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Show ' AUTO SLAUGHTER PREVENTABLE CHECK SHOWS HUGE TRAFFIC LIFE LOSSl BY PHILIP J. 8INNOTT VEA Staff Writer. CHICAGO, Dec. 2. America's hugo trniflc toll Is preventable. Traffic experts throughout the country- agree on this. And yet this year 53.000 pernons win bc killed or Injured in auto accidents and more than a billion dollars in property prop-erty will be destroyed. Furthermore, the automobile fatality fa-tality ratio is mounting steadily In ! proportion to growth In the number of rv.itoniohiles operated As the nation na-tion is oniy 60 per cont supplied with j the automobiles that will eventually ; be in operation, the appalling death and accident rate of today threatens to be doubled unless strict regula-I regula-I tlons. education of drivers and public newer traffic control devices and similar sim-ilar measures now in effect b-tng relief. re-lief. In 1906, there were fewer than 400 deaths from automobile accidents Last year 11.024 wero killed, an increase in-crease of 2750 per cent. Two-thirdi of all traffic accidents occur in cities of 10,000 or more. American traffic 1 .--gulatlons have' not kept up with thc phenomenal increase in-crease In the number of autos. The streets ware laid out in the days of horse-drawn chicles ePrsons driving driv-ing around then were familiar with their surroundings, knew every rut in the road and what to avoid Now however, America's traffic has increased enormously. It Is traveling at several times thc former rate of speed. And the limitations placed on distance traversed has been wiped out, until intercity and inter- Htrte trinH nre lhe rule CONFUSING RICf.l LATIONS, The result is confusion, due to conflicting traffic regulations In different dif-ferent states and cities, which load to accidents. Unfamlllarit with danger dan-ger points in strange towns s another an-other cause, while ine careless motorist, mo-torist, roaring through small coin- munltlos on his wuy to laiger cities, j has become one of the big killers. To successfully combat the growing grow-ing menace of automobile accidents. I the causes must be studied and re-1 re-1 moved There are not many unavoidable, un-avoidable, accidents. check on uu-tomobile uu-tomobile accidents shows practically all of them due to some of the following fol-lowing causes: Careless drivers. Intoxication. Incompetent drivers. Disregard cr ignorance of traffic law s. Poorly lighted streets In streets, '"nrelcas pedestrians. Defective brakes. Attempts to pass two vehicles going go-ing in the same direction which are nearly abreast Intoxicated drivers are one of the worst menaces to life and limb that authorities have to deal with, thoy say Such drivers aro not only Imbue 1 with the speed mania but they take 1 the most hazardous chances, while frequently their condlt'on causes them to drive through safety .ones, on sidewalks and even Into buildings. P F. I BSTR LANS' FA I ITS. The pedestrian Is in many cases to blame, through care.losslv stepping from the curb into moving traffic, running across the street behind a street car and otherwise falling to us" proper caution Children especially present a -e-rious problem One-third of those killed by automobiles are children, and in a majority of cases, they were struck down when they sud-den!v sud-den!v rushed Into the path of an auto. I or were playing In the street Kducatlonal work in the. schools and bomes Is now looked to for a les- ffrnl11.0, thl8 daner. At the oamo time drivers are being schooled to slow down and havo their cars under 1 absolute control when they pass Playing children. Varying in dlfferont cities, from n.6 to 50 per cent of all auto accidents acci-dents are attributable to bad lighting, light-ing, according to Earl a. Anderson, illuminating engineer for th0 General Gen-eral Electric company, who made a I survey In 3J cities. He finds that the majority occur during the dim evening rush hour, before tho lights are on. WALKERS To avoid accidents in truffle pedestrians pedes-trians must: 1. Observe traffic before stepping from the curb and keep off the roadway road-way except when crossing. 2. Cross streot at right angles never diagonally and, if reasonably possible, at a crossing. 3. Keep to the right. In highway without sidewalk, keep to left so as to have clear view of approaching traffic. 4. Watch traffic officers' U-nal , heed traffic signs and limit llnes 5. S-tand on sidewalk or within safety zone when waiting for a street car or bus- 6. Watch out for traffic when crossing behind a street car 7 Observe traffic befoio moving after alighting from a street car or other vehicle. 9. Caution children against playing play-ing in the street. DRIVERS Reckless driving is unlawful. It includes: in-cludes: 1 Driving any vehicle when not legally qualified to do so. or when intoxicated, or when for any oth-.r reason Incompetent to drive properly 2. Driving any vehicle when it h not properly controlled, especially at crossings 8. Falling to exercise care In crossing or entering the traffic of another roadway It Is obligatory not to Interrupt traffic in the more important im-portant thoroughfare unnecessarily. 4 Driving an automobile or motorcycle across a safety rone. C. Exceeding a reasonable and safe speed rate under existing conditions, condi-tions, or the speed rate established by law. 6. Violating :my regulation so as to cause danger; falling to take every reasonable precaution for safetv. or failing to obey any ordor of a traffic officer or traffic sign, signal lilht or limit line 00 |