Show j 0 t Cars As Coffins And Weapons Crime Crone in the streets turns out to be a joyride compared to slaughter on the highways high high- ways YOUR CHANCES of being injured in an automobile accident are almost ten times greater than your chances of being hurt by a mugger burglar would-be would murderer or rapist Traffic Traffic Traffic fic deaths last y year r reached reach reach- ed In a shocking number of these deaths and injuries the car has actually been used as a w weapon pon THERE IS a little murder and a little suicide in every everyman's everyman's everyman's mans man's heart Dr Karl famous Kansas psychiatrist observes rue rue- fully Give him a weapon such as a car inflame his irritations inflations or frustrations or inhibitions add alcohol or fatigue and a murder or suicide may be committed Although poor automobile design is frequently at fault in traffic deaths experts estimate estimate estimate es es- es- es that from five to ten len percent are caused by suicide DRIVERS steer their cars off bridges and cliffs turn into oncoming freeway traffic traffic traffic fic crash into trees or lampposts lampposts lampposts lamp lamp- posts and their deaths are al almost almost almost al- al most invariably written off as ordinary accidents says Dr John Edlund a Kansas City pathologist Other drivers go for reckless reckless reckless reck reck- less drives in order to let off steam Dr Melvin Selzer a psychiatrist at the University University University sity of Michigan concludes that nearly one out of five drivers responsible for fatal accidents is suffering from paranoia irrational suspiciousness suspiciousness suspiciousness with delusions of grandeur BUT THE TIlE most important medical problem related to automobile accidents involves involves involves in in- alcoholism held responsible responsible responsible re re- re- re by the National Highway Safety Bureau for fully half of last years year's traffic traffic traffic fic deaths Natural death at the wheel also takes an unexpectedly high toll Dr Irma West of California's Department of Public Health estimates that natural causes particularly heart attacks account for nearly two percent of all the states state's vehicle single-vehicle traffic deaths EVEN FOR healthy drivers keeping a car on the road is a strain A London study reveals that driving in m heavy traffic raises the heart rate from the resting range of 70 85 beats beals to beats per minute Drivers' Drivers pulse rates rise at least ten perce percent t above normal even on deserted country country country coun coun- try roads according to a West German study In harrowing city traffic some pulse rates go up by as much as 40 per per- cent I AS FOR drivers with heart disease more than half develop develop develop de de- electrocardiogram ir irregularities irregularities irregularities ir- ir regularities when driving in heavy traffic What is the government doing to help cut the highway highway highway high high- way d death th toll DR WILLIAM Haddon Jr former director of the National National National Na Na- Highway Safety Bureau Bureau Bureau Bu Bu- Bu- Bu reau in the Department of Transportation believes that the Bureau should probe deeply deep deep- ly into what is clearly a public he health menace of massive proportions However as Medical World i News points out the Bureau 11 suffered a 90 percent budget cut last year leaving it with 20 million rather less than the 35 million 35 million for I Federal conservation n of migratory migratory mig mig- g- g birds L I |