Document zzV31Vqpd91eyrpNjvq7ZkRV0

193 TRANSACTIONS OF THE National Safety Council NINETEENTH ANNUAL SAFETY CONGRESS VOLUME 111 Pittsburgh September 29 -- October 3, 1930 William Perm and Fore Pitt Hotel* Copyright, 1931, National Safety Council CONTENTS Public Safety ........... ....... ............................. ------- ----------Street and Highway Traffic Section------ Traffic School ......... .......... -.....--- Statiatica Section-------------------------- --------- Education Division----------------------------- Home Safety----------------------------------------- Index --------------------------------- --- ....... PAGE ........... 3 ______ 23 _______151 _______ 175 .............197 ______.227 ........... .249 NINETEENTH ANNUAL SAFETY CONGRESS NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL Public Safety General Session Monday, September 30, 1930 P. L. DUGGAN, Chairman President, Western Pennsylvania Safety Council and Chairman. Pittsburgh Better Traffic Committee Tlic General Public Safety Session of the Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress convened with F. L. Duggan, Pittsburgh, presiding. Chairman Duggan : As the chairman of this meeting uuj president of the Western Pennsylvania Safety Council, it Is a real pleasure to welcome you one and all to Pittsburgh, the great industrial city of this country. Yesterday at the luncheon tendered to President C. E. Pettibone, Mr. Julien Harvey congratulated the Pitts burghers on the splendid work that they had accomplished in trying to this meeting of the Congress a successful one. It wasn't work as we viewed it, hut real pleasure, and I hope that we will be in a position to show you men Pittsburgh as we know ii, and to point out the things that we have been doing or trying to do in Pittsburgh. The first speaker is Dr. L. I. Dublin. Each year Dr. Dublin, chairman of our Statistics Section, presents at this time the highspots of the accident situation as revealed by statistics. One Hundred Thousand Deaths By LOUIS L DUBLIN. FED. Statistician, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York City Ninety-seven thousand people were killed in the United States by accidents in 1929. Year by year the accident toll has been steadily approaching the 100,000 mark; this figure is likely to be reached before the year 1930 closes. Accidents, this year, will account for more deaths in the United States than does tuberculosis I Among: males, accident* are second in importance to heart disease as a cause of death, and tuberculosis is seventh! The accident experience of 1929 resembled that of other-years in three respects: there was an increase in the total number of persons killed; the accident deathrate reckoned against population increased; and there was a marked rise in automobile deaths. The 1929 accident fatalities exceeded those of 1928 by two per cent.; but there was an increase of 28 per cent, since 1920 i - The accident death toll of 97,000 last year is about 2,000 in excess of the figure 3 4 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress for- 1928, an increase a5 large as any which has occurred in arty single year since 1925. The increase in motor vehicle deaths atone amounted to 3,000 over 1928. Fortunately, accident mortality from causes other than the automobile decreased 1,000. Accidents in the Home, in Industry and in Public Places The 1929 accident fatalities had their origin in the home in 23,000 cases. The hazards of occupation accounted, for another 23,000 deaths. In public places, there occurred some 51,000 deaths. The 51,000 fatalities in public places included 31,000 arising out of the use of motor vehicles. These 31,000 automobile deaths were the outcome of not less than one million injuries! Automobiles The outstanding Item in last year's accident record was the automobile toll. This is the ever-darkening spot on America's accident record. Reductions which have been made in fatal accidents in industry and in the home have been offset heavily by the rising tide of fatalities arising out of the me of motor vehicles on our streets and highways. The automobile has become so dominant a factor in accident mortality that last year it accounted for nearly one-third of the total fatal accidents. The automobile accident deathratc in 1929 increased more than 10 per cent over the 1928 figure. Preliminary indications for 1930, show an increase of 4 per cent for the current year. The prospect for 1930, is that some 33,000 deaths in automobile accidents will have occurred before the end of the year. It is not assuring that the motor vehicle fatality increase was 3,000 in 1929, and that for 1930 the increase may he another 2,000! Automobile Deaths and Car Registration Down to 1926, there tad occurred each year a decrease in the number of fatalities per 100,000 cars registered. But beginning in 1927, this figure rose to 100.2 deaths for 100,000 automobiles; in 1928, the figure was 1017 and in 1929, the fatality rate on the basis of 100,000 automobiles registered was 204.5! Evidently, down to 1926, safety measures were increasingly effective against the heavily increasing number <of cars in use. Over the three past years, however, the pressure of cars on the road and the augmented speeds and liorse-power of cars In use, began to show ht the mortality figures reckoned ag&inst automobile registration. And so, whichever way we measure motor vehicle fatalities, we see sharp and alarming increases in the absolute number of deaths; in the deathratc per 100,000 population and in the deaths per 100.000 cars! . Automobile Deatbrates in States and Cities The record of recent years has other interesting and instructive features. The highest deathrattt from automobile use occurred in the Pacific Coast States,--34.5 per 100,000 in 1928; the lowest in the West South Central States (14.1 per 100,000). Contrasting urban and rural experience, we find a smaller increase m automobile dcathratea for cities than in rural areas. In cities over 100,000 population the increase was from 21.1 to 23.8 per 100,000, or 13 per cent,; in rural areas, die rate Increased from 12.1 to 16.4 pur 100,000 or 27 per cent.; between 15125 and 1928, or twice as fast as in the large cities 1 Public Safety Automobile Deaths of Children Show Decrease in 1928 5 Deaths of children in automobile accidents decreased from 5,110 in i927 to 4,943 in 1928, the first time a decrease In child accidents has been observed for many years. The latest data for child mortality relate to 1928. In 1928, 19.8 per cent, of all automobile fatalities were of children under 15 years of age; in 1922, the figure was 29.4 per cent. Protection of children through school safety* work and through special protective work of police departments is beginning to show results. Automobile Fatalities at Grad* Crossings Fewer in 1929 The 1929 record for grade crossing accidents was also slightly improved, Ac* cording to the Interstate Commerce Commission, railroad grade crossing deaths involving automobiles were 2,102 in 1929, a decrease from 2,170 registered in 1928. Railroad crossing accidents where passenger automobiles were involved caused 1,741 deaths in 1929, a decrease from 1,820 in 1928. This improvement in the record reflects, no doubt, the vigorous efforts which have been made by the railroads to protect motorists by eliminating many of these crossings and by installing protective appliances. The Drives Involved in Motor Accident* Facts became available also on the actions of drivers involved in automobile ac cidents during 1929. For 107,000 drivers, such actions were recorded, and for both fatal and non-fatal accidents, it was found that 32 per cent of the drivers did not have the right of way. 16 per cent, were exceeding the speed limit, another 16 per cent, were on the wrong side of the road when the accident occurred and It per cent drove off the roadway. In fatal automobile accidents, 'exceeding the speed limit' was reported in 28 per cent of the deaths. The Pedestrian Involved In Motor Accident* What pedestrians were doing when injured was also of interest. Some 27 per cent of the pedestrians involved in 100,027 automobile accidents were injured while crossing intersections having no signal; another 27 per cent, were injured while crossing the street between intersections; 17 per cent were struck while at play in the street, and 19 per cent, while crossing the street against traffic signals. In 1929, 65 per cent, of the motor fatalities arose from collisions between automobiles and pedestrians, and 19 per cent, came from collisions between motor-vehicle*. Commercial Vehicle* in Motor Accidents The Statistics Section's annual report "Accident Facts, 1930" also showed accident data for 82,000^000 ntties of travel by commercial vehicles. For each one hundred thousand miles traveled, 28 accidents occurred for motor busses, 25 accidents for taxi-cabs, 17 for electric vehicles, 16 for horse-drawn vehicle* and 12 for com mercial trucks. Since the speed of tootor-bmses and taxi-cabs is greater than that for other commercial vehicles, do the higher accident rates result from higher speeds? Carbon Momwb Death* In 1928, the latest year for which facts are available, the deathrate increased two per cent, over the 1927 figure. 6 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Other Public Accidents Other public accidents not involving' a motor vehicle accounted for some 20,000 deaths last year. Of these, sonic S.5Q0 were ctrownings, with July as the peak month. Persons under 25 years of age accounted for 56 per cent of the drownings. Firearms account for three per cent of all accidental deaths, or an annual toll of 3,000 In the United States, Accidents to School Children It was reported also to the Council that for the 30,000.000 school children in the United States, some 700,000 accidental injuries occur annually, with 6^00 ending fatally. Accidental injury accounts in all probability for about 2^00,000 days of absence in our schools annually. Especially valuable information on school accidents is likely to follow the wider use of the National Safety Council's school accident reporting system 1 . Accidtnte in the Home The 23,000 fatalities in the home during 1929, in the United States, were also analyzed. There were four principal types of fatal home injuries; falls, bums, scalds and explosions, asphyxiation and poisons. Falls account for 40 per cent, of domestic accidental deaths; bums, scalds and explosions for 24 per cent.; asphyxiation* for 14 per cent.; and poisons for nine per cent. The home and its hazards produce as many deaths each year as industry! The United States heads the list of all civilized countries of the world m its accident deathrate,--79-2 per 100,000. Canada, was next in point of accident fatality rate, with a figure of 62.5 per 100,000; England and Wales had an accident death- rate of 41 per 100,000, almost one-half the figure for the United States. Will the accident toll of 1930 in the United States amount to 100,000 in 1930? That figure may be exceeded if the automobile death record reaches 33,000 this year as it seems that it will from records available for the first nine months of the year. Are 100,000 deaths too great a price to pay for our access to mechanical and other dangerous aids to labor and pleasure? Are we the most heedless nation on earth, or only the most prosperous, pleasure-seeking or indifferent nation? What has been dooc to check this rising toll of accidental death in the United States? Some fifteen years ago, the rudiments of industrial safety were outlined. Results have been shown to follow safety work in industry. Without the work of the industrial safety engineer, the increasing mechanization of industry during the past ten years would have resulted in a far greater loss of lives than the 23,000 deaths which arose out of employment last year. Commendable progress has been made also in developing measures leading toward the control of accidental injuries and deaths on our public - highways; but here the safety mornnrnt has been over whelmed by the tremendous increase la a lew year* m the cumber of cars on our highways, the increased mileage traveled per year per car, and the increase in power and speed, whkb was dictated by the density of trafficand die urge for speed. There may come a time when physical conditions--the number, breadth aad condition of highways--and regulatory practices* will catch up with the automobile and its use. On the other hand, automobiles and drivers may yet have to be aAaptH to the facilities and conditions which promote a negligible motor vehicle deathrate. When the automobile death toll was small little impression was made upon the public mind by the published figures. When, however, 31,000 deaths and 3,000,000 injuries occur annually through one agency alone, and when the number of deaths and injuries continues to increase, among citizens whose lives and services the country cannot afford to lose, the situation becomes calamitous. The 23,000 deaths and the 3,500,000 disabling injuries annually in the home call Public Safety 7 for inquiry and for action which, so far, has not been applied to this problem. In some cities and States, the scanty data available show that there are more fatalities from accidental injury in the Jtomc than on Ujc public highways! About ooc-lulf of the deaths from falls in the United States occur in the home and some 50 per cent of these domestic falling injuries happen among persons 55 years of age or older. One-third of the accidental injuries which keep children from school occur in the home. Forty per cent, of the deaths from accidental poisoning happen to children under 15 years of age. What is to be done to make the home the haven of security and safety which it hat been assumed to be? One outstanding need at the present time is for more information on where and under what conditions accidents occur. The high death toll should stimulate the registrars of vital statistics of our States to inquire more closely into the facts surrounding fatal accident occurrence in our country. For this purpose, there is available the plan for supplementary reports on fatal accidents developed jointly by registrars and representatives of the National Safety Council. Work is under way also, by committees representing official and private organizations, on the im provement and utilization of iacts on accidental injuries in industry- A programme of study of home accidents, school accidents and farm accidents has also been drafted by the National Safety Council. In the field of public safety there is the well-established reporting plan covering public accidents, monthly reports on which reach die National Safety Council from many States and cities. This reporting programme brought data on nearly 250,000 motor vehicle accidents for 1929. The intensive study of these facts, relating the accident to the driver, the pedes trian, and to physical conditions affecting the vehicle, the driver and pedestrian, ought to point out what the remedies are. In general, accident control depends upon tocating specific hazard situations and the correction of the same. Chairman Duggan: Next to the motor vehicle, the street car is the greatest factor in modern street traffic. In addition, many , street car companies are now operating buses. Our next speaker is one who is qualified to talk on this subject, and it affords me a great deal of pleasure to introduce Mr. Charles Gordon. Organized Transportation as a Factor in Traffic Safety By CHARLES GORDON Managing Director, American Electric Railway Association, New York City. Every responsible agency in the land--governmental, civic, business and educa tional--has for some years been genuinely concerned over the mounting toll taken by street and highway traffic accidents. During 1929 the loss in human life and suffering was indeed appalling. Thirty one thousand deaths were directly chargeable to-our inability intelligently to control the use of the machines which wc ourselves have created. On an average of once every 17 minutes, day and night, one of these modern products of our mechanical and business ingenuity has become a juggernaut of destruction. Once every 17 minutes throughout the year a human life was sacri ficed upon the altar of recklessness. No group or class is immune. Every home In the land stands open to the sudden intrusion of cruel and choking grief. The modern mother sends her children to school with a catch in her throat and a silent prayer upon her lips. The modern father's hand trembles as he reaches to answer the telephone at home while members of the family are absent for the evening. None of us knows whose turn will come next. Though the individual may exercise rea sonable care and thoughtfulness, he is constantly at the mercy of those whose temperament or lack of intelligence makes them a public menace at the wheel of a high powered car. 8 Nineteenth Annual Safety Cotigress Using; the very conservative ratio of 35 personal injuries to each death, we injured over 1,000,000 people in 1929 an the streets and highways of this country. At that rate we are maiming a human being every thirty seconds throughout the year. Think of iti J have no desire to dwell upon this gruesome picture, or to go on painting its horrid ddaits with a recital of more figures. Nevertheless, we cwwot shut our eyes to facts which should give us all grave concen^ Nor can we hope for general agreement upon an effective public policy of improvement, unless we achieve an adequate perspective by examining conscientiously the several phases of this modern traffic situation--humanitarian as well as economic. 