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Show Tragedy in th Street rVIE was, in the hors and buggy era, when any street could be converted into a baseball base-ball diamond or a ump-th-rop area with little r no danger to the participant. But the advent of the automobile, the speed of modern transportation, trans-portation, has changed all that Street and I highway ar no longer adaptable for play ground use, and children should b educated to th danger that exist on any thoroughfar. A tragic accident occurred on on of Salt Lake City's streets Saturday evening when a four-year-old girl was struck down and killed by an automobile. Incidentally raising the ' traffic toll for 193S to seven and breaking an optimistic total of 31 consecutive dsys without a traffic death. Police investigators said the child was struck down and fatally injured when she ran across a street and into the path of an . automobile. They absolved th driver from blam. Th matter of children playing In the street Is a public responsibility. It cannot be treated ' in the same manner as other traffic violations, but it definitely falls into th latter category. 1 Traffic law ar mad to reduce hazards created cre-ated by modern transportation. Certainly a l youngster gleefully playing upon a thorough-, ' fare where any moment a motor vehicle may ! appear, constitute a grsv hazard. It ia on ! that cannot be eliminated through law or regu-' regu-' lation. It can only b regulated by education ' and coopers t ion. Th polic department ha recognized th danger and ha contributed toward removing It by sending a patrol car out to cruise th city and warn children who are found in the streets. On many occasion officer have taken children to their home and hsve cautioned parents. Others hsve been shown attractive playgrounds : which th city maintains for youngsters at convenient con-venient location. Obviously, however, polic ' cannot be everywhere. Parents should accept tha challenge that street playing presents and ahould aid in educating youngsters or in disciplining dis-ciplining them, if need be in the folly. Th city this year has undertaken to attack th traffic problem sensibly and the reduction in the traffic deaths to date has shown what can be accomplished. Progressive enforcement and progressive approach to static hazards has contributed in large measure to the success of th undertaking. It can and must be carried farther, however, as that at no time can a traffic fatality be chalked up as a "needless death." |