Show Brain Builders J JIt's I f Its It's Defects in the Driver Drivers That Cause Majority Of Our Traffic Accidents By DONALD A. A A LAIRD Ph D. D D. D This very day in the United States there will be around 1 ice persons killed on the highways Many more will be injured in nonfatal accidents A still greater number of automobile will be damaged in highway accidents Practically none of these accidents accidents acci acci- dents with their resulting de destruction destruction de- de of life lUe and property will be due to defects In the a. a automobiles u tom 0 b 1 Jes Most of this frightful toll Is due to what hat might be called defects in the drivers Th These e challenging challenging challenging chal chal- facts are one reason why Dr Lowell S. S Selling is making detailed psycho psycho- psycho physical physical studies of automobile automobile automobile auto- auto I mobile drivers Laird at the pioneering pioneering pioneering pioneer pioneer- ing clinic he has established at atthe atthe atthe the re recorders recorder's orders order's court in Detroit Dr Selling Se is finding that very little can be told about a persons person's persons person's per- per sons son's proficiency as an automobile automobile automobile automo automo- bile driver from the most meticulous meticulous meticulous ulous medical examination of his body except in a few rare cases How well the person can use his eyes even how rapidly he can move his foot from the gas pedal to the brake also have as a rule little to do with whether or not he has traffic accidents or viola viola- The important causes of traffic disasters he finds are In the emotions of drivers in their attitudes attitudes attitudes at at- toward the rights of others and in judging the speed of other cars as well as his own own own- what the other driver is going to do A peculiarity Dr Selling finds distinctive of many women drivers drivers drivers ers is their tendency to keep too far away from the right hand hand side of the highway He believes that this may be a mild form of claustrophobia or the fear of becoming becoming becoming be be- coming cramped Traffic accidents Increase among older persons he also learns due to their tendency of being overly cau cautious ous Young drivers have a peak ac accident accident ac ac- rate largely because they have not yet learned to respect the rights of others Some few n never e v e r learn to respect Ct these rights and remain chronic and habitual traffic offenders Chubby eyed black Dr eu has had special apparatus bunt built for testing traffic offenders offender Some Some Some-of of these Ingenious ar are in his large office where h hi h. sits occasionally glancing out e of ot a gigantic window which is b torn soot OT 20 feet high Dr Selling quite naturally y irritated by poor and driving which he sees on ti th highways but has a calm caw fie tic attitude toward such its Ita He does not pot yell out d his window at the annoying dr drive ers or blow his horn to repel mand wand them and curse loudly tt to himself after he has driven aWl atsy Many reckless drivers drivels he ku has concluded are Inclined to be and nai na namen men also Next The Development o f Children |