Show Speeders Are Getting Away Avay With Murder I Declaring that speeders are getting I away with murder the nationwide newspaper campaign to reduce the 1952 1912 traffic accident toll today centered Its fire mainly on speeding drivers who alone killed men women and children and and claimed Injured victims last year Public safety specialists throughout tho the country have branded excessive speed as Killer No 1 in traffic accIdents accidents accidents acci accI- dents and urged that the most Intensive inters I sive law enforcement drives against speeders be undertaken this year in all states They have also proposed that all official and unofficial groups Interested in greater safety on the highways Initiate initiate initiate ate educational programs during 1952 to help lower the high toll of deaths and injuries attributable to speed by persuading persuading persuading per per- drivers to slow down for safety's sake The key relationship of speed to th the upward death Curve urve In III highway accidents accidents accidents acci acci- dents In recent years has definitely been established according to Thomas N. N Boate public safety director of the Association of Casualty and Surety Co Companies p- p nies and acting manager manager of Its accident prevention department The tendency to higher speeds Increased deaths on highways in rural areas by In 1950 he said accounting for all but of the Jump that year In the death toll for the nation as a whole compared with 1949 Last year he added rural deaths due to speed probably increased nearly over the 1949 total A former Captain of Pennsylvania's state police pollee who has often seen dead speeders and their Innocent victims In wrecks on the highways Mr Boate urged that speeders be made the No 1 target of enforcement and educational cam cam- i throughout 1952 to make a a. real start towards saving lives this year year the the goal of more than newspapers' newspapers intensive highway safety ef ef- ef forts He recommended that law enforcement enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment authorities be backed up in every possible way in drives to round up and penalize speeders In some states Mr Boate pointed out drivers lose their driving privileges for speeding offenses This has been an effective deterrent he said expressing exp the hope that more states would take similar action to curb veritable jet- jet propelled speeds on the open road and thus help to hold down the growing number of fatalities But drivers themselves he declared must be convinced of the utter folly of reckless speeds to save time endangering endangering endangering ering themselves their families and other Innocent persons on the streets and highways Excessive speed increases the severity se of accidents two to three times compared compared compared com com- pared with mishaps at lower speeds Mr Boate emphasized In one state a survey showed that on a a. super-highway super where speeds of 70 miles per hour were permitted permit permit- ted and often exceeded 45 per cent of all accidents were fatal compared with 15 per cent in crashes on other highways highways highways high high- ways in the same state Speed is now causing up to half of all motor vehicle deaths in a number of states said Mr Boate A correspondInglY correspondingly correspondingly correspond correspond- high proportion of those Injured I and and crippled for life in highway accidents accidents accidents acci acci- dents are caused by speeding Speed d killed men women and children and its injured victims totaled In 1950 Last year these casualties were greatly Increased because of the growing tendency to speed On the highways speed is Killer No 1 and its toll will Continue to grow year after year unless enforcement the public and million of drivers themselves take concerted concerted concerted con con- action against needless heedless speeding ng There is almost a 50 chance that if IJ you have a fatal accident It will be caused by speeding so why not slow slowdown slowdown slowdown down keep within sensible limits and have a better chance of arriving safely at your destination |