Show til l Average Ave ve a g ge e Toll o Say Experts Experts' l. l BOO oo 5 T I i E y r 6 d 10 t z 6 8 Ast A. A NOON Dr F F. F A A. A Moss Moss' and graph showing how traffic acct mount and d drop op during tile he day By GEORGE BRITT NEA Service Writer WASHINGTON ASHINGTON V April r 30 The The average automobile driver may ex expect expect expect ex- ex to have a serious accident about once in 20 years But 1 or 2 per cent nt of the drivers drivers drivers ers should thank r their their- special guardian angels if U they don dont t smash a car or run down a pedestrian very six Ix months or oftener This is the way drivers classify under today's standards and conditions con con- according to Dr Walter V. V BIngham of ot New York director of f the Personal Research federation One of of- the large problems of highway safety he s says ys is t to rec recognize recognize rec recognize incorrigibles before they do Ilo any ny damage and to banish them from the steering wheel Accident repeaters cannot be picked out by outward out physical l ap appearance appearance ap- ap ps psychologists agree There probably are just as many Blonds among them as brunets They h have v no distinctive facial characteristics tics or other earmarks How then can you determine who will be predisposed to accidents accidents accidents acci acci- dents before the subject begin driving The question was put up tip to Dr BIngham who was chairl chair chair- l m maji n n of ot the committee on causes c of accidents reporting here at Secretary Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- Hoovers Hoover's recent safety conference conference conference con con- ference and also to Dr F. F A A. Moss professor of psychology at George Washington university and ands s secretary of the same committee There are personal factors that can be revealed by psychology ps laboratory laboratory laboratory lab lab- oratory test of the applicant for a drivers driver's license answers Dr Bing- Bing ham You c can n exactly exactly exact exact- ly how long It takes to act after a an n emergency is perceived The average driver w we have found requires about half a sec sec- and In emergency emergency to take his foot off the accelerator and pu it on the brake This means that the car traveling at 30 miles an hour would go about 22 feet teet before the driver a. a acted ted Some types of nervous disorders unfit a person t to drive while ers have no no such effect One eminent eminent eminent emi emi- nent psychologist says that a person person person per per- son suffering Buttering from acute melancholia melancholia melancholia melan melan- Is one one of the safest of all drivers because he taKes extreme precautions against accidents Dr Moss has made extensive tests into the personal factors which cause accidents One of his tests was a simple device of wrong with this picture to de determine determine determine de- de termine a persons person's Judgment and perception o oj of danger He has applied applIed applied ap ap- ap- ap plied the st standard intelligence test tp to drivers also NEEDN'T BE SMART A high grade of ot general Intelligence Intelligence intelligence Intel Intel- Is not necessary to to be a good driver he demonstrated but buta a subnormal mentality m makes kes a dangerous driver He found taxicab taxicab taxicab taxi- taxi cab chauffeurs with the minds of year old children and they were having trouble A sm small ll number of ot people become become be be become come chilled and quite helpless from fear tear when confronted by sudden emergency says Dr Moss l We have located them in tests on students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents in the university It It Is possible to judge judg ones one's eye and hand ordination co-ordination by tests This is important In passIng passIng passing pass- pass Ing cars and driving up to to curbs CUlls These tests are quick and pra practical tlc l and will locate dangerous traits Women are no more dangerous as drivers than m men n given eq equal al practice They have no tive psych psychological logical tend tendency ncy to ac ac- ac T The ie Influence of or fatigue on a au accidents accidents according ding to these authorities is marked A tabulation n of traffic accidents acci accidents dents in New Y York rk state last year ear showed that more than twice hs as many marly accidents occurred during tho to evening rush hour as as' as In the m morn morn- rn- rn inn rush rust hour hour nour |