| Show 72 72 Per Cent of Our Traffic Toll POLICE authorities concerned over the number number number num num- ber of pedestrian fatalities In the city since the first of the year have announced plans for fora a a. vigorous drive to prevent such deaths As a preliminary move Chief of Police Reed E. E Vet- Vet has ordered careful investigation of each of the six pedestrian deaths which have occurred occurred occurred oc oc- so far in 1941 to determine the cause of these fatalities and the means of preventing their recurrence This attention to the problem of pedestrian fatalities in the city is excellent We need to devote special attention to this phase of traffic safety Past fatality records prove positively that pedestrian deaths are the crux of our whole safety problem If we could control pe- pe fatalities the rest resto of the safety problem would be simple Consider these facts Every single one of our traffic victims thus far in 1941 has been beena a pedestrian Twenty one out of the 33 traffic victims in 1940 were pedestrians Seventeen out of the 22 victims in 1939 were pedestrians That's 72 per cent of all the traffic fatalities during the period Obviously if we could eliminate only half of our pedestrian fatalities we would have the traffic death problem licked with a safety record record record rec rec- ord which would be outstanding in irs the nation L And police records show that at least half halt haltof of these pedestrian fatalities could easily have been prevented Careful study of the 21 pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian trian deaths last year shows that in 15 cases the pedestrians were at fault that is in one ne neway way or another they were violating rules or laws for safe w walking One of the fatalities was blamed on bad weather conditions and and andone one on the fact the pedestrian was partially blind In only four cases were the drivers held by po po- po police police lice e to be at fault and in one of those cases no complaint was issued against the driver Much the same situation was true in the 17 pedestrian deaths which occurred in 1939 and although records are not complete in at of the deaths this year pedestrians themselves were to blame What's the answer Primarily it if is pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian trian education with special emphasis on safe walking at night and during bad weather when visibility of motorists is limited and on the education education edu edu- cation in safe walking of those persons over 50 years of age Last year of 21 pedestrian deaths all but two occurred at night with 10 occurring in the period between and p. p m. m In 14 cases the victims were over 50 years of age Every effort must be made to educate pe pc pedestrians pj d to walk safely safely never never to jaywalk never to attempt to cross a street against a red light to be alert at all times and arid for their own sake to keep an eye on cars approaching them even When they are walking properly at atan atan atan an intersection or in a crosswalk There is room room for mote more enforcement both against motorists who fail to keep a sharp lookout for pedestrians and give them the right right- way of-way at intersections and crosswalks and against pedestrians who jaywalk and otherwise otherwise otherwise other other- wise violate safety rules Finally there may be room for some engine engineering engineering en en- gine ring improvement perhaps improvement perhaps the construction construction construe construe- tion of safety islands in the middle of heavily traveled street intersections perhaps more safety lighting Certainly we should do everything in our power to prevent pedestrian fatalities We know from past experience it is the only way we are re going to materially reduce traffic fatalities fatalities fa fa- in Salt Lake City and that it is the one phase of traffic safety on on which to date we have shown the least results |