1 speak to you as a man interested in the business of public transportation, about organized transportation as a factor in traffic safety-. In referring to the highway accident records I do so, therefore, fully conscious of the limitations imposed by Ordinary standards of good taste, upon one who has a direct interest in the trans portation business. Nevertheless, I have ventured to refer to the present appalling automobile accident situation because I do not believe that it is chargeable to the automobile itself. I do not believe that the automobile is inherently dangerous, or that its builders have been remiss in providing reasonably safe designs. Quite the contrary. As a transportation machine, the automobile is a monument to the imag ination and ingenuity of the men who have devoted their lives to its development That the death rate from street and highway accidents under present conditions is not tenfold what it is today is largely attributable, it seems to me, to the inherent safety, operating reliability and flexibility of control which have been built into the modern automobile. The fault lies not in the vehicle hut in oar failure to exercise wise forethought in the control of its use and maintenance. We are a nation of individualists. It is not surprising, therefore, that wc have permitted the individual--with practically no regard for intelligence or tempera ment, and with little attention to physical defects or lack of skill--almost un believable freedom to drive these powerful transportation machines in crowded public streets never designed for their use. Almost the sole restriction has been the ability tn own, rent or borrow a machine. Only very slowly have slates even gone through the form of requiring a license to drive--and some do not do so yet. In still a smaller number is the prospective driver seriously examined for even rudi mentary qualifications. And nowhere has the process of controlling the right to drive been carried to the point necessary to insure a reasonable standard of safety for all users of the highway. . But that is not the sole indictment that we must make of ourselves--those of ui who claim to be intelligent citizens. With the minimum of control as to his fitness or qualifications as a driver, _we permit the individual to drive when and where he pleases regardless of limitations of street and highway * or the character of lus errand. YVe are only just beginning to give even sea- ....eucion to the mechanical condition of his vehicle. If he is willing to risk his own life In it he is permitted to endanger the lives of thousands of others in the public highway. Millions of dollars in losses are being constantly experienced by labor, capital and the owners of valuable business sites through delays experienced in the traffic maelstrom of every large city. Nevertheless, we permit the individual, regardless of the nature of his errand, tlc almost unrestricted privilege of driving any old dilapidated hulk into the very heart of a congested business district and then storing it in public street space worth thousands of dollars while he goes about his private business--if he has any. 1 say ''almost unrestricted" privilege because we are be ginning to impose some regulation with respect to where and how long he may leave his conveyance. Wc are also beginning to give some attention to the mechanical condition of the vehicle and the qualifications of the driver. But, considering the seriousness of present traffic congestion and current accident rates, we have barely started to exercise the degree of control which the situation demands. Nor have we Public Safety 9 even recognized yet, in addition to the factors above, the need for giving attention likewise to the nature of the exrand which brings a driver into a congested area. The suggestion has been seriously advanced that all private vehicles, except under special permit, be prohibited from entering very heavily congested central city areas. An alternative suggestion has been that of requiring the use of a distinctive attmidpal license tag with a nominal surcharge for all private vehicles desiring to enter and park within congested areas. I cannot feel that either scheme would be at all desirable. Nevertheless, there is.growing public alarm over present traffic inconvenience and dangers. Unless we develop a reasonable degree of orderly control that will effect substantial improvement, we may expect a rising tide of protest to bring about radical measures. The responsibility for constructive leadership rests open those who have given necessary attention and study to the problems resulting from modern traffic conditions. This leadership must be exercised in the interest of the public and the community in order to justify public confidence and support. All too fre quently our lack of effective progress in bringing about a greater degree of orderly control of traffic is chargeable to a narrow or selfish approach to the problem which defeats its own objectives. In the determination of measures for the improvement of traffic conditions foe needs of the community as a whole must take precedence over the immediate interests of any particular group or section. Only upon the principle of the greatest good to the greatest number may we achieve that sub stantial improvement in conditions on our streets and highways which is so badly needed. That all responsible agencies which have considered the problem in its broad aspects axe agreed as to the need for effective and uniform control, was clearly indicated at the Third National Conference on Street and Highway Safety recently held in the city of Washington. Here, national organizations representing makers and users of automobiles, the National Safety Council, the United States Chamber of Com merce, insurance underwriters, railroads, electric railway and bus lines, and taxicab operators, agreed upon and presented a program of uniform regulations covered by a vehicle code, a model traffic ordinance, a drivers* license law, uniform motor vehicle registration and anti-theft acts, together with recommendations for the relief of congestion. Companies in the business of providing organized transportation service actively participated in the preparation of these recommendations of the conference and are heartily in accord with them. Local or community transporta tion companies engaged in transporting the relatively large proportion of people who are dependent on public vehicle* for daily travel between home and work; jutd whose operations are conducted on city streets, are particularly concerned over the growing hazard presented by present day traffic conditions. Safety of passengers and of the public has long been among the first concerns of the transportation manager. For that reason he was quick to sense the importance of any move toward organizing the progressive forces of his cnrwmtmiiy m the interests of public safety. He ha* taken an active port in the work of the National Safety Comal and has also played an important role in the organization md dsvtlnpaw* of local councils. Safety of passengers, employees and the pub&c riprtmm a tutor of Mjor im portance to the manager of organized transportation twice, ooc alone from a humanitarian point of view but from that of sound boainoM. m wefL Safety, safety, safety \ Tbs word is dinned constantly into every traowpasmtisn won'* ears and is an important factor in nearly every decision with respect Is dmif. mominemce or operation. It is among the first words that the new rscrmt for a transportation job hears spoken. At the same time it challenges the infirm mi the oldest veteran in every cocifcrwe or meeting or from every carbons* bwttmm hoard. Through contests, froutf, truphfti, and distinguished service emblems the importance of 10 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress guarding against accidents is kept constantly before transportation company em ployees individually and collectively. In the selection and training of new employees, the factor of safety is uppermost. In many instances the aid. of science has been enlisted in the selection of men so (hat only those tyho are psychologically best suited to do so wifi bo put in charge of vehicles operating in the public street. Practically all of these companies main tain careful records of every man involved in an accident ami some supplement this with periodic psychological tests designed to weed out the accident-prone employee. A number of companies maintain welfare departments whose business it is to aid in keeping employees mentally alert through aid in the reduction of home worries resulting from illness, financial problems, or others of similar nature. The results of all this are readily apparent even to the casual observer. It constitutes an im portant contribution by organized transportation to traffic safety, as is so well ex pressed in a letter which Dr. Herman N. Bundensen, coroner of Cook County, recently wrote to each of the 12,500 trainmen of the Chicago Surface Lines in acknowledgment of the important part they had played in promoting public safety on the crowded streets of the great city of Chicago. "If there is ooc group of men 20 this country deserving of credit for the maximum of caution and constant watch fulness over the safety of others in the midst of traffic jams, congestion and careless ness," said Dr. Bundensen, "it is the conductors and motormen on our street cars." On tills property there were 7,917 trainmen who operated their cars in busy city streets throughout 1929--not only without a fatality, but with an absolutely clean accident record. Of these 7,917 men, 4,887 have a clear accident record for two years and 2.915 for tliree years. Each one of them proudly wears a tiny tattoo as the insignia of his membership in that great army of organized transportation employees which makes public safety on the streets its most important personal business. But this is the record of only a single company. It is presented here because it is expressed in terms of man performance on the part of the largest single body of trainmen in the country. It affords a striking example of the important role played by organized transportation In helping to make our streets safe despite the thoughtlessness and carelessness of individuals. In all discussions of traffic difficulties and highway accidents there is a tendency to overlook organized public transportation as an important and constructive factor in the problem. Not only does organized responsibility set an example in careful Selection and training of men, but every passenger on a street car or railroad is a potential individual driver on the streets and highways. Anything which stands in the way of permitting these companies to improve their facilities and service so as to hold present riders and to attract new, will increase the number of individuals driving upon already crowded streets and highways. The public's desire to move about from place to place--its riding habit--has been greatly increased. That desire cannot be checked. It is also accompanied by a demand for increased comfort, convenience, speed and even luxury in travel facilities.' There is nothing to prevent public trans portation agencies from keeping pace with the growing demand and changing standards, provided the public Itself wit! understand the importance of the function performed by these agencies, and will lend that degree of cooperation which is essential for their continued development. Unless that is done we may expect a continuance--and in fact an increase--in the demand for more and more street space for individual vehicles, accompanied by increasing, not decreasing, accident figures. Perhaps we could understand better the degree to which organized transportation is capable of reducing our total travel accident toll, if more direct comparisons were available of the actual performance of our several classes of transportation ia terms of service rendered and accidents occurring. So far as I know, no basis for such a direct comparison has ever been set up, and 1 venture to do so. tboogh forced to use rather unsatisfactory and sketchy figures, in- the hope that H will direct atten Pttblic Safety It tion to the need for considering the relative utility of various methods of trans portation in comparison with the price they exact in the form of accidents and sacrifice of human life. In these modern days we are far too prone to take older things for granted and to grasp eagerly for the new, without stopping to consider very carefully just what we get for the price we pay. So far we have been unwilling to submit to adequate control of the privilege of driving oar individual vehicles when and as we please. Those who would have us do so must first prove to our satisfaction that the restrictions advocated will actually make travel safer and that present accident figures for individual vehicles are out of line with the service which they furnish. So I have endeavored to put together the best figures available in live liopc of obtaining a standard of measurement which would give a clearer insight into present travel accident conditions for several transportation agencies. Unfortunately, we are forced to abandon at the very outset any serious effort to base this comparison on accidents as a whole, or even those involving personal injury. But it is possible to set up an approximate comparison on the basis of fatalities. As a measure of utility, or service rendered in the movement of people, the passenger-mile gives a fair unit. That is to say, the number of passengers moved by any given form of transportation, multiplied by the average number of miles each passenger travels, is the number of passenger-miles and is a measure of transporta tion service rendered. For a mere complete comparison based on total service rendered, we should also measure ton-miles of commodities moved. It is difficult, however, to divide available accident figures between freight and passenger movement and so I have based the comparison solely on the passenger unit. This is not unfair to highway traffic, because freight represents only a comparatively small proportion of the total mileage on the highways and I have credited as passengers the drivers and riders In motor trucks. Estimates of total automobile mileage on our streets and highways can be built up only from the statistics of automotive gasoline consumption, separately for buses, trucks and private cars. The resulting totals are huge indeed--162,000,000,000 automotive vehicle-miles per year and 323,000,000,000 automotive passenger-miles per year. The passenger-miles per year for steam railroads are 31,078,000,000, and for street cars, 34.167,000,000. Total automotive fatalities are 31,000. Of these, 600 are in collisions with -street cars, leaving a balance of 30,400 chargeable to the automotive vehicle exclusive of accidents involving street cars. Railroads killed 6,218 people in 1929 in train and train-service accidents. Of these, 2,078 were killed in grade crossing accidents with automobiles and 2,251 were trespassers. Thus public fatalities, exclusive of automobiles and trespassers, were 1,889. This figure however, includes fatalities chargeable to freight as well as passenger tram operation. .* Total street car fatalities for 1929 were 1,583. Subtracting the collisions with autos leaves 983 fatalities chargeable to street cars exclusive of collisions with automobiles. . Coming now to. cumber of passengers killed, the 1929 figures are as follows; automobiles, estimated at 15,500; steam railroad, 115; street cars, 75. If we consider passenger-miles carried per year as a measure of the economic or social usefulness of each form of transportation, then the number of passenger-miles per fatality gives a rough measure of both usefulness and the accompanying hazard to which each form of transportation subjects the general public. Likewise, passengermiles per passenger fatality measures the hazard to passengers actually riding on each form of tramporta(ion. The public hazard figures are as follows: Autos Passenger-mfles per fatality................. 11,400,000 -Railroads 16,450,000 Street Cars 34,760,000 12 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress In other words, lor an equal amount of passenger service given, only about twothirds as many people are likely to be killed by railroads as by automobiles on the basis of present performance. It should be remembered also, that railroad fatalities include those chargeable to freight as well as passenger service. For this reason the figures are not fairly comparable and the railroad data are indicated here only for information. .... , For the same number of passenger-mites of service, onc-third as many people^ are likely to be killed by street cars as by highway vehicles. This includes pedestrians, employees, and all forms of street fatalities. When the hazard to passengers only, measured in terms of passenger-miles per passenger fatality is compared, the results are even more striking. The figures are as foil w* jtatos Raitraasts Street Cars Passenger-miles per passenger fatality......... 20,840,00 270,240,000 455,000,000 If averages of this type could be applied to measure individual hazards, tlKSC figures would indicate that in covering a given distance a rider in an automobile it 13 tines as likely to be killed as on a railroad train, and 22 tiroes as likely to be killed as a passenger in a street ear. ' .__ . Here is a concrete' comparison of the relative safety of the older forms of organised transportation and the newer traffic on the highways, based on a common unit of transportation service rendered--the passenger ndle. The figures must of course be accepted as entirely tentative because of the obvious approximations that are mao* in compiling the data for highway traffic. ' _ Nor is the status of organised transportation as a factor in traffic safety completely developed. To do so requires that the operation of buses, taxicabs and tracks be separated from the individually owned car and that accidents chargeable to passenger transportation be distinguished from those chargeable to the movement of commodities. Despite these obvious limitations in the analysis presented, the performance of the older forms of organized nail transportation is so striking in comparison with that of highway traffic as a whole, that it challenges our attention from purely the humanitarian point of view: Chaihmam Duc-gas : What is wrong with our traffic law enforcement? This is one of the burning questions that is confronting every traffic engineer, every safety engineer, and every public official who is trying to enforce the law. Unfortunately Mr. Harry Yockey who was to handle this subject has been detained. I am going to ask the Honorable Clifford Davis, Commissioner of Fire and Police of the City of Memphis, to open this discussion. What's Wrong With Traffic Law Enforcement? By HONORABLE CLIFFORD DAVIS Vice-Mayor and Commissioner of Fire and Police, Memphis, Term. If you should ask the judge what is wrong with traffic law enforcement, he would unquestionably say it is because the police department is so inefficient. I was a judge--municipal judge in the city from which I come, of a quarter of a million people. When I was on that bench I thought I could recognize the trouble with traffic law enforcement, and I always placed it at the feet of the police department Then I was elected Fire and Police Commissioner in that same city, and when I went downstairs I immediately recognized that the whole trouble was with the judge of the traffic court - So, my friends, when I first recognize the trouble being with the police, and then being with the judge, it is difficult to come to any real conculsion about the matter, and I think that is the picture of public safety all over the country today. There Public Safety 13 is a growing tendency in this country toward a lack of proper respect for all law among a great many of our citizens, and if you find that In one field of criminal law, you necessarily find it in the field of traffic administration. Today all over this country we are hearing much about law enforcement, and not quite as modi about law observance. There are three E*s in the program so well announced by our own National Safety Council: The E of engineering, the E of education, and the E of enforcement. Possibly the third E should better be styled control, and In control we find the enforcement of those rules wherein those who are careless and those who are not interested in the proper observance of the rules must be mode to become interested in those practical statements of the common practices among drivers and walkers on our streets. I shall not discuss the Engineering. We have been very fortunate to get a long way oa uniform legislation, and the engineering talent of this country has con tributed in a large measure to those safeguards and those practices which make it easy for the individual to respect the rules of the road, and at the same time much easier for the police department to enforce it. In our own city we turn over Education absolutely to our local safety council, and I give this to you for what it may be worth, that no police department can substantially educate with the left hand and enforce rigorously with the right. There must be the general educational program which 01 my judgment must be divorced from the law enforcing group. As an humble judge trying a number of thousands of cases, 1 have come to this one conclusion, and I am not a pessimist in it, either: that every good citizen in the community believes m the rigid and strict enforcement of the law just so long as you are not enforcing that particular law against me or a member of my house hold. Likewise, CTcry good citizen believes that every judge should be fair and impartial in the adjodkatwc of every matter that comes before him just so long as you are not trying my particular lawsuit, and when that comes I should like to have you lean just a little bit to the explanation or defense which I ara giving. Third, every good citizen believes that every judge sIkhiM remain in dumbo* until the opening of the court session and should not discuss any case whatsoever except it be in open court unless you are trying a particular traffic case of mine, and then I should like to present you with a little sketch or a drawing of this particular accident that I may give yon the full benefit of what actually happened. So I come to this conclusion in what b wrong with our traffic law enforcement. I say first that we are gong to have to so educate our public and our citizenship that the whole idea of law observance as far as traffic regulations are concerned shall be the most popular thing in the community, first in the saving and conserva tion of human life, the moot precious earthly possession that yiy of us have; and second because of the tremendous economic iocs of both life aM limb and property in accidents; and then that we shall bring aboeg a respect and an invWnaivfjng tQ that every individual in a family and that family tk itail appreciate that they have an individual responsibility to so five themselves that they shall not bru injury to their fellow man. And then, going into groups aad oar iH state national governments, we most develop the feeling that at! of us have a