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Show Motorist Warned Safe Driving Speeds Not Always Legal Limit . By Dr. Herbert J. Stack Director, Cenu lor Safety Education. Educa-tion. New York University (This is the first of a series of 10 articles on street and highway safety, safe-ty, written by nationally recognized accident prevention specialists and published by this newspaper In the interests of greater traffic safety.) Three out of every ten motorists involved In fatal accidents drive to their rendezvous with death In a hurry. Some of them are actually exceeding posted speed limits; but many more of them are merely driving too fast for existing conditions. con-ditions. That dare-devil racer. Malcolm Campbell, could drive with comfort and relative safety over the "Utah Sands" at 20O miles an hour. But a motorist moving one tenth as fast I In a crowded residential district may I not be able to avoid hitting a youngster who dashes Into the street I 20 feet In front of him. Accurate figures Indicate, and traffic authorities agree, that speed contributes, to accidents primarily as speed "too fast for conditions", rather than as high speed or any arbitrary number of miles per hour. Considering this, the wise motorist motor-ist will not only keep within posted speed limits, he will also take into account the amount of traffic, the character of the highway, the road surface, the weather and all other conditions that affect automobile operation. The following methods of adjusting speed to conditions are a guide to safe, sound, restful driving: 1. Keep a clear stopping distance ahead. Slow down, when necessary, in approaching hilltops, curves and Intersections. At night, drive so that It Is possible to stop within the clearly Illuminated distance a-head. a-head. Cut down speed when the road is slippery. ' 2. Never slow down suddenly, except ex-cept in an emergency. 3. Use the speeds of other motorists motor-ists as a guide on busy highways. Keep" up with traffic, but don't drive much faster or slower than the average av-erage speed. 4. Passenger comfort Is a guide to reasonable, maximum speed under normal conditions. Never drive so fast that passengers feel uncomfortable. uncom-fortable. 5. Look well ahead continually while driving, aifd keep a close watch for hidden hazards. 6. Approach Intersections and other hazardous points at speed wiiich will permit full control of the car. I Conscious of the part they must play in reducing accidents caused by speed. Federal, county, state and municipal authorities are carrying out studies to determine postwar maximum safe speeds for congested highways and less heavily traveled rural roads. Engineers are continually designing design-ing new highways which allow for uniform traffic speed. This will do away with the need for much special speed zoning, as will also the elimination elim-ination and reconstruction of many especially hazardous intersectlors, i curves and underpasses. A public education program is under un-der way, emphasizing the disastrous results of excessive speed, the meaning mean-ing of speed signs and the best means of adjusting driving to varying vary-ing conditions. All of these programs are of value. But they will be of little avail-, many more motorists and pedestrians pedes-trians will die In 1948 and in the years to come - unless every driver remembers that his mind, not his foot, must motivate the gas pedal. |