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Show Wartime Rural Winters Threaten Our Highway Traffic sary public co-operation to minimize problem. Recommendations are: A. All but essential workers leave ' vehicles at home while severe snow and ice conditions, likely to cause tieups and accidents, prevail on streets and highways. B. Essential farm autos must be prepared to get through, and get through safely. If essential to war work or vital civilian service, get prepared now to avoid tying up traffic traf-fic or wrecking cars. This is particularly par-ticularly important in the north rural ru-ral areas where the number of serious seri-ous skidding accidents is high. C. With existing labor shortage, farm accidents and delays can be especially tragic. Primary winter hazards are inadequate traction and reduced vision. Have cross chains of your old tire chains replaced if needed. Cet anti-skid chains from non-driving neighbor or auto repair man, if new ones are unavailable. Check windshield wiper, defroster, and lights. You must be able to stop-and-go, and see a hazard to avoid it. Some Suggestions Offered to Lessen Pending Dangers Rural America, the warring world's breadbasket, must prepare fur a winter which presents several difficulties not the least of which is transportation. In view of war-born shortages there are reasons for anticipating trouble ahead with abnormal traffic traf-fic tieups and increase of accidents and several ways to minimize it, according to Prof. Ralph A. Moyer of Iowa State college. A noted research re-search authority on traffic-safety and automotive economics, Professor Profes-sor Moyer is chairman of the National Na-tional Safety council's committee on winter driving hazards. "Although reliable forecast as to severity of weather conditions this coming winter is nature's (if not a military) secret, rural public safety and war production authorities have reason to be concerned," Professor Moyer said, "and essential drivers are warned to be prepared to minimize mini-mize traffic tieups and accidents." While traffic mileage and accidents acci-dents have declined during past months, due to restrictions and patriotic pa-triotic motives, a study concerning use and need of essential cars and trucks during periods of severe snow and ice conditions reveals alarming probabilities of serious highway blockades and motor vehicle wrecks. The problems follow: 1. This winter total mileage will be less but war activities greatly increase in-crease percentage of drivers who must get through to work, or deliver materials, regardless of severe snow and ice weather. Where past storms kept some workers at home, the larger number of war workers, and rural civilians essential to war production pro-duction and human welfare, now feel it a patriotic duty to "get through." This is true of farmers, most rural driving being "essential" in any event. Thus, even when national gas rationing goes into effect, there will be more essential driving during hazardous conditions. 2. While street and highway departments de-partments are ready to battle "Old Man Winter," little, if any, new snow removal equipment will be available; highway departments must conserve old snow plows by not scraping close to pavement. This factor, together with labor shortage short-age for such work, indicate slippery conditions will prevail longer. 3. Last winter was mild in some sections and a limited supply of antiskid anti-skid chains were carried over. No new tire chains have been made for civilian vehicles during the summer as is customary, however, all production produc-tion having been devoted to equipping equip-ping army vehicles. To Minimize Problem. Pointing that the winter accident death rates, as related to motor vehicle vehi-cle travel are 40 per cent higher than summer in northern states, and 3 to 20 per cent higher in the South, depending on location and severity of weather, authorities urge neces- |