respqas&itity to our fellow nan to ohcnrt tbo*e thing* that bring about safe driving practice* and conditions. That b the first bag thiog. It may be surprising to you to know that m ray own city (and I thmk it is true of many otlxn) a little more than haH of the time of the police department u devoted to the enforcement of traffic regulation, cither directly or indirectly. Think of that I On the one side yea how the homicides, larcenies, liquor cases and all ther misdemeanors taking of the time of your department, while on the other food the traffic nryfiripia, direct and indirect, take at least a half or more. May I invite your Wteuriou te a fin* fink book written by Mr. Clarence P, Taylor, 14 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress and distributed by the Nations' Safety Council. It was edited by none other than Dr. Miller McCHntock, and it has a foreword by Professor August Vollroer. It is entitled, "The Traffic Officer's Training Manual." I have been looking for it a long time. It is here. It is wonderfully written and easy to read. Compensating for the lack of personnel and mail power, we must use our roan power to the very fullest degree. So I am going to study this little book. I bope to master it. I hope to begin a class next week in my own city, of traffic officers, twenty-five at a time, in which each man will be presented a book, and in which we shall discuss it as though we were going back to school days. I tell you, my friends, that today as never before, younger men should be put in the traffic division, and they should be trained out of the experience of the master minds and the best engineers of this country to the end that we shall not only have courtesy and politeness on the part of the officer, but that we shall have that efficiency that can only come out of a recognition of the problem in its true magnitude. So after education of our citizenship, we come to education within the police departments. We shall find it much easier to do away with the professional fixer when there is a popular demand to enforce the law against all alike. And then if we properly train the traffic officer, he will use the judgment and the poise that win bring to court only those cases that should come to court; and when they come to court the judge, backed up by a popular demand, will sit there with an open mind and listen to a trained officer who presents the facts in the case clearly, directly, briefly, and accurately. Chairman Dugcax : I know you are anxious to know wliat other cities are doing. I am going to ask Professor McIntyre to tell you what we are doing or trying to do in the city of Pittsburgh. Lewis W. McIntyre (City Traffic Engineer, Pittsburgh) ; We have engaged in a most vigorous campaign for law enforcement Wc agree with the speaker that we must appeal to the individual, the violator, rather than i trying to castigate the professional fixer. With the cooperation of the newspapers, a large number of talks have been given before representative groups of influential citizens, and law observ ance has been emphasized. The professional politician only fixes tags when the individual asks him to, and he does it rather reluctantly; he would rather get rid of it. . We have had splendid cooperation on the part of our police officials and our traffic magistrate, who has exerted himself to the utmost to resist the pressures that arc naturally brought upon him and to give a real honest law enforcement We have had the backing of every one from the mayor down. While adult fatalities for last August were 17, for August of this year they were 6, the result of the law enforcement campaign. Wvn'lso have instituted in Pittsburgh, a group of about 500 that we call the Traffic Observers. Those men arc'of the most responsible citizenship of the city. They are known only by number. They have pledged themselves to observe traffic law violations of the more fiagrant sort, and report them. Each individual so reported receives a courteous letter calling his attention to the type of violation, and asking his cooperation in helping to reduce those violations and consequently save lives. Those reports are coming in at the rate of about thirty or thirty-five a day, and I should say offhand that 75 to 80 per cent of the responses to those letters are favorable. Here and there wc find someone who calls us snoopers, and so on, but most of the individuals are glad to have the thing called to their attention and promise to be roore careful. We think it a highly successful effort along the line of educating the individual violator. .Chairman Duggan: Mr. Burton W. Marsh, Traffic Engineer of Philadelphia, Public Safety 15 I know you will say a few words on this subject It must be very close to your heart. Mr. Marsh was Traffic Engineer of Pittsburgh for ov<" five years. Burton W, Marsh: 1 am very happy to see that p.jgress is being made here. In all the discussions on traffic you wilt find the group turning to this question of putting across the measures for the safety of people and for moving the traffic for the immense economic factors which are involved. Safety is paramount, but the economic cost of failing to carry out evenly the regulations which are set up to facilitate the movement of traffic is such a staggering sum that I wish to bring it to your attention. I know that if those persons who have millions at stake in the centers of our large cities could appreciate the amounts tlt they arc out of pocket because we are not getting results to the degree we should in tlte orderly, easy, convenient use of our streets, we would find the business people giving greater attention than they now do to this tag fixing, which is the curse wc all face. Too often the business man says, "But I must fix these lags. Bring your tag in, I will fix it up." The business man must be told through the educational media which we Jiave discussed and he must be told emphatically, that he must not fix those tags; he must take the opposite attitude for the good of hh pockctbook. Philadelphia has done splendid work in making the streets of tliat city, many of which are three lanes wide and many one way with street car tracks in the central lane, at least twice as useful for traffic by keeping the curb lane on the non-street car loading side clear. I have been astounded, in Che short time that I have been there, to note that the people of Philadelphia have apparently come to a realization that with these narrow streets it is necessary that tltat lane shall be kept open for free moving traffic. Philadelphia under the administration of Director Schofield, instead of.using tags, has turned to towing, and a large number of vehicles since about the first of the year, I believe around 15.000, have been towed by tow wagons owned and operated by the city of Philadelphia, to garages under contract with the city, heavily bonded, and there is no graft in those garages. These garages receive a fee for the storage; I believe it is a dollar for the first day and fifty cents a day for a certain number of days thereafter, and the city receives a $5 fee. When this was first instituted, .which was shortly before 1 took up the work there, there was a great deal of excitement about towing, but I have been surprised to note how this has died down and how the people--although there are kickers now and then--seem to realize that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. W. R. Miller (Rochester, N. Y.) ; Docs Philadelphia have an ordinance which gives than the right to to\v cars? Mr. Marsh : Yes, there is an ordinance, which covers the entire subject very fully, setting up the procedure as to the city's employing cars and the prices to be charged and the garages to be used under contract. The towing ordinance has recently been subjected to a court attack and has been declared valid and proper. F. C. Lynch (Kansas City Safety Council): I am of the opinion that the ac cident experience has very little relation to the enforcement of the parking ordinance. In Kansas City we went through one year with the most lax enforcement of park ing ordinances that we had ever had in seven years, and had the lowest accident record that we had ever had. I find that the accident record is dependent almost directly upon the column inches of publicity which are given to enforcement. If the police court today carries twenty-five cases before the judge and they all receive severe punishment, and if there is no reference made in the paper, only those twenty-five people know it and in addition perhaps their immediate associates. But if it gets in the paper almost every one of his immediate associates become 16 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress conversant with the fact that he was fined in police court, and the educational effect has a very definite correlation to the accident rate in your community. ' H. O. Hounds (Detroit Automobile Club) : 1 jtut want to revert to the splendid talk by Commissioner Davis. He said somethin? about. educating the policeman, and be is absolutely right As the commissioner said, .*ity per cent o the work of the police department Is now connected with the enforcement or regulation of traffic. That being the case, why should the director of traffic or the man who has charge of the traffic officers be under a superintendent of police whose duty it is to enforce the other laws? I feel that the man who has charge of traffic las charge of a technical activity and should not be changed every sixty days or every two or three years. The man who has charge of traffic should be responsible only to the commissioner, and his job should be one that be will want to bang onto and become familiar with, so that the method of handling traffic will be continuous. Then people would be come familiar with what the police department demands, and soon we would have a better understanding on the part of the driver and more cooperation of the driver with the police department. Chaim*an Duggan : For the second time the Motor and Equipment Association awards a banner to the community safety council showing tile best motor vehicle fatality record during the past twelve months, figured on the basis of consecutive man days free from a motor vehicle fatality. The winners of the 1930 contest will be announced and the banner presented by Mr. Shreiner, representing the Safety Committee of the Motor and Equipment As sociation. Awards ox Traffic Safety Contort R. W. Sbxeinzs (Harrisburg, Pa.) : It is with a great deal of pleasure that I stand before you representing the Motor and Equipment Association, as a substitute for Mr. A. V. Hall, chairman of our Committee, who is nojv in Europe- ' We established last year the custom of presenting a banner to the city with the best no-fatality record. - In this contest the cities have been placed in four groups; first; cities over 500,000 population; second, cities of 300,000 to 500,000; next, cities of 100,000 to 300,000; sod, fourth, cities under 100,000. The winner of the entire contest and of this banner is the city of Baltimore. It gives me great pleasure as a member of the Motor and Equipment Association to present this banner to you, Mr, Rostmeyer. For nineteen days you have been without a motor fatality in the city of Baltimore. Multiplied by your population that giver you 25,300,000 men days, and you certainly deserve the banner. John P. Rostmjcy** (Baltimore Safety Council) : It is a great pleasure to accept this banner for the city of Baltimore. This accomplishment was not due to any specific thing. During the past year on five or six different occasions we lave gone a week without a motor vehicle fatality. - Since 1923, the Baltimore Safety Council in cooperation with the school authorities, the police department, the city departments of all kinds, has worked on an educa tional program, and we Would tike to feel that everyone in our community has something to do with the splendid record that we enjoy. Since 1927 we have shown a decline in child fatalities from accidents. In 1927, fifty children were killed in Baltimore; in 1928, 40; in 1929, 37; and for the first eight months of this year, That is striking evidence, 1 believe, of the .value oi safety education, . V. SaMznrwa: The second prize in the contest has been won by Fitchburg; Public Safety 17 Massachusetts. Fitchburg has operated for 365 days without a fatality from an automobile accident, or 14,850,000 man days according to their population. Maxwell Halskt (Mass. Department pf 'Public Works): It gives m great pleasure to accept this (or the city of Fitchburg. Ma. Saundlt: The third prize has been won by Evanston, IQtnots. Evanston has operated foe 199 days without a fatality by a motor vehicle accident, which, multiplied by their population, gives them 12,600,000 man days. H- J. Srocm (Evanston Safety Council)i It pleases me particularly to be here to receive this award. Unlike Baltimore, we have one particular reason for feeling that we woo this third place in the contest. We have just completed otir first year's operation of the Bureau of Accident Prevention in our police department, and we can't help feeling that that helped a great deal In bringing about this record. Ml Smmnn: Two cities have received honorable mention. Rochester, Hew York, which has operated for 38 days, giving them 12,500,000 man days, also Provi* doice, Rhode Island, which has operated 49 days, giving them 12,400,000 man days. In the first grotty in which Baltimore won the banner, second place goes to Boston, Massachusetts. In the second group in which Rochester has won, the second place goes to Newark, New Jersey. In the third group in which Providence has wort, the second place goes to Wor cester. . In the fourth group, Fitchburg and Evanston. Cfairman Duggan : This concludes our program for the day. (Note. Following is the address prepared by Mr. Yockey for presentation at this session.) * jfljfcWhat's Wrong With Our Traffic Law Enforcement? By HARRY K. YOCKEY President, Indianapolis Safety* Council, Indianapolis, Ind* When I was asked to speak on this subject I began to tabulate my personal ob servations during seven years in public offices ranging from Deputy Prosecuting Attorney to City Attorney of Indianapolis. And, although I have had indirect contact with traffic 'problems since leaving public office, the situation has changed so that to gain the opinion of men now dealing with traffic problems I wrote to a list of public officials and safety men. I received replies from most of the larger cities in the United States and from half of the states. In addition, for thirty days I made rt my business to ask friends and acquaintances "What's wrong with traffic law enforcement?" And so, although I can make no claim for originality nor any effort at complete analysis I approach this subject from a practical viewpoint based on the experiences of many. ' There is no problem in the United States like that of traffic law enforcement. Everybody is affected. The difficulty lies behind rather than in enforcement itself. The first man I questioned instantly replied, "People do not want law enforcement". One of the letters I received began, "Where is there any traffic law enforcement?" Both of these answers came from men in a position to judge. Have we come to the place where we do not want our laws enforced? Is it worthwhile considering such an indictment as "where is there any traffic late enforcementJ,t Our country was settled by men who wrote constitutions based upon the fundamental theories of supremacy of law, and equal rights for all. The present day accusation is that their descendants give lip service to these principles, but do not practice them.- 18 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Ltm The complications which come upon us in a diversified city life with its net-work of laws and ordinances cannot be waved aside with a declaration that we have too many laws and need to tear up oar law books and start again. Such sentiment meets with popular approval but solves no problems. Whenever a catastrophe happens or some wrong is committed, traffic or otherwise, the popular cry of the masses is for another law. "Pass a law", seems to be the slogan of reformers as tile panacea for mil ills. Consequently, today, after twenty- five years of traffic experience our books are loaded with obsolete, complicated and heterogeneous statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations. Too many of these are written by persons unfamiliar with traffic conditions. Too often because the decision regarding the necessity for a law is placed in the wrong agency---favoritism toward certain interests creeps Into the regulation. In most instances the enforcing agencies are not consulted as to the practicability or possibility of enforcement Provision is not made for policing and financing the enforcement. These conditions are funda mentally wrong. ' Our citizens are constantly confronted with regulations which they resent and in many instances arc unable to obey. Many of these regulations when put to test In our courts are held to be unconstitutional. A certain type of lawyer taking ad vantage of this situation is willing to advise any client that most of the traffic laws and regulations are unenforceable, and unconstitutional. As a consequence our citi zenship in general feel that most traffic regulations are unenforceable and tolerate enforcement only as it suits their convenience. Traffic problems in the main are engineering problems and under no circumstances should regulations be passed without passing the acid test of traffic engineers. Drive** Under this system of legal entanglements, unreasonableness and uncertainty the motorist starts forth. He is lucky if be knows what the regulations are because pamphlets containing them arc not easily available or if available are often obsolete. He is compelled to a large extent to depend upon Ins own judgment and initiative to get by accidents and evade tlie clutches of die police. If the streets are posted with signs indicating regulations he gets by fairly well, but if he travels from place to place he is soon greatly confused by the lack of uniformity. He finds that enforce ment is casual and spasmodic; that obedience of regulations is not general by other motorists and he soon disregards the regulations himself. One soon finds that if he is to survive it must be by the process of the survival of the fittest. The average citizen in ordinary affairs is reasonably courteous and thoughtful of his fellow man, but once he takes the wheel of a car he apparently loses all of these qualities, throws caution to the wind and enters into the road competition of getting quickly wherever he is going without due regard for the safety and rights of others. Tliis makes proper law enforcement impossible; It would take law. enforcing agencies with the wisdom of Solomons to determine hi most instances who is in the right or the wrong. The careful driver may be just as liable to injury and arrest as the careless; he is criticized and shouted at in traffic jams; be may get run over and his car damped in the event he obeys traffic signals and is cautious at dangerous crosshairs. The automobile has always been a dangerous instrument in the hands of most of our people. Standard signs and signals have been generally adopted but drivers apparently have forgotten them. In a questionnaire of simple traffic rules sub mitted recently iu one of our large cities to the highest type of citizens, the average grade was below forty per cent. Drivers become heedless of railroad signals and finding that stop signals and traffic signs are unreasonable do not obey them. There art too many unreasonable stop streets; too many poor signs and signals; too many Public Safety 19 unreasonable commands given by police departments'and officers. All these militate against enforcement and add to disrespect for law and order. As long as these and other kindred conditions exist we will have bad taw en forcement. Pedestrians In such a traffic atmosphere the poor pedestrian attempts to wind his way. By and large, our laws properly protect him, but they are not enforced. The pedestrian who attempts to obey them is soon disillusioned and finds himself stranded on a comer. In consequence he jumps and dodges through automobile traffic, risking his life In an attempt to cross the street. Vehicular traffic has about readied its saturation pc.. it iany of our cities and if streets are to be safe for pedestrians traffic must