. A final death toll of about 35,000 is in prospect the highest since 1941. Peak Accident Period "The Christmas - New Year's holiday season is the peak accident period of the year," said Ned H. Dearborn, Council president. "Heavier "Hea-vier travel and the festive spirit of of the season always add to the normal winter hazards of bad weather, slippery roads and more hours of darkness. "Members of the armed forces coming home for Christmas, and families going to visit military camps of those who can't come home, will boost travel this year." he said. A little extra time, thought and courtesy, will prevent holiday tragedies, the Council believes. Motorists were advised to start trips early and set an easy pace. |