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Show Watch Your Step! J ,) . N LITCHFIELD, ILL., five persons were killed Sunday when an automobile in which they were riding was struck by an Illinois Central train. On the same day three were killed in Decatur, 111., wheTr therr-rrtotor-talled on a railroad -crossing. Four were killed in Montclalr, N. J., when their car crashed into the curbing. , ... Perhaps we never will know just how much carelessnesl contributed to the death toll. There may be no fixing of responsibility or no determining deter-mining how these people might have escaped premature pre-mature graves. Nevertheless, we are safe In concluding con-cluding that unnecessary risks were taken and that the death list Is more or less a monument to the great American practice of taking a chance. The news Items from Illinois and New Jersey are Interesting in Utah, because we have just begun be-gun the observance of "Traffic Safety" week. The purpose of the observance is to teach people what Is so often shown in concrete results, that two vehicles, whether automobiles or railroad trains, cannot cross the same Identical spot at the same Identical moment witbout disastrous consequence. conse-quence. t la brief the purpose of the campaign Is to urge pvery individual to take no chances which may endanger life or limb. It Is not exclusively for the people who drive motorcars. It affects everyone who has occasion to cross the street Pf..1gstrian, who Ignore the rules pf safety, are in need of this warning just as much as people who drive, carelessly. The time to prevent accidents Is before they happen. The right of way In this world Is of precious pre-cious little use in heaven. The pedestrian who takes unnecessary chances to hold his rights In traffic arguments may win his point. On the , other hand, he may find that he has paid a ter-. ter-. rific price. Of course, everyone who uses the streets, should be cognizant of the rights of others! No motorist, should steal the right of way to save . a few seconds' time. Nevertheless, the law observing motorist, who risks his life and those of other passengers to force the other fallow to observe the rules of the road, gains something not worth the risk. In driving an automobile, the careful individual Is in (duty bound to protect himself from the carelessness careless-ness of the other fellow. In doing this he has to consider possibilities as well as rights under .the law. The essence of safety Is found In every Individual In-dividual eliminating every unnecessary risk. When this Is followed, there will be fewer Violations of traffic rights, fewer accidents and fewer funerals. |