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Show I I : : , i I Be Proud But Not Too Proud UTAH can well be proud of the national ree-, ree-, , ognltlon given its 1939 traffic safety effort i by the National Safety council's report showing show-ing this state led the entire nation Jn reduction I In traffic fatalities for 1939 over 1938. I Utah knew its fatality reduction record was ' j good, but until the council released final fig- tire It did not know It was the best in the na-I na-I tlon or that its reduction of 24 per cent was so j far above the next best state's reduction of 18 I per cent. I The Telegram naturally takes pride in that ) tjoenrdi Inasmuch as this newspaper leunshsd -I the safety program In Salt Lake City and j aounty, from which It spread throughout the I atate. j We can rightly be proud of Utah's fine rec-jord rec-jord for reduction of fatalities but we don't I want to get too proud. The mere reduction ' ef fatalities is only part of the story. As The Telegram pointed out In editorials when the i traffic safety program was launched the first I of 1939, we had a shameful 1938 traffic death I record the worst in the nation. I Utah in 1938 had the highest number of I deaths per hundred million vehicle miles of I any state. The rata was 21.8 compared to a I national average of 13.9. We had the fourth ! highest number of deaths per 100,000 popula-I popula-I tlon, 43.4 compared to a national average of ' 34J. ' Having such a bad traffic record in 1938, ' Utah was in the position to make a good show- ing in percentage of reduction in 1939 and yet ! fall to achieve a good safety record. 1 Although final figures are not available, It I Is certain that Utah will still rank below the I average for traffic safety in 1939. The death I rate on a mileage basis will be around 16 compared to a national average of around 12.5. I The rate on a population basis will be about I 81 compared to a national average of about I 24.8. I Actually, therefore, Utah still has a long I way to go In traffic safety. We HAVE made I progress; but we cannot rest on the small 1 laurels we have won thus far. The traffic I safety program must be carried on unremlt-I unremlt-I tlngly this year and for a number of years to come until we at least bring our traffic death I toll down to the national average. Only then 1 can wo really feel that we have achieved sue ! sees; only then eaa we with reason hope that I we have the traffic fatality problem licked and I the safety habit firmly established In Utah. The Telegram pledges Itself to carry on determinedly de-terminedly the safety program It started more than a year ago, and not to relax its efforts until the goal of traffic safety is reached in ' Salt Lake City and county and in Utah. |