Show SAFETY ETY STUDY WILL DE BE MADE National Underwriters Underwriters to toMake Q Make Investigation on Accidents Arc Are women more careful drivers drive rs than men During what hour bour of the day do dothe dothe lo the greatest number of ot automobile accidents occur Do more moro automobile accidents t take place on straight roads than on curved cured roads Is tho the age of the driver an in Im- Im Important Important factor actor In automobile ace ace- ace dents Dora Docs Dot the tho resident driver ha hate 0 II a higher accident rate than the Isit- Isit Ing or touring motorist Do hilly cities s hn have hate e more acci- acci accidents accidents ace dents than level clUes section of the country ha the and what section the lowest accident frequency and a ac- ac accident pe rates All these theao questions and questions and numerous numer- numer been ous other questions that have halo troubling trou the many organizations lous public officials s safety engineers engineer and other Individuals concerned with automobile sill accidents accidents will ill be answered in an investigation of ot the accidents causes caus of automobile which Is being being- undertaken by the National nurl Bureau lu ot of o Casualty and an Surety Underwriters Under according to toI Jesse Z 2 Phillips general jeneral manager This la Is undoubtedly undoubted I the most extensive ex- ex I and most Important surrey suney of the kind ever undertaken for forthe forthe the investigators lD will have access to the reports of hundreds of ol thou thou- thousands sands of automobile accidents accident through tho the records of the stoc stock casualty Insurance companies In- In Included included eluded In the membership of the national bureau There are marked differences o of i opinion among safety men city and state tato officials newspaper and magazine mag- mag azine Investigators and other students of the traffic accident problem as to the underpins underlying under Ing factors fac- fac factors tors of ot motor vehicle accidents be be- be because because cause no considerable number of o accident reports have bave ever been analyzed In such a no way as to reveal fundamental causes says Phillips No No one for tor Instance can si Sll say positively el today that a woman driver of a motor vehicle is more mor likely to be the cause of an acci- acci accident accident dent than a man No one at pres- pres present present ent knows whether more accidents accident are arc used caused by fast moving mo vehicles vehicle than by slow mo moving ng machines In some cities it Is reported that most accidents occur in congested districts where vehicles ot of sity move mote mo e slowly other cities claim that most moat accidents occur on those thos streets and roads where here speeding 1 Is possible Some investigators report that drivers of motor vehicles amore are re more frequently Involved In fn acci- acci accidents dents on strange roads than on roads near home borne others hold the opinion that in d driving riving as la In other r matters familiarity breeds con con- contempt contempt tempt and consequently most aci acci- acci accidents dents occur close to the homes of the tho persons Involved Such Such statements however are arc usually based either on a II casual ex- ex of a 0 large number of ot a nc- nc accidents eidens or an intensive study of a small number of ot accidents The survey which Is being undertaken en by the National Bureau of Casualty ty and Surety Underwriters will wilt extend eter er a n period of ot several years and id 10 will taKe tane Into account accidents that hate hav e occurred In every sectIon of the United States where motor mot vehicles are arc in use When It Is completed the true story tory of ot the uses causes of ot automobile accidents wilt vv III be known for the first time The results result of this survey ma may m have a a marked bearing on the flure fu- fu future future ture accident experience of t the country For Por this Investigation Is the first step In a study looking toward a 8 revision of the basis for automobile Insurance rate rate making g In the hope of discovering m methods of measuring more exactly the tho hazard and particularly of ot corre- corre corr lating rate making with Ith accident t prevention Anything that can b bp be done dono to re- re refine refine fine tine rate making so that a man will vv paya pay pay- a premium that measures his own particular haza will operate strongly in the direction d of lion for tor that will miko mako It possible Ito to penalize the bad risk and reward d the tho good risk There are arc very great practical difficulties In carrying tills this process of merit rating rating- Into tl the ie automobile field but the stock cas- cas casualty companies aro are desirous of go 0 l o- o tag lug as far as possible The present survey y will throw some Bome light on these questions Merit rating in the tha field of insurance workmen's corn compensation by which a a rate Is Iq made to fit It the hazard of ol the individual risk and ar IbY by which the good risk Is reward rewarded d by I a Ilow low rate and the risk Is i penalised by a high rate ha has been bo ono one of ot the most potent Influences In bringing about the great Ini- Ini i- i lone that have havo been made In Inthe Inthe the safety ot of Industrial plants the tho actual saving Raving of ot lives and limb limbs that t thatis Is attributable to this Influence Is ery great have The Tho The Insurance companies come como to a definite realization that I for th the good rood of o the business as well wella us as for other re reasons Sons they must take tal talt o active and prominent part In the 0 pre prevention of ot automobile accidents The rhe national bureau has haa therefore 8 a o step In this direction engaged W Yo J Cox a civil chit cl 11 engineer recently an fn Instructor in Sheffield scientific school of ot Yale university to give his whole time to the traffic problem It I is also supplying funds to the national safety council for tor carrying on Important work in the tho Introduction tion o of safety education Into public schools and In tho organization of local communities to deal with the tho tl pUblic safety problem |