tk. slowed down in our business district and the pedestrian given a chance. ft is high time that our law enforcing agencies give to the pedestrian the rights he deserves and those which are made provision for in our laws and ordinances. Polka Into this atmosphere steps the police officer. If he is an honest officer he attempts to enforce the law as it is written, only to find that strict law enforcement in any oi its various phases upon his part docs not mean promotion but rather a move to a beat in the "sticks". Primarily our police departments are composed of men who have served a long time and who only enforce those laws which their superiors believe public sentiment demands. There arc so many laws that it is impossible in our largest cities for the ordinary policeman to know very many of them. He cannot and docs not enforce them. Too many of the traffic officers are of the old school, they lack sympathy for law enforcement in general and are in decided need of education as to traffic responsibility. We have entirely too few traffic officers in the average city. Although our police departments make requests for more traffic officers every year our news papers and taxpayers join in opposing the expenditure of more money for such pur poses* Automobile owners pay millions of dollars yearly in tax and license fees ia erects ci benefits derived. If this money were properly spent on enforcement measures, oar problem would not be so acute. _ We wonder how other countries which are usually pointed to with pride as to taw enforcement secure such good results. It is because they have adequate police forces. America must awaken to the fact that we are decidedly under-policed in grery department of law enforcement. There is a lack of courtesy upon the part of our police and too much favoritism. Politics has its sway. Discuss' traffic violations with the average policeman and he will shrug his shoulders and say, "What's the use? The people do not want law enforcement". Practically all of our traffic regulations are constantly and flagrantly disobeyed but our police department does practically nothing. True enough, there are spasmodic sfirees of so-called law enforcement; they arc only a farce and ac complish nothing in beneficial results. ' I have no attack to make on police officers nor the police departments, they are only mtcrprctmc what they think the people want. If a policeman arrests an in fluential citizen he may lose his job. Tf he arrests the lowliest citizen the politician comes to the rescue. Why should the police officer waste his time waiting in courts and going back upon continuance after continuance, finally to see a guilty person discharged ? Anyone who understands law enforcement knows that the police department can enforce any law which it makes up its mind to but everybody knows that public NINETEENTH ANNUAL SAFETY CONGRESS NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL Street and Highway Traffic Section Executive Committee, 1930*31 CAMraaOT--Pat0FESS0R August Vollmer, Department of Police Administration, Chi cago University, and Chief of Police, Berkeley, Cal. Vice-Chairman and Chairman of Membership Committee--Hon. Clifford Davis, Vice-Mayor and Commissioner of Fire" and Police, Memphis, Tern*. Vice-Chairman^Major George A. Parker, State Registrar of Motor Vehicles, Boston. Mass. Chairman. Committee on Annual Congress Program--William C. Knoelk, Chair man. Milwaukee Safety Commission. Chairman. Committee on Uniformity--Burton W. Marsh, City Traffic Engineer, Philadelphia. Chairman, Committee on Enforcement--Hon. Lsvr M. Hall, Municipal Court Judge, Minneapolis. Chairman, Committee on Public Education--Hon. Lee E. Skeel, Judge, Court nf Common Pleas, Cleveland. ' Chairman, Committee on Rural Highway Hacards---Commissioner Oscar G. Olan der, Michigan State Department of Public Safety, Lansing. Secretary--Earl J. Reeder, Traffic Engineer, National Safety Council, Chicago. Retiring Officers Genera/ C/iairmar;--Prof. August W. Vollmer, Dep't. of Police Administration, Chicago University. Vice-Chairman and Chairman Committee on Membership-- Clifford Davis, Vice-Mayor and Commissioner of Fire and Police, Memphis. Vice-Chairman--Major George A. Parker, Registrar of Motor Vehicles of Massachusetts. Chairman Committee on Annual Congress Program--Burton W. Marsh, City Traffic Engineer, Philadelphia. Chairman Committee on Public Educa tion--William C Knoelk, Chairman, Milwaukee Safety Commission. Chairman Committee on Uniformity--Oscar G. Olander, Commissioner, Michigan Dep*t. of Public Safety. Chairman Committee on Enforcement--Lee E, Skeel, Judge, Cleve land Municipal Court. Secretary--Earl J. Reeder, National Safety Council. 23 24 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Joint Session Street and Highway Traffic and Statistics Sections Tuesday Monitor* September 30, 1930 HON. LEMUEL B. SCHOFIELD, Chairman Director of Public Safety, FbSjul^his, Pa, ' The joint meeting of the Street and Highway Traffic and the Statistics Sections at the Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress was called to order by Hon. Lemuel B. Schofield, Director of Public Safety, Philadelphia, Fa. Chairman Schofield: The purpose of this session is to discuss the practical uses which can be made erf accident records In preventing traffic accidents. This is a subject which has received all too little consideration and those of us who are devoting our time continuously to the traffic problem are beginning to realize that there are many uses--practical uses, not theoretical ones--to which accident records can be put, and that if we put them to those uses intelligently and intensively we will be attacking the accident problem in an effective manner. - For the first address of the morning we have a man who is a pioneer in the field of state traffic accident statistics and I understand he will discuss this morning the importance of these statistics and some of the limitations in that work. The Story of An Accident Report By Leon aronowitz Statistician, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Department of Taxation and Finance, New York State The purpose of this paper Is to discuss briefly accident reports from the stand point of the State, rather than that of die municipality. However, it is necessary to view the large picture In order to obtain a proper perspective on the local situation. It is necessary to explain bow the report originated; how it is prepared; and the,1 reason it is requested from the public. For many years there were no available statistics or data relating to motor vehicle accidents. The number of persons killed and injured was a matter of con jecture and speculation. The amount of property damage and economic loss result ing was vague and unknown. ( Motor Vehicle Bureaus formerly confined their activities merely to issuing licenses, collecting revenues, and maintaining records of those persons to whom licenses had been issued. No effort was made to determine whether an applicant was qualified to possess a license. Driving licenses were issued as a matter of course. No provision was made for securing reports of accidents so that they could be ana lyzed to determine what factors' entered into the accident. The increasing loss of life and property has become so marked in the past few years, however, that legislatures have recognized the magnitude of the problem and have realized that definite action must be taken to curb this ever increasing accident toll. As a result, many states have enacted laws which are aimed to correct tills con dition and to reduce accidents. To solve the problem it is necessary that fundamental data be obtained which can be studied and analyzed. The primary Purpose for which accident reports are required is to make avail able the valuable, information and data necessary to a proper analysis of accidents, and to enable state authorities and other agencies to determine reasonable, proper, and effective remedies. Id New York State before a person is permitted to operate a car, he is required Street and Highway Traffic Section 25 to demonstrate his fitness by passing both an eye and a driving test. All drivers arc required to file a report of accidents on a form prepared by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The New York law provides that failure to file such a report with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is a misdemeanor, and is also the basis for suspending or revoking the license of an operator. Unless this penalty was provided for failure to report, there would be great difficulty in securing information. It is, however, essential that the accident reports be considered private or confidential records, awl not available for public inspection. In snrpe states there is no provision in the law granting this protection, and, as a result, requests -for copies of these reports are made by attorneys and other interested parties. The furnishing of these accident reports to attorneys interested in the prosecution of negligence actions, has a tendency to destroy the value of the reports for statistical purposes. Obviously, an operator wilt not set forth complete data concerning the accident if such information is going to he available to be used against him in a civil or criminal action. If the Imw fails to provide this protection, operators will be less frank iu stating facts and circum stances, and will either color their statements to favor their side of the case, or will leave many questions unanswered. Where a statute requires the filing of a report giving information regarding an accident, it contemplates that the statement of the facts will Jje accurate and true. Where the statute makes it a misdemeanor for failure to file the prescribed report, it is but reasonable and .proper that protection should be afforded against the improper use of the information set forth in the report. It is manifestly unfair to require a man, under penalty of committing a misdemeanor, to file a report, and then to furnish a copy of this report to an attorney for his use in the prosecution or defense of a negligence case. In other words, such a practice would permit this report to be used against its author who, in good faith, prepared it in compliance with the statute. Tlw'sole purpose of the report should be to obtain data for statis tical purposes to aid the designated authorities to solve or. at least, to alleviate the accident problem. In some instances repea ts in New York State have been filed with certain ques tions unanswered. Upon being requested for detailed information, the reply has been that the questions were passed upon advice of counsel. As the.public becomes aware of the effect of a law which docs not grant privacy of reports, there will be a greater tendency for persons involved in accidents to refuse to give detailed infor mation. The lack of this data wilt hinder the task of determining what remedies may be effective to reduce accidents. Facts concerning each and every action are essential if the study of these accidents is to yield beneficial results. In New York State to further the securing of complete reports of every accident, police officers, coroners, and peace officers to whom an accident is reported, are required to investigate the accident and file a report setting forth all facts in con nection therewith, in addition to the report required of the operator. The provisions of law requiring police officers to investigate and report their find ing of accidents to the State Bureau, places at the disposal of the local authorities the accident reports which can be used by them to assist in solving their local traffic problem. Some police departments chart every accident on a spot map so that they have a picture of those streets in their city which represent danger zones. This con stant reminder of accidents furnishes data so that an investigation and study of those places where accidents are occurring can be undertaken. An examination of the locality might suggest that parking be prohibited; one way traffic provided; or some other remedy instituted. The State Motor Vehicle Bureau also makes analy ses based on these reports when requested. This briefly indicates l>ow an accident report can be made of value to local officials. To obtain information, the report should be simple in form and the questions easily understandable. Only vital or important facts should be requested. Wherever pos sible, information requested should be arranged in tabular form so that the person 26 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress preparing the report can check tlia items tending to explain the accident, rather than writing a detailed explanation of the accident. This will facilitate receipt ol reports, and will also insure uniformity of reporting, which wilt permit comparing data on different accidents. For the convenience of police officers, a report in card form should be prepared, so lliat the report may be carried in the officer's pocket. Having determined upon those facts which should be reported, the accident report blanks should be easily accessible to those persons who may have need of them. A supply should lie sent to eacli city for distribution to the various police stations. Accident report blanks should also be furnished to coroners, peace officers, clerks of courts, automobile dulls, dealers' organizations, insurance companies, and all other agencies from whom the applicant is apt to request forms or assistance in filling out same. . To assist iu securing reports, a campaign of publicity should be undertaken explaining the provisions of the law requiring accident reports to be filed; where blanks may be secured; and, most important, that these accident reports are to be used to remedy conditions. It will not be difficult to secure the cooperation of the public when it is known that facts obtained from reports may act as a guide for accident prevention and assist in preventing similar accidents from occurring. The importance of securing reports of the accidents can not lx* over-ctnpliasucd. in Xcw York State the following means are employed: The Bureau subscribes to a clipping service, which furnishes clippings of every motor vehicle accident occurring in New York State. These dippings are read and tl>c name of the operator underlined. The clipping is then sent to the files division, where a search is made to determine if a report lias been filed. If no report is located, a form letter is sent to the operator, advising him of the provisions of the law with respect to reporting accidents, and further stating that failure to file a repeat within ten days is a cause for the suspension of his license. This letter has a most salutary effect in compelling operators involved in accidents to file a report. In addition to checking newspaper clippings, a report of fatal accidents is received from the chiefs of police or local safety councils in all the larger cities in New York State. Even* month the fatal accidents reported to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles arc checked against fatal accidents recorded by the state Health Department. If there arc any discrepancies between the two sets of records, each bureau secures those reports which liave not already been filed. Tlterc is a further checkup between die Bureau of Motor Vehicles and die Public Service Commission with respect to accidents occurring at grade crossings. As a result of these inter-checks, the fatal accidents occurring in New York State are, as far as possible, accurately obtained and tabulated. . For the year 1929. in Xeiv York Stale the difference between the motor vehicle fatalities reported to the State -Health Department and to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles was less than one-half of one per cent. This discrepancy was caused by accidents occurring out of the state, with the injured parties brought within the state, where they subsequently died. . The preliminary task of obtaining accident reports is the starting point for safety activities which must be undertaken. The reports are anal icd, and the facts and circumstances surrounding these accidents arc tabulated so that the results may be published for the guidance of motorists, pedestrians, traffic officers, traffic engineers, and other agencies engaged in accident prevention. _ If an agency is receiving a thousand or more reports a month, it is desirable to use mechanical tabulating machines to secure the data desired. . In New York State die accident report is examined and the facts in relation tliereto are entered on what is known as analysis sheets. Tlicsc analysis sheets con tain space to code twenty-five accidents. The information so recorded is subsequently punched on tabulating machine cards, and these cards in turn are run through the tabulating machines to prepare the tables which can be used as a guide for safety activities. * Street and Higfnuay Traffic Section 27 In New York State approximately 9,000 accidents are reported to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles each month; These reports are tabulated for New York Stale and analyses and reports are prepared for every city having a population of 10,000 or oyer. These tables are mailed to the leading newspapers in the State, Safety Coun cils in the various cities, Chiefs of Police, State Departments, insurance companies and all other agencies studying the accident problem. It is obvious that without the accident report, the preliminary data to be studied and subsequently compiled can not be obtained. If accidents arc to be reduced and safety work is to be successful, it is essential that there be legislation enacted requiring the filing of accident reports; that the reports be kept confidential, and that a staff of clerks be provided, capable of analys ing the reports when received and of publishing the conclusions reached. Chairman Schofield: There is a great deal of food for thought in Mr. Arono- wits*$ remark. One thing that impressed me particularly was the truth of his state ment that traffic accident prevention is the starting point for the solution of traffic problems. I don't believe anybody will gainsay that. When a state like New York has over 9,000 traffic accident reports submitted each month, you can sec the size of the problem there as well as in other states. I know there is a great deal of discussion in connection with this problem and it is a pleasure to be able to introduce Walter W. Matthews of this state, who will open the discussion. - What Story Should the Accident Report Tell? By WALTER W. MATTHEWS Deputy Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pa. Tlic methods used by the New York and Pennsylvania Bureaus of Motor Vehicles in collecting accident statistics are so essentially similar, that for me to comment on the system so ably outlined by Mr. Aronowitz may seem mere repetition. In fact, our procedure was largely developed from a study of New York's metlmds, and since we both closely approach the standard reporting system recommended by the National Safety Council, it may be that that is the very reason for my selection to discuss this paper. Mr. Aronowitz and I are both members of the National Safety Council, active in its Statistics Section,^ but if my next statement be treason, make the most of it. Frankly, as. an administrative officer whose duty is to promote safety education and devise ways and means to. prevent and reduce motor traffic accidents, I am not en tirely convinced that wc are yet obtaining the proper story from our accident reports. It is probably true that any system of collecting accident data is better than none at all, but if it provides us only with statistics and abstract marks on paper, with no accurate analyses of causes and no follow-up with corrective measures, wc have been unsuccessful in removing the system from the realm of statistics to something which can be understood by the average person. That brings me to one chief point of difference between the methods of our two states, which, incidentally, is a variance from tlic recommended system. Pennsylvania does not require the report from the police officer. Frequently, sup plemental reports or investigations are requested from the local poKcc, but we have felt so far that wc could obtain as much or more information from accident reports filled out by the operators aud submitted directly to the department. In most cases the police officer will get the information iu the midst of conditions not conducive to the making of the best type of report, and there is little question that the operator's own report will contain exactly the same information which the operator would give to the police officer. 28 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress The value of an impartial and unbiased report is not to' be underestimated, and is frequently necessary* but with a statute requiring each accident participant to file a report with reports from the police, the many newspaper accounts of the same acci dent, and, as is the case in Pennsylvania, a department investigator's report on fatal accidents, we soon arrive at a duplication in accident reporting which seems unneces sary, and oik of our problems is to find some satisfactory way of reducing the number of reports of any one accident Neither can wc hope to make the average policeman an accident statistician--we would advance the cause were we to concentrate on attempting to make him an accident analyst instead Let him tell us what caused the accident; then we can apply the corrective measures. Don't involve him in a complicated series of statistical tables which he doesn't understand, therefore checks off something which he thinks is cor rect, but is really of no value. Any reports should be developed so that subsequent analysis may be aimed directly at culling out the principal driving error or other condition leading to the occurrence of the accident. The present accident summaries of both New York and Pennsylvania contain tabulations dear to the hearts of statisticians, and perhaps carried along as a matter of routine or because there was once sonic demand for die data, but of no particular value in accident prevention. It is interesting, for instance, to know that the largest number of accidents occur on certain days of the week, but does that keep people off the streets on those days? It might be of more import to show how many so-called "hearse drivers" were dragging traffic on congested days, causing others to attempt Impossible or hazardous passing and cutting in. Or, on the other hand, in the average street corner collision is there any particular interest in a failure to grant right of way? What we might better know is why an operator was unable to grant the right of way, why he failed to do so, or why he was unable to stop in time to prevent an accident. The success of the compulsory equipment inspection campaigns, now in their third year in Pennsylvania, suggests some means for ascertaining what the condition of the automobile was. I mention this merely because in the first five months of this year, wc were able to show a reduction of 55 fatalities in Pennsylvania over the correspond ing period for 1929. It is our conviction that some of those people owed their lives to the good mechanical condition of their cars, or the cars of otlicrs, as the result of the six weeks* Inspection campaign in the closing months of 1929. If accident reports show defective safety equipment, there is (lie remedy of withdrawing the driving privilege or the registration until the condition is corrected. It would appear that tremendously valuable information could be obtained by the development of simple analysis methods, accomplished in part by personal bearings for the accident participants, and applicable to simplified reports. Wc are in danger of a trend towards serried rows of pretty figures concerning accidents, and their presentation in a purely statistical form rather than in a manner comprehensible to the average person. . Let us not forget that "The Story of an Accident Report" should be reduced to reality, so that every highway user must realize his own responsibility to keep him self from being involved in an accident. To that end. wc must have accident data--it probably is not so important as to the form or manner in which it.is collected, as it is that it be collected and intelligently studied and used. We are all driving toward the same goal, and once wc realize that the fundamentals underlying an automobile accident upon the public highways are exactly the same that underlie an accident cither in the home or in the factory wc will l>e able to develop information which we can get Into tlic mental processes of highway users. Chairman Schofield: Has anybody any questions or comments on what has been said by other Mr. Aronowitz or Mr. Matthews? Dr. \Y. J. McGregor (Coroner, Pittsburgh, Pa.) : I would like to ask the speak- Street and Highway Traffic Section 29 era, In view of the fact that they are representatives of state departments, whether they have ever taken under consideration some form of guidance for those who make the reports. Mr. Aronowitz: On the reverse side of our New York report we have a number of items to be checked, which wilt explain the accident. The first table here requests information as to what the motorist was doing, whether he was exceeding the speed limit, and so forth. The direction of travel, the condition of the motorist, condition of the vehicle, type of tires, and all the information Uutl we request is listed in tabular form so that the motorist merely needs to check the items which will explain his accident Then in addition wc have a diagram that reflects the items checked on the reverse side and visualizes what has occurred. Chairman Schofield: Mr. Matthews, have you any Pennsylvania forms you would like to explain? Mr. Matthkws : We have much the same thing, as I pointed out a little while ago. I happen to know some of Dr. McGregor's difficulties because we have con siderable correspondence with the coroner's office here, and that is one of the points I wanted to raise. We realize that there is some deficiency in our reports. From an analysis; of than wc sometimes find that we are unable to arrive at just Itow the accident happened, and that is fundamentally the information that wc want. Of course we want the data concerning the accident, we want to know wliat kind of an accident it was, but we are now considering some clearer method by which wc can liavc die operator visualize the accident and put -it down on paper. Just what wc will arrive at, it is hard to say. We have been compiling these reports only two or three years, and I am frank to say that we don't know just what wc want ourselves. But we arc trying to develop some way in which wc can make it easier for the operator to tell us how and why he was involved in the accident. *_ . As I said before, I am not entirely satisfied with the system of simply checking ' off certain items because it appears as though both the operator atul the police officer may check off items which do not give us a correct report of live accident. E. P. Gooojucu (Consulting Engineer, New York City) : May I add another answer by referring to this Traffic Officer's Training Manual ? I will read you the headings in Chapter II, on Accident Investigations: Reporting and investigating, reasons for specialized accident investigation work: remedial action, accident in vestigation squad, investigations of accidents, routine at the scene of an accident, completing the case at headquarters,.equipment needed, looking after the killed and injured, principles involved, witnesses, inspection of surroundings, vehicle Inspection, diagrams, hit-and-run cases. . C. C. Reynolds (State Highway Police, Wilmington, Del.) : I would like to ask Mr. Matthews and Mr. Aronowitz if they have any repeaters or what they do with repeaters on their accidents. M*. Matthews : Wc have repeaters in Pennsylvania. On the second accident. ' (lie operator is warned. On die third accident, he is cited for a hearing to show cause why his license shouldn't !>c suspended. Incidentally, wc have a provision in the Pennsylvania vehicle code wiiercby three convictions for reckless driving within one year call for a suspension of the license. . Chairman Schofield : Is tlt mandatory ? ' Mx. Matthews: Just discretionary* but he is always called in, Mr. Reynolds: Do you know what percentage of repeaters you have for the last year? Mr, Matthews: I couldn't say off hand. 1 haven't analyzed it. Mr. Reynolds: Wc analyzed 700 accidents in 1929 and six out of the 700 were repeaters *, a very small percentage. Jas. R. Shepard, Jr. (Director of Puldie Safety, Richmond, Va.) : I would like M Ximleenlh nuntil Safely Congress Using Accident Statistics In Public Education By REYBURN P. HOFFMANN Secretary-Manager, St. Louil Safety Council Tu some people (he suggestion to put accident reports to some good use, might prove a novel idea, for there arc those who suppose that records.arc gathered so that they may he filed away and referred to, henceforth, as statistics. Such files represent an investment hut pay no dividends. Tlicy are liabilities and are occupying valuable floor and wall space. If these records arc worth gathering they are worth using. To wliat use can they be put? First they arc a source of information--an experi ence record which can be analyzed and studied. They provide the bans for comparisons Over given periods of time for particular intersections, streets or district*. They permit comparisons to be made with other cities throughout the laud so that a better idea oS JocaJ conditions may be liad. ' They provide information for the purpose of studying the effects of various types of paving upon traffic accidents, the effects of weather on accidents and the effects of street lighting upon accidents, and tell us what manner of driving results in accidents. In what better way can we learn tltc value of a traffic signal, a "stop* sign, a turning button or center Hues, than by analyzing die kind and number of accidents before and after their installation? . How can we better judge the benefit* of safety campaigns and child safety instruc tion in the school or by radio than by observing the reaction in. the accident report cards? , And lifter we make these comparisons and draw conclusions, what should we do next? Do we say "Tliat's too bad" or "That's fine" and do some more filing? We should not. This information should be prepared in printable form for publicity purposes. * We begin to cash in on our investment to the fullest extent when we tell the public why tlicy have accidents and Itow they may avoid them, and when we are able to tell city authorities the efficiency of various types of equipment, etc. Mow, that we have referred to cards, and records 'and information, and the uses to which this material can and should be pur, let us look at the cards and the sum mary sheets before going into detail so that tins background may be complete. This card is patterned after tltc standard report card prepared by die National Safety Council. It is complete in the questions asked and when properly filled out tells a complete story of the accident We work on the principle that die policeman filling out this card should simply set down the facts and should not try to make any analysis.' That is a job for.othcrs. From the card any desired compilation may be made, and a complete analysis worked out. Not only is the story told, but from a study of tile card, physical condition of the paving, grades, obstructions to vision, etc., may be checked and remedies recommended. This card was approved by the Police Department and has been used since 1924. These cards all come into the St. Louis Safety Council for tabulation and filing for later use in our safety work. If these cards had 3 sides instead of 2 there would be one suggestion which I would make. That would be to have printed thereon a typical street intersection so that the exact location of the accident could be spotted, and, In die case of collisions, the positions of the vehicles could be shown. This would hetp where addresses are vague, or omitted, or where there are vacant tots. The information from the cards is then tabulated on the accident tally sheet, which is a monthly record classifying accidents, types and circumstances. These classifica tions or groups correspond to the information on the report cards and deaf with location of accident, residence of driver, age, sex, action of driver, pedestrian, condi tion of pedestrian, road condition, weather, light conditions, property damage, etc. In Street and Highway Traffic Section .13 addition to tabulating the above we run off a sheet on time of occurrence and day of occurrence. Next* at the end of the month, the tally sheet data are transferred to the summary sheet This gives the monthly totals, and a copy is sent to the National Safety Council. We average about 500 accident report cards a month, so you can see how much work is involved; too much so to have this information filed away never to be used. Possibly some of you employ other systems of reporting and recording which are serving satisfactorily. But are you using the information yon have -taken so much time to assemble? I say either use it to its fullest extent or employ that time to some other good purpose. Most of you will subscribe to the statement, I believe, (hat ordinances and laws arc expedients which produce results only in direct proportion to the degree of enforce ment. It is my belief that as much, if not more, obedience result* from the under standing of an ordinance than from compulsory obedience by enforcement through fines and penalties, and the results arc more permanent. If you agree with this statement you can agree then to the value of education as the best medium for promoting safe driving habits. One of our most vicious circles is that of violation and legislation. When set in motion there is no telling which comes first and which follows. By changing thia geometric form to a triangle and putting education as the base, we will begin to get somewhere in our campaign for safe and sane driving. What is education? According to tlic dictionary, "Education connotes alt of those processes cultivated by a given society, as means for (he realization in the individual of the ideals of the community as a whole"---"ft embraces all forms of human ex perience." ' How can the individual be made to realize the ideals, and how can he know all forms of human experience? By acquainting him with facts. And how can these facts be disseminated? Through printed comments, reports, the press mid radio, all forms of publicity. Now, let us refer to concrete examples and procedure in placing before the people the fact* gathered on the accident report cards. Several years ago accident studies were made at 10 or 12 typical "stop and go" intersections to see what effect signals had on the number of accidents. Ait accidents were reduced 75 per cent, but those involving pedestrians were reduced but 55 per cent. This information was published in the press, in report, and is continually being used to admonish the driver, but particularly the pedestrian, to olicy the automatic signals. We expect to make a follow-up study this year to see what changes have occurred. Another two-year study was completed this September 17tli, and involves the establishing of a major stop street, Compton Avenue. This street was posted Sep tember 17, 1929, for a distance of 5 miles. In this distance every important cast and west artery, with two exceptions, intersects it. The volume increase ranged from 35 per cent on its northern limits to 20 per cent near its southern limits, or an average increase of 94 per cent. In spile of thin volume increase accidents showed a decrease of 15 per cent'. What better educational publicity do we need, than these figures, to show the pcopte the benefits of driving along the major streets, which have liecn property designed, jmved, illuminated and protected. Incidentally, this new street relieved a congestion along Grand Boulevard--parallel and mile distant--which had developed to an acute stage. Having driven Compton for four years in preference to Grand Boulevard, I noticed large immediate increases in volume a few days after a notice appeared in the press urging its use, and telling of the signs being posted. The results of our study, which will be published next week will, no doubt, bring another rush of users to this newly popular thoroughfare. 34 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress The statement that the chances of a pedestrian crossing: a street safely are 50 to 1 in favor of those who use cross walks, instead of crossing in the middle of the block, should certainly make some people think, and educate not a few in the manner of safe walking. These facts were worked up from our report cards and published in the press. When a series of collisions occur doe to corner cutting, and these accidents cease alter turning buttons and center lines arc put in, and the papers print this fact, people will turn comers more cautiously and in the proper manner, whether or not all intersections have buttons and lines. These readers are made to embrace the expe rience of others by reading about it, without suffering the serious consequences. When child fatalities in St. Louis dropped from 48 hi 1926 to 29 In 1927, tins just didn't happen. Checking through the records showed the period to correspond with the first year of the Careful Children's Club of the St. Louis Safety Council, organized and carried on by radio, and now having a membership of 425,000 children in 45 states, 271,500 in Missouri, and 175,000 in St Louis and suburbs. This period was also coincident with the first year that "Safety Teaching" was inaugurated as a part of the regular curriculum in the Public School System, under the sponsorship of the St. Louis Safety Council. The publicity and educational facts were secured from the data upon the accident report cards. . Not long ago traffic fatality statistics were published by the Committee on Traffic Accidents of Che National Conference on Street and Highway Safety. Here was a chance to educate our citizens to the seriousness of the traffic fatality problem, and we did by publishing the national figures and compared our own to tliem. They covered the period 1922 to 1928. We had our files complete, lust awaiting such an occasion. Hight here let me say don't print only the favorable results. Nice, soothing reports too often lull us into complacency--the unfavorable, revolting ones rouse us to action. Aside from the pride which we might evince because of a comparison most favor able to oar city, did not the people who read the articles better realize that certain things which we had been doing in the way of regulation, signals and markings, were producing results? St Louis' traffic fatality increase for the 7-year period was 23.7 per cent compared with 82.2 per cent for the nation, and while child fatalities increased 22.9 per cent throughout the nation, in St. Louis they showed a decrease of 17.6 per cent. The monthly standing of cities of various population classifications published by llte National Safety Council in Public Safety furnishes another source of information for comparison and educational material. We can use this national data to the best advantage if we are using our own data and records as we should. When we read a national report that commercial vehicle accidents are not increas ing as rapidly as are those of pleasure cars we look into our own records, and find substantiation. This gives us a chance to talk about our Inter-Fleet Contest with 66 fleet owners operating about 3,200 units, and to tell of their experience m accident redaction; another source of educational material. Let me advance a word of caution in the use of such reports. Care must be used in conclusions involving non-fatal injury reports, especially for a short period of time. Many accidents go unreported if injuries are slight, or no officer appears in time to make a report. The chance for faulty conclusions, however, decreases a9 the number of accidents increase, because the per cent of possible error through failure to report decreases. The same rule applies to collision accidents where there are oo injuries. Don't jnmp at conclusions; one swallow doesn't make a spring, nor does one fatality indicate a bad or unsafe condition. Inspection of a fatality spot map shows these locations in widely scattered sections of the city. Injury and collision maps tell the story--repetition Indicates a condition calling for attention. We need a good jolt Street and Highway Traffic Section 35 occasionally to wake us up, and the chances for editorial comment are better from a bad record than from a good record. Now, through what media can we reach the people for educational purposes? First, tfvc press, the daily papers which probably provide the largest day to day spread and contact. They reach practically alt homes. Second, the community center weeklies. These editions are always available and reach a lot of people through the neighborliood interest which they maintain. Third, publication of the Board of Education which reaches the homes through the school child each month. Fourth, printed reports to membership, special groups; these may also be used by civics classes in high schools, etc. Fifth, public safety meetings- They are good to get personal contact, but it is hard to reach large numbers of people, such as can be done in industrial and fleet groups. Sixth, billboards afford good opportunity for periodic messages, and when placed in strategic locations will reach a lot of people in a week's time. Seventh, schools afford the most fertile field for safety education, as results will prove in any city. Eighth, the radio has come to rank with the press as a news and educational me dium, and is always available for worthwhile information and educational programs. With so many agencies available as outlets the use of accident statistics for educa tional purposes Is unlimited, but are wc using them as much as we should? The title of tlus paper is "Using Accident Statistics in Public Education." A slightly modified transposition reads "Using Statistics Accidentally in Public Education." Both 'methods are now employed, I leave the choice to you as to which is the better. Chairman Schofckcd; I believe that those of m who are charged -with the re sponsibility of enforcing traffic rules and regulations will agree with Mr. Hoffmann that the problem is to educate the public fts to the proper course to follow. I believe that with the possible exception of the speed laws, which are generally arbitrary and unscientific and universally disregarded, the public as a whole will try to conform to reasonable regulations if they know what they are, and if they know what to do and how to do it. Therefore the task of potting the idea over to the public becomes a very important one. I understand that Dr. McGregor of the coroner's office here in Pittsburgh has given some study to this problem. Would you care to say anything, Dr. McGregor? D*. W. J. McGregor (Coroner, Pittsburgh); l was. very much interested in several of the remarks made regarding the right of way. Our conclusion has been that the question of right of way is one almost to be ignored. I can illustrate that by an occurrence that I witnessed. I was waiting at the intersection of Grant Street and Fourth Avenue one day when I noticed a man stepping out to cross the street against the traffic signal. He was almost struck by a car which had the right of way. The traffic officer cautioned him about It and the man's reply was that the Supreme Court had ruled that Immediately upon a pedestrian stepping on the street he had the right of way. Now wlietlter that is true or not, the officer's reply, which was quick and to the point and covered the whole situation, was, "That would do you a lot of good six feet- under the ground." Here in Allegheny County, we worked up a card which I have our deputies fill out in the way that has been mentioned--by checking--but in addition, each man who investigates an accident makes a sketch of it on the back of this card. And, in addition to his checking off such headings as type of vehicle, traffic condi tion, light condition, road condition, weather' condition, condition of vehicle, and what the deceased was doing--of course we deal only with fatalities at the time--he gives a short resume of what he considers the cause of the accident. Then at the inquest that is corrected by us. We do not mean by that that we are always correct in our 36 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress conclusions, but this has been used by officials of the-city of Pittsburgh and various officials throughout the county. We find it lias worked out very satisfactorily. Chairman Schofield: Ts there any other discussion? Leonard L. Okmerod (Hell Telephone Co. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia) ; 1 was very much interested in Mr. Hoffmann's paper aud die eight means for reaching the public used in St. Louis. I wish he could tell us more about them. I would like, for example, to know it they pay for the use of billboards. In this kind of work we usually have to make a few dollars go a very long ways. The newspapers are very good to us, but nevertheless they can't just open their columns and let us use them as we would like to use them. The schools have been used here in Pittsburgh, and we arc trying to set up a scheme to make the maximum use of them in Philadelphia. However, tlrat is a rather roundabout way so far as the driver is concerned. We want to reach the adult I would like to ask Mr. Hoffmann also if there is not a great deal to be done through the medium of speakers. In Philadelphia there are at least 200 organizations of bosiucss men ntade tip largely of nten who operate their own cats. We should be able (o reach all of those organizations during the year with a speaker. We can do something about the police power of the city and slate, hut after all, we liave to make safe driving popular. If we can get public opinion to sit at the bar instead of the judge, we are going to have wonderful results. And I would like particularly to ask Mr. Hoffmann to tell us how they use bill boards and whether or not they make use of speakers. Mr. Hoffmann: When we have used billboards we have secured the billboard spare free and all the Safety Council has done is to pay for the printing of the poster and the time of U man from the poster service to go out and put it up. We plan to do more of that than we have ii> the past. I null not tell you the name of the company which has been so charitable because I don't want to commit them to some national policy. However, 2 feel sure that there are certain times of the year, and particularly now, when such an arrangement could undoubtedly be made. I believe that the bill posting service companies appreciate fully the seriousness of die problem. I don't believe that very many of you would have difficulty in making some such arrangement so tliat you could at least periodically get this space for what the posters cost and the time necessary to put them up. ~ This question, is also being considered by the National Safety Council, where it is a question of working out a policy with relation to all of its community councils whereby the National would be assured of a certain consumption on the part of the locals. 1 think it would be well for you gentlemen wlio are Itere from cities in which there are focal councils to discuss this subject with your local council managers. In regard to speakers, I quite* agree with the gentleman that it isn't difficult to get speakers to attend these various civic club meetings. They arc only too glad to know what is going on in their own community and these clubs are composed of men who are interested in the city's welfare. \Vc plan this year in St. JLottls not only to use these clubs but to go out into the various neigliborhood centers. St. Louis uses its school buildings quite extensively. We have gotten away from tlie idea of locking the gates at three-thirty in the after noon. Wc nin our playgrounds up until dark. In the evening the parent-teachers, the hoy scouts, the local improvement associations, or any other organizations in the community meet in the schools quite regularly. We find that those groups are always willing to have speakers--in fact they run short of speakers and it is a job to get people to go out and talk to them. We plan to hold a lot of public meetings in these various localities, probably draw ing 1.000, 1,500, or 2,000 people. We will have regular public safety meetings, in addition, of course, to our other industrial and fleet activities. Street and Highway Traffic Section 37 Cuas. H. Barber (Auto-Owners Insurance Company, Lansing. Mich.) : As a former newspaper man, I should'likc to say that statistics at best are very dull. They need a humanising touch, and ym will Bad, l believe, dial if you will put your statistics into the mouth* of Uic various important men in your community when releasing diem for publication that you will get a lot farther. What the banker says about safety, what the manufacturer says about safety is far better tlian what the Safety Council says, because after they have said it time and time again it gets to be old stuff. W. W. Matthews (State Deputy Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, Harrisburg, Pa.): As an example of safety education, we wanted to put out some information as a trailer on a state-wide news reel iu connection with some of our computsory . inspection campaigns. A great many people said it couldn't be done but wc went to the motion picture people and found they were very much interested in doing it pro vided we kept the message as short as possible and provided some real news feature with it. C. C. Reynolds (State Highway Police, Wilmington, Del.) ; I think wc should remember that billboards may cause accidents. In Delaware we are trying to pass a law to do away with billboards within 100 feet of an Intersection or main highway. Of course with the number of fatal accidents posted on them it may be all right, but it is inattention that is causing a lot of a<'cidrnts. Chairman Schofield: Have you made any investigation or study in Delaware as to how many accidents can 1* attributed to t.nllbnardsV Mr. Reynolds : No, we haven't. It would probably be worth while if we were to make such an investigation but we haven't done it yet. Chairman Schofield: The next speaker is going to talk to us on the specific use of the accident data in statistical reports in solving some of our traffic problems. This gentleman has an international reputation as consulting traffic engineer in New York City, and it ts my pleasure to call on Mr. Ernest P. Goodrich. Ernest P. Goodrich (Consulting Traffic Engineer, New York City) : In preface to what I am going to say, I have had the assistance of many of the members of the Special Traffic Engineers Committee set up by the National Council and they are assisting at the present moment in placing some of the information on the black board and in showing some diagrams which, however, you may not he able to see from where you sit but will be able to examine after the meeting perhaps. The title of this discussion I think is very aptly stated. Up to the present time they have been measures which made it only possible to deduce results by means of clues. It seems, however, that it would be possible so to design traffic accident im porting forms and methods as to make possible a very much better use of that in formation than has thus far been secured. Accident Records as Clues to Traffic Troubles By ERNEST P. GOODRICH Consulting Traffic Engineer, New York City Two points of view are evident in considering the subject of acctdertt records as basic data in traffic engineering. The first is to assume that the data are available in all cases as called for on the standard accident record card developed by the National Safety Council. The other point of view is to make a study of the elements of traffic engineering which involve possibilities of traffic accidents and to secure adequate record data of each accident covering the items thus indicated. An analysis of accident records indicates three general subdivisions, as follows: 1. Deficiencies in the personnel involved. 2. Deficient education of the public. 38 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress 3. Defects in city and traffic planning;. . The personnel obviously include the vehicle driver on one hand and the victims on the other. The driver may have physical, mental, or moral defects. He may be driving negligently in ait inexperienced manner, contrary to law, and operating a de fective machine. Now of tlsese conditions seems to involve traffic engineering. The victim may be on foot or in another machine. If in the latter situation, the accident may sometimes bring the driver of that vehicle into the picture, because a skilled driver can often avert an accident with a car operated by a negligent or inefficient operator. If the victim is on foot bis category may be that of an adult or a child. If an adult, he may be making use of the highways in a negligent or unlawful manner. If the victim is a child, the accident may be due to ignorance; he., lack of education, or be indirectly caused by some such civic deficiency as lade of playground space, improper school location, or lack of proper traffic control either by officer, sign, or signal. Even in the case of the pedestrian, an accident is occasionally indirectly due to poor planning, in that roadway crossings are not properly located or marked so that the vehicle operator has a knowledge of their existence. Except as to the latter four categories, city and traffic planning does not enter the picture. The education of the riding pttbEc is again hardly a matter of traffic engineering, except in so far as it is much easier to educate the public to move in accordance with simple, clearly indicated routes than where they are not sufficiently numerous, or well marked, or properly controlled. * Traffic planning involves city pfenning in such an intimate manner that these two slightly different phases of the engineering problem have been couided in this discession, In addition, certain problems of automotive engineering, such as braking distance and acceleration, come in for consideration. The principal elements of plan ning both city and traffic include: 1. The use of signs, signals and markings. 2. Vision obstruction, (a) due to local parking regulations, (b) due to the presence of fixed physical obstructions. 3. Intersection design. 4. Paveittent design. 5. Topographic conditions. ' An accident may be caused by hiadequate or defective signs, signals or markings. It may be caused through lack of visibility due to parked cars, to shrubs, trees, fences, walls, or bkildhs** located too close to a corner. It may be due primarily to cramped hiM*eti6n design, or to pavements with too great a crown, or a slippery or otherwise defective 'surface. Finally, it may be due to peculiar topographic condi tions, such as intersections at the foot of a steep hill, or halfway up it All of these matters are taken into consideration by experienced traffic and city planning engineers, but even after apian has been made by an expert it may be found that some element las been overlooked. Unhappily, the ooly method of discovering such a situation is through accident experience, and the only source of information is a complete accident record. , The system advocated by the National Safety Council tuts been found to cover these requirements m a fairly satisfactory manner where accidents occur at the inter sections, because tlien fcltey can be adequately located. The system is, however, defi cient far accidents which, occur between intersecrioos, and additional data should be required to give the precise location. Thh can be done either by measuring the dis tance from the site of the accident to the nearest intersection, or to some promi nent physical point Obviously, if a house with a number exists m the vicinity, it con forms to the Utter requirement. So far as the accident record card is involved,. It is believed that it mdodcs practically all the data (except as to location between in tersections) which can be adequately covered by the usual police officer. These data, however, need to be supplemented by further bvesdgatkxi at the hands of experts. Street and Highway Traffic Section 39 An accident investigating squad is, therefore, shown to be desirable. The best proce dure thus far developed, to be carried out by the members of such a squad, is the preparation of collision diagrams after detailed location investigation The greatest difficulty encountered by the writer in traffic and city planning based upon accident data is a reaJ dearth of the latter in most Instances, Not all dries have yet installed the system of accident records advocated by the National Safety Coun cil, and only one or two cities have followed this by the creation of an accident in vestigating squad. In seme instances, the only data available are in the file of com- [datnts made by citizeus and addressed to the police department, the mayor, and/or other city officials. Data available from such complaints are usually too meagre to be of real value. Nevertheless, it has been found possible to discover the probable cause of an accident, even when the complaints have not given accurate information as to the site at which the accident occurred. An extended analysis of even the meagre data which lave been available In the past has shown that every phase of traffic -..i street planning las, at one time or another, been the probable cause of an accident. A few examples may be of interest A considerable number ot accidents occurred at two intersections of a main thor oughfare on a steep hilL One of these intersections was about half way up the hill, and the other was just at the bottom. Had this main thoroughfare been de signed with a less steep gradient, more nearly parallel to the contours, these two diffi culties could have been obviated. Even with the installation of traffic lights, acci dents Continued to occur, because of too high speed and the operation of vehicles with defective brakes. A number of accidents occurred at one intersection in the suburbs of a large New England city, where the property owners had planted high shrubs, nud hi some in- stances built high walls out on square comers of (he properties. In a Middle Western city a hedge in one instance, and a *For Sale" sign on a vacant, lot in another case, were shown to he tlw indirect cause of accidents. The removal of these obstructions to vision, or, even better, an enlargement of the intersection by a major xoundmg of the corners, could have obviated the difficulty. Improper lo cation of signs and signals so as to be hidden by parked vehicles, shrubs, or tree branches, has also caused the writer much annoyance during hfs motoring experi ence. In many of the smaller communities the location of catch basins on small ra dius curbed comers has created a pavement crown at that point winch has been the indirect cause of accidents. The removal of the catch basins from the curb corners would obviously eliminate this difficulty. In Washington a considerable number of accidents was traced to the existence of short radius cur?) corners which were so small that right turning traffic was forced to move over onto the lanes normally occupied by traffic moving in the opposite direction, either before or after making tle turn. An increase in the curb radius cured this difficulty. Occasionally, an ex tremely smooth pavement surface creates an optical dehrdort, which has been a great cause of accidents. One such case -existed in Detroit until U was removed. The instoffation and maintenance of plainly marked centerlines over the tops of hills has been shown to be so effective in reducing accidents, and Is now so universally ac cepted, that Its mention is almost trite. The saenc applies to sharp curves where vision is In any way obstructed. The painting of such curved centerlines in one of the parks in Cincinnati immediately dimlnated a continued series of accidents whkh had Ixrcn occurring theretofore, Analysts of the distribution of the incidence of accidents by hour of the day in different parts of die country, compared with the relative amount of traffic in New York City from hoar to hour (being the only data available) shows an increasing number of accidents per unit of traffic with the time of day, starting at nine o'clock hi the morning and increasing with a surprising uniformity through to ten o'clock at night. This shows that accident incidence increases both with density rf traffic and with deficient illumination. The index numbers are as follows: 40 Nineteenth Animal Safety Congress 7 azu. 80 4 p.m. 70 8 37 9 * 32 . 5 86 6 ** 83 M10 36 U 39 12 noon 43 1 p.ro. 46 7 90 S 99 9 " 100 10 M 126 2 * 52 11 106 3 57 12 midnight 100 Similar data complied from Connecticut accident figures show similar trends, except that the accident toddencc per emit of traffic it sporadically highest for the day be tween six and seven a. ol, falling to 35 per cent between seven and eight a. rl, and again failing to the mwriawm between eight and nine a.m. This probably shows a huk of jllmnmatioQ during the early morning hours. Some years ago m San Francisco numerous fatal accidents happened to persons while standing m a safety rone, according to the coroner's records. Upon examination it was found that the zooes were not adequately lighted. After the -traffic engineer had designed a onr lighting scheme which was installed throughout the city, the death record was reduced to '`no deaths'* in safety zones during the succeeding year. Acute angle corners have been sltown in some instances to be the cause of acci dents which were much reduced by a considerable enlargement of the comer radius, the installation of reflectors, warning signs, and street lighting. Accidents due to speeding have been controlled by the installation of signals of the "through street'* type timed progressively and set for a moderate speed. Alternate black and white striping of poles which were formerly causes of accidents remedied this difficulty. Other accident data derived u part from Cleveland show that an improvement in street fighting reduces traffic accidents.. ' Twenty years ago. when the writer first gathered New York City accident statis tics on a spot map. it was shown conclusively that the islands of safety- which then existed at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street, and Fifth Avenue and *',d Street, had been the cause of numerous accidents. Later, when these island' removed, the accidents were reduced. A blinker light at an intersection of a atcral thoroughfare where it met an avenue about half-way up a long hill in a Midwestern city had to be rebuilt about once every three months. It was originally installed at the center of the intersection. A location on the center line of the lateral thoroughfare where it intersected tbe street line of the main thoroughfare would have saved this cost, to say nothing of the damage it caused. Accident records reported in the August num ber of Public Safety showed a material drop in the accident experience after the in stallation of Stop and Go signals at the intersection of Hinxnan avenue and Main street in a certain dty. - On the other hand, certain Massachusetts data and the example cited in the October issue of Public Safety seem to indicate that signals (at least as installed) sometimes are the cause of accidents. The July number of the same publication reports a distinct reduction in accidents at the intersection of Keeney Street and Sheridan Road by the segregation of those vehicles which desired to make a right turn front those which desired to proceed straight ahead on one thoroughfare, by the use of pavement markings and mushrooms. Analysis of the Connecticut experience of accidents by months shows an increase from January through August, with a decrease thereafter. The relationship is such that the accidents seem to vary* as the square of litc gasoline consumption or mileage. From year to year the annual Connecticut reports show a slight decrease on the basis of tbe number of accidents per million gallons consumed. In Fresno. California, according to the Engineering V/ems-Record of July 24, 1930, the installation of 190 home-made "illuminated arterial stop signs*' has "shown excel lent results in decreasing the number of traffic accidents at intersections.'1 Street and Highway Traffic Section * 41 The accurate location of accidents is important, because it was shown in one West ern city that the usual method of designating an intersection as the site of an acci dent would have misled the investigators because on that intersection one accident was due to jaywalker about 100 feet from a comer, another was due to a parked car dose to a corner, while a third was due to a sudden decision to mako a left turn, probably witliout hand signalling. The installation of a Stop and Go signal at that intersection, as would be the normal practice, is thus seen to be an unnecessary ex pense as far ua these several accidents were concerned, because they would have been as likely to occur with a signal as without one. Runaway cars are the occasional cause of accidents. These arc largely due to carelessness on the part of the operator, but it is equally obvious that they can usually occur only on fairly steep grades. The only known method of obviating this difficulty is maintenance of an exceedingly rough pavement, or one with diagonal ridges. One scries of accident records showed that many occurred where alleys intersected main thoroughfares. These were traced to the high speed at which delivery wagons made their exits from the alleys. "Stop" signs installed at the alley exits eliminated these accidents. Starting approximately fifteen years ago, many cities have installed regulations pro hibiting left turns or all turns. While these regulations have usually been promul gated for the expediting of traffic, it has been found that they have, at the same time, diminished accidents to some extent. A few accident reports show that pe destrians have been struck by left turning vehicles. The universal prohibition of such turns is only possible by the abandonment of the present system of traffic regu lation, and the adoption of universal one-way streets, with all street crossing by vehicles eliminated, or by the redesign of all main thoroughfares so as to permit only what has lately come to be known as "steadyflow" type of operation. The next two decades may bring something like this to pass. In connection with the analysis of accident records, it is practically essential to .have available a rather large scale fully detailed map of the city streets. These maps should contain tire following data: roadway widths, pavement cross-sections, pavement grades, character of pavements, temporary pavement openings, signs, signals and markings, safety zones, trees, walks, curbs, catch basins, manhole covers, buildings, and other objects which form corner obstructions, lamp posts, poles, and fire hydrants. Wjth such maps and full accident records, it is often possible to analyze the cause of an accident without going to the site. On the other hand, many types-of accidents occur for tire analysis of which local investigations and the preparation of collision diagrams arc essential. Even proper maps and accident records will simply go to the files and be lost unless some machinery is set up to make use of the data secured. Pittsburgh has an accident analyst, and Philadelphia has an accident engineer. This procedure should be followed in other cities. These few examples are to be considered only typical of what might be accom plished were accident statistics more comprehensively studied and better application made of the results of such study toward the elimination of defects In city and traffic plans. L. R. Brown (New York State Railways. Rochester, N. Y.) : There arc two ques tions that I would like to ask which were brought to my mind by Mr. Goodrich's remarks. One is concerning the relationship of gasoline consumption to accidents. The other is concerning the boulevard stop signs. In Rochester they are not extending the boulevard stop sign because it is impossible to enforce it. I wonder what, in the experience of those present, is the proper method of enforcing boulevard stops. Mr. Goodrich : To answer your first question, the consumption of gasoline is used only as a measure of mileage. It is the only measure we can get of the total number of miles operated by the cars and it is used only to get some kind of an Idea nf the relationship between car mileage and accidents. 42 Nineteenth Annuel Safety Congress As to the enforcement of stop rigus, in this city to which I referred the chief of police made a visit to Washington some few months before and he backed me in my statement before the city cooodl with this episode. He spent coc hour ooc afternoon at a certain intersection to watch the observance oi the public with reference to one of these stop signs. He didn't find one infractor of that boulevard stop sign that day. He thought that an interesting phenomenon so he came lade the west day and again for a wtole hour the next day nobody went the sign wxtbnux aupptnc- That interested him t*c* much that be went tack the third dar and while wttmg there a traffic officer came along. He introduced himself and asked hoar a happened that in Washington these stop signs were obeyed so religiously. The traffic officer said, "JT3 tett you. When we decided to install the signs we jwb- luchcd the location m the pajcr about a week before they were installed. Then they ajipoiaiod 400 mneiait *r*ffic officers to hmg m aO those who disobeyed the law and a substantial fair wa* to be invoked. The first day we brought m about 1,000. The *iXNad day t ftrnpgufl K about 400. Of course the facts were published in the paper uf all infraction* of that law. The tided day it dropped to about 200, and after about t week wr *euk off our -officer*.4* 'Ida. Hmsi> <hoard uf fvattvnaae and Taxation, Mcwapofit, Minn.): 1 would like to ask Mr. Goodrich the effect of stop tigns on the accident incidence f pedes- uilin. 1--T w wii j, Ma. Gunaatea: 2a Quite a mmkrw of cities, the installation of stop signs has bees found to directly reduce the accident hazard. In ooe instance, a sign was installed near a school and the word "SehocT* placed in connection with the stop sign. Perhaps that an added incentive to the vehicle operator to stop, but that was a very definite imuaoc of protection given to that type of pedestrian at least C. J. I.tox* fAccident Analyst. Pittsburgh): A signal interspersed every three or four blocks on a through street will serve to break up the flour of traffic and permit the pedestrian to cross, and that wiM tend to reduce the accident tnadeoM. R. W. tfnuie (Peoples Motorb&s Company of St Lowi, St I-ouis) i It seems to me that the use of a mandatory szga with Use word "School** on It is a very bad thing because schools are in session only certain periods and certain days of tie week; the average motorist disregards the sign at other times. In St toms they have very wisely changed those signs to a warning that schools are in session at certain periods and to drive carefully. Mg Bbowx: Iu Rochester we hate tried out the system of having a fixed post on which the janitor or safely patrol Inserts a marker that school h In session, and then when the children are not there it is taken out so that the motorist can keep on going. - Mg hoasox (Minneapolis. Minn.): I would like to ask Mr. Goodrich if, on certain streets not classed as through streets, he would advocate posting a slow sign. Mg Goodrich : The Committee of the American Engineering Council which made a report on signs, signals and marking, suggested the creation of a large number of slow signs. Some members of the Committee felt, however, that slow didn't have a definite meaning, that people would see the sign, look around, and keep on going just the same; that it was very much harder to enforce compliance with a slow sign than a stop sign. I personally believe that many of the stop signs installed in places where I have driven should have been slow signs instead. A study, however, should he made of each intersection. There is no universal rule. It is unfortunate that it lakes the accidents to bring about this kind of a study. " Alex FC Gage (Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. Wayne County, Detroit): At torney-General Bruckcr of Michigan passed a decision that cars on the through street, the street against which the stop streets are given signals, has a right to proceed and the car on the stop street must wait until the crossing is clear. Now it Street and Highway Traffic Section 43 may happen, and very frequently does happen, that a car coming to the through street, in obedience to the sign, stops, arid the traffic on the through street keeps going and going and going and it has to wait a very long time. The question is, when is he permitted to go across, having stopped.' The attorney-general says he must wait until the way is safe for him to cross. ' I would like very much to hear Mr. Goodrich express his opinion as to what is the right way to handle that situation. For myself, I think that the man who is trying to get across has some right. Mjl Goodrich: I am going to ask Mr. Gage, and all of you, to come tomorrow morning at eight-thirty and sit in at our traffic school when this particular question is to be answered. We are going to have an interesting discussion on traffic signals, and some new ideas are going to be developed. Cmairuak Schofield: I personally think that the hopeful thing in this country from a traffic point of view is the growing tendency of having these problems dealt with by scientific men, men of your type, men of your standing, men of your catling, instead of the haplia2ard way in which it has been attempted by police departments. ADJOURNMENT 46 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress child protection. We have something: over a hundred of them in Detroit; we find they have some definite disadvantages. In the first place many of them are pretty well along in years, unable to stand up tinder the physical requirements of getting out in the street in inclement weather and handling traffic. Many arc not sufficiently alert physically or mentally to be able to direct traffic on the streets where it is heavy. There is constant complaint from the Engineering Department of the Board of Education that where the janitor is taken from the school there is neglect id the maintenance and operation of the building' itself, ' I would like to bring to your attention a special instance tried out tn Detroit which has, I think, considerable merit. That is the appointment of special motorcycle policemen for school child traffic protection. A motorcycle officer was assigned to a district in the city of Detroit where It was found that accidents to children of school age were very, very numerous. He was sent out ou his motorcycle and told to cruise around die neighborhood for a week or ten days, just to observe the play habits of the children in that vicinity, with a view to determining if possible what factors were causing this high accident rate. The officer had a personality well-adapted to that sort of task. After reporting his observations to Headquarters, he was sent out again to endeavor to correct them. The greatest trouble came from large groups of children playing in the street or crossing between intersections. He made it a point to approach these children and his personality immediately engaged their attention. .After discussing generalities for a while he would branch into a little safety talk, and suggest that a nearby vacant lot might be more' practical place to carry on their ball game from the safety standpoint. Sometimes he cooperated with the recreational department and had backstops put on some vacant lots, so that they could play better there than in the street. The work went on for several months. While there is no absolute record. We know from the tendency of the accidents that there has been a reduction. I believe that the time may come if our traffic problem continues to increase, when we will have definitely assigned officers in our police department -who patrol the streets particularly in the more congested areas; not to drive the children off the streets, but to bring them the safety message, selling them die idea of doing the things safest for their lives. I wonder how many cities endeavor to establish definite routes for children to travel to and from school. Too often, I think, we find we set up a very nice system of school boy patrols, police officers, semaphores, janitors, at certain intersec tions near die school, and make no effort to insist that die children use the pre scribed route, which will necessitate availing themselves of tills protection. I believe that every principal should locate on some sort of map covering the district in which the school is located, the home of every child, and lay out a definite route for him to go to and from school. The question has recently come up in Detroit as to whether the school'has the power to require the child to go to and from school by a predetermined route selected by the principal. We have had some parents who insisted that tbeir Willy .or Johnny cross at some intersection not provided with child protection. We have required that a note from the parent be sent to the principal stating that permission is requested for the child to cross there, where no patrol is placed. Possibly in another few months we will liave sometliing definite to report along that line; In the informal report from tlie corporation counsel, he stated that he felt it within the province of the school to definitely state the route a child should take. ' I would like to discuss protective devices. The first thing we think of in this connection is traffic signals. We have in Detroit`as in many other cities, traffic signals intended for the regulation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. We insist that our Detroit school children observe the lights and-pass only on the green. We teach Street and Highway Traffic Section 47 them to do this In school and try to carry out the teaching in the actoil movement of the children to and from school. We have, in addition to the full time traffic signals, intended primarily for vehicular movement, certain, signals in operation only during the hours when children are passing to and from school. They are controlled automatically by a timing device. We do not receive complaints from motorists that the signals arc in operation from twelve to eighteen hours a day, of no use to a targe group o< the public during many hours of the day, except to act as a genera) obstruction to the Row of traffic. More and more in our schools we are going to Have to resort to part time operated signals, in use only during the times when the school children jure passing to and from school and where vehicular traffic does not warrant full time me. There have been experiments carried on in various sections of the country with pedestrian operated signals. We had one in Detroit which l believe is still in opera tion; I have not a great deal to say about it; it has not been a whirlwind success by any means. There b a tendency for children to tamper with it constantly, unless you have a highly organized safety group on duty. I do cot wish to say they are useless; they have a place' under certain circumstances and they may serve a definite utility. It is something for you to think about. About pedestrian tunnels. In Detroit they have been a rather mooted question. I presume Mr. Lefferts will be ready to smite me, but we do not believe they are the solution of the school child traffic problem in Detroit. We have had one in opera tion for several years. I do not wish to deny the fact that tl furnishes perfect pro tection to those who use it. There is the difficulty of enforcing Its use when located at a distance of two, three or four blocks away from the school. Patrols cannot always keep the situation well in lland. Unquestionably when its use can be enforced it does furnish perfect protection for children crossing that intersection. We have had other difficulties, numerous reports of nuisances and incidents occurring at night when people have been approached in the tunnel by rather suspicious looking people, and as a result people have hesitated to use it during the evening hours. Iu fact, in our case, very few adults use it in any case, at any time of tlie day, and of course it furnishes no benefit to vehicular traffic. A short time ago at one of the large groups of schools in which wc have a high, intermediate and elementary school located on the same grounds, a problem came up of extending a street through one end of the school grounds. At the time this possible extension was brought up it was suggested that two pedestrian tunnels be in corporated as part of the construction program. The matter was referred to the board of education for the purpose of determining whether or not tunnels would be advisable in this instance. By laying out a plot of pupil home locations on a map of that region we could determine the number of children who fomld be required to cross every intersection on their way to and from school, and to determine which places were most in need of protection on the basis of the number of pupils required to use that corner. * After considering the whole matter very carefully we made the recommendation that rather than having the two tunnels at the locations proposed we felt it would be far better to Install traffic semaphores at the eighteen locations around the school, some of which would be part tune operated depending on vehicular traffic needs, and all of which would be done for the cost of the tunnels, furnishing protection in all directions, rather than to a relatively small group that would cross one street. We still believe tunnels arc & perfect means of protection if you can provide enough of them to do the job throughout. I agree that traffic semaphores do not provide as adequate protection as the tunnels, but dollar for dollar T believe you are getting far more value from automatic signals than from tunnels. Of course if money is no consideration let us have the tunnels at all these intersec tions. But let us consider die problem of directing vehicular traffic, also. Semaphores 48 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress not only protect school children, but they regulate the movement of traffic in these ratThheartcoisngtheestesdituaaretiaosn. as we view it in Detroit. We have also conducted smother investigation hi the direction of what we call "Stop Intersections"; vehicles entering from any direction are required to come to a complete stop before proceeding across the intersection. Tn many cases, neither street involved is a stop street, yet the volume of traffic at that intersection is considered heavy enough to make it a stop intersection. These stop intersections prevent many accidents to school children. We also thought it might be advisable to create a temporary stop intersection to be used during the period when the children would be coming to and from school We have devised signs erected on standards, with a disc twelve or fourteen inches, with "Stop--School Crossing" printed on them. The standards rest in heavy concrete bases which are rolled out in the street during the time when they should be in use. They are supposed to be rolled back when not needed. The difficulty wc have found with this particular type of sign is the fact that when it is on the Parkway it is still visible to the motorist; he does not know whether or not to stop; hence there is a ten dency to disregard the sign at all times. If we were able to take this sign into the school when out of use, this might work to better advantage. We arc now trying to devise means of erecting ft sign which is more readily portable (that might be carried to the school by the janitor when not in use) which can be set up in a hole or socket in the street. . As for school zones in use in many cities, we do not use them in Detroit. We have signs or markers, near our schools warning motorists that a school is near at hand, but no ordinance providing for reduced speed past the school grounds. As to street play areas, a number of years ago we had a number of streets blocked off from traffic and sign* placed at each end of the block barring vehicular traffic. Before very long we found that these areas were disappearing rather rapidly. In many instances the permits that had been granted for streets to be used for play purposes were being revoked due to complaints of people living in the block, that they were unable to park their cars, and that children were running up on the lawns, making noise, etc. The theory was also expressed that it was rather bad psychology to train the child that the street was a. safe place m which to play; that there would be times when the child would be in other blocks and would nm out to play in the street from habit Chairman Dennis: Mr. Graham has brought us an interesting story* We have looked to Detroit for a good many things besides cars. I now take pleasure in introducing a man who is going to speak of wbat is being done in Pittsburgh, Mr. R. M. Sherrard, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Pittsburgh. He promoted the school boy patrol for a number of years; he knows its limitations and possibilities. I am sure he has an interesting message this after noon when he speaks on the topic of the school boy patrol, in relation to the education sdtcmc. . Relation of the School Boy Patrol to the Educational Scheme By R. M. SHERRARD Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Pittsburgh, Pa. It is not our purpose tins afternoon to discuss the operation of our school boy patrols as much as I feel it is to discuss what they are doing for these girls and boys, from the educational point of view. I made an inquiry at our last meeting of the school principals in order that I might not make any mistake as to the places where people might visit this week. Instead of saying, "Please send word how many of you have school boy patrols in your Street and Highway Traffic Section 49 schools," I asked, "How many do not have the patrols." X received three replies, from the smaller buildings. Wc have a pretty widely extended patrol system in Pittsburgh. We do not patrol the streets; our work is done on tiro platoon system; the guarding is done from the curb. The patrols are under the control of the Junior Safety Council, and in the high sellouts through the Student Council. Now, 1 would like to go over into the educational side. Some five years ago in Cleveland, I said that we as teachers would feel that we had failed in meeting our full responsibility if we stopped, in dealing with boys and girls, with mere book learning; if we did nut try, by precept and example to enrich the lives of these boys and girls and do something that would make them better prepared for life situations. So it seems to me, my friends, tliat extra-curricular activities such as thrift. Junior Red Cross, Clean-up Campaigns come in with this grand work of safety. Whui is the use of educating our young people if they do not live to sui age where they can make some use of this education ? So these extra-curricular activities show a definite relation between education on the one hand and conduct and behavior on the other. We may put in sonic real work at arithmetic, be accurate at figures, but you know many a knave can be skillful at figures; the same may be true in spelling, in English; but when we get down to the fact of giving instruction in safety and then develop the Juuior Safety Council and the Safety Patrol we have immediately trans lated that instruction into action, into the doing of the thing, and after all is not that fitting into a life situation? So a course of study in character training must be full of actual life situations, training for good citizenship, recognizing the rights of ethers and the willingness to accept responsibility. It is true that the regular classroom situations are not broad enough to cover all our school problems. I suppose the main purpose of the Safety Patrol is to promote individual school and community safety, so let me give you briefly some cross-sections of our school life, brought to me by some of the elementary school principals in our city, those people most intimately connected with the development of life situations into which we put these children, those people who bring and direct instruction to these boys and girls, because wc have boys and girls directing the Inside activities of our schools. Larimer School One of the most effective methods of safety education is through the Safety Patrol. Here our boys can be trained effectively to take care of themselves and of each other. The enthusiasm of youth for reforming the world is proverbial. If this patrol is guided by a wise teacher, she will seek to find opportunities for the carrying over of the ideal which is conceived in actual practice. If we admire initiative as developed by the leading citizens of our country, should we not give our boys the opportunity to develop this power by placing them in situations in which they naturally find themselves, one in which they can make -themselves active, influential members of their group ? As a member of the Safety Patrol, it seems to me the boy has this opportunity. Greenfield School Our Safety Council with its individual class organization and patrols is meeting a need in the elementary school. Wc see it clearly in our school. Pupils from fifth to eighth grade are especially responsive to organization. They are eager to be chosen for service. The wearing of the arm band by. the patrols marks them as responsible for their specific duties. The band adds dignity to the office and 50 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress helps to make It a coveted honor. Last year an over-age colored boy who was something of a problem and who showed little Interest in school work went to our Safety Counselor and pointing to the arm band said, "What do you have to do to wear one of those green badges ?*' A desire to be chosen had awakened for die first time in this boy. We have more than one boy whose attitude has changed for the better because be has been selected to serve as a patrol. This t* equally true of some of oar girls. Friendship School ' The 8A class is organized as a student body, and each class, from the fifth grade op, appoints a representative who meets with the student body at stated times to discuss questions of interest to the school. By taking a responsible part daily in the work of the school they have a chance to develop such characteristics as honor, reliability, dependability, initiative, obedience; and a high sense of their obligations to self, others, school, home and community. The pupils render valuable service in their safety efforts. A good leader will soon find that he mast consider others, and obey the rules laid down for afi, if he expects others to respect him and to follow bis instructions. Fulton School - Outside the regular classroom procedures wc find a multitude of situations that lie close to the life of the child as the regular work of the classroom. If these situations lie close to the extra school life of the child, we should develop the right forms of action in these situations. We are finding that extra-curricular activities are indispensable in the development of character training and in a pro gram of character education. We see the educational value of a Safety Patrol in our school as opportunities for the development of responsibility, courtesy, Sdudltaess and consideration for the welfare and safety of fellow pupils, leadership and trustworthiness, obedience to traffic rules and respect for fellow students who are honored by appointment to the Safety Patrol. We can only evaluate this unit of the extra-curricular activities as we know bow it plays its nart in the school. A Safety Patrol that knows it is achieving results through its efforts learns better and is gradually setting a standard for itself of learning and good behavior, and at the same time acquiring habits of Safety* which is one of the realities of life. Lcinington School Educational growth comes best through self activity in typical life situations; no one important duty of the elementary scIkjo! is to provide opportunities for chil dren to form desirable civic habits and attitudes through active participation in the life of tite school. During the elementary period of their development, they arc particularly receptive to learning about civic duties and responsibilities. They respood readily and are eager to cooperate in working out problems that concern their own interests. The School Patrol and Safety Clubs are among our best agencies lor giving children practice in performing their civic duties. You may think that this speech is coming mostly from oar principal*; wefi. dot partly true. I want you to get the dose touch, the reaction, because you know {he best way to sober up a radical is to give him responsibility. We km had some of our principals say that the best students do not always make the btm fataraft Street and Highway Traffic Section 51 squad; often it is the energy that seems to be going wrong, which when directed rightly that makes the best leaders. So another principal said: Dilworth School ' This problem may be considered in a two-fold manner; First--The Relationship of the Safety Patrol to the Education of the individual participating in patrol duty. Second--The Relationship oE the Safety Patrol to the Education of the group of children in the school. * In considering the value of patrol service to the individual member of the patrol, there is no doubt that be becomes a better member of his school and community for: (1) Patrol service often develops a boy's latent powers of initiative, responsi bility ami leadership. (2) Due to his position of trust and respect, lie becomes careful of his own conduct so that he may be a good example for others to follow. (3) it stimulates m him a spirit of willing service and helpfulness towards others, (4) He become# alert in discovering dangers that may cause accidents in the school, on the playground, and on tlie streets. (5) Through his own thinking and experience, a patrol leader learns how to act under varying circumstances in times of danger; and (6) Judgment and justice are developed in controlling traffic situations and playground regulations. In considering the second phase of the topic, the Educational Value of the Safety Patrol to the other members of the school, the following advantages are evident: (1) Cooperation'and improvement of school spirit as a resalt of pupil psrtici. pation in the activity of the school. <2) Through the Safety Patrol, the Safety Council of the School and principal are kept informed concerning hazards in the community. . (3) Members of the Safety Patrol teach children to refrain from rough play on the playground and on the street. (4) The Safety Patrol aids during fire drills and participates in special safety programs. (5) Respect for leadership of Patrol Leaders who have shown qualities that have given them their position; and * (6) To become a Safety Patrol member is a goal toward which many of the younger children aim. Now it seems to me, my friends, that this gives us a pretty good cross-section of what we think the influence of this safety movement is upon the children them selves. As an example of the work in the schools, I went to one of our schools not long ago, and in the third grade they had a lesson on this safety work. The subject was "The Traffic Officer." The first question was, "What is His name?'* The children gave his name, 1 think it was George Nafe. . Then they developed "What about him out there?" They said "Well, he stands in the middle of the street." They had key words; they put down the word "middle." "What does he do?" "Watches as we come from home." They put down "home." "He directs us." They put down "directs." They used "traffic" and "children" and then came w1t seems to me the best part of tfaut lesson; they swung over to the ethical side. Some child said, "He is our {ricaJ.'* They put down "friend." 52 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress "We must obey his sigrtsL" They put down "signal/* They put down "obey." ThIenhathveeysemeandteheupcahilsdernetnenccoe.me ttp to the officer as he stood in die middle o{ the street; they grasp his hand; they say "good roomtag** and "good afternoon.** All right, that, is what he U there Cor. Don't you see the swing, when they said "He is our friend--wc must obey his signal?" There is the biggest lesson coming through theWteeahchaivneg imn oouurrscshchooolosl.s, we get them every month, units of safety instraction, prepared not so modifrom any cfirecrioa of ours, although they bear our address, but prepared under the direction of the Cleveland Safety Council, with different colors for the different divisions of the schools. We have just made the distribution for October. The subject in each is "Fire Prevention." White we don't have any regular course in this safety work, we keep handing out to principals and teachers a)) the fresh information we can get on this great subject of safety, because I don't care what your extra-curricular activity is, it requires artificial stimulatkm to keep up the proper interest; that U what we are trying to do s Then I want to bring to yotcr attention the Safety Education Magazine. We put copies of tins into the schools in Pittsburgh every month, making a distribution of one to each three teachers. If you just have tins one magazine you have enough ma terial for your teadiers each month on the different phases of safety work. Here is a whole column "Little Lessons In Safety.** There are other stories of ethical as well as practical value. I want to commend tins magazine, Safety Education, 10 youI hdotld in my band now a constitution and some by-laws and a pledge under which we organize our Safety Councils, out of which the Safety Patrol comes. There are a large number of leaflets issued like tliis one, haring on die bade the Safety Pledge. I want you to notice that .we think a lot of this pledge; there h cxdy one negative in it. Wc have active cooperation from the Better Traffic Committee in Pittsburgh. Just now they are having an essay contest; they seat us a pledge, but it concerned traffic immediately and contained a lot of "I will not" clauses. Thti is the pledge each of the children learns before becoming an active member of the Safety Council: Sa1f.etyI Pwleildt gweork for the safety of others, as I would want them to work for my 2. sIawfetiyll. not take unnecessary chances, for in doing so, I may lead into danger a younger child wlto is not so well able to take care of himself as I am. 3. I will do toy part to reduce the number of accidents In tins city this year. 4. I will try to take care of my health and lo be clean in thought, word and deed. 5. I wilt try to do right at all times telling the truth, and respecting the rights 6. AofllotthheisrsI. will do for the sake of humanity and honor of my school. Every child that gets a safety button has learned that pledge, from the fifth through the twelfth grade. Il is the foundation of our work. We have a mass meeting in May. to which we invite two thousand children. It is held at one of the theatres here. Through the courtesy of toe railway company we are formtiled with a round trip ticket for each child. We have die Mayor or his representative, members of the Board of Education, some one who can speak to these children, and then a moving picture on some phase of safety work. Then we give gold medals to every hoy and girl who has betn mitrumcntel in saving- % life, or preventing a venom a* ccLiadsetntMdauyrinwgethgeavyeeaor.ut twenty-nine medals to these boys and girls of the Pitts burgh schools, for work done dining the year, work of outstanding courage and heroism. f.ct me summarize what I have beeo trying to say: Street and Highway Trajic Section 53 Safety Patrols: First, to translate safety instruction into conduct or habits; second to stimulate interest; third, to promote civic pride, and fourth, encourage a spirit of helpfulness and cooperation; fifth, Interpret and .enforce rules and regulations: sixth, protect the lives of children and seventh, lo develop in members initiative, promptness, regularity, alertness, reliability, responsibility, honor, loyalty, good citizenship and morality of the highest type. Kow. why are we interested in this? Let me Quote this from Daniel Webster: "If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds, if we imbue them with principles, with a just fear of God and a love of our fellow-man, we engrave upon those tablets something that will brighten* them to aQ rteiwty." CBAikMAM Dew sis: I mu sure, if we needed any convincing, we would be con vinced by this l&lk that the public schools erf America are committed in a very definite way to the safety program in the public schools. I think H is a fine thing to look at tl>ese topics we arc discussing this afternoon through the eycs of persons of different capacities ns far as responsibility is concerned. We are not approaching them solely through toe eye* of safety engineers and men in administrative posts hi our public school systems. The next speaker wifi discuss tle same topic from a different angle. He is the Safety Director of the American Automobile Association, in Washington. He will speak on the operation of these school boy patrols. I nm very pleased to introduce Mr, Howard M. Starting I Operation of the School Boy Patrol By HOWARD M STARLING itafetjr Director, American Automobile Annotation, Washington. D. C. During the past ten or twelve years, one tmeslion which has been uppermost ill the minds of those interested in school hoy patrol work is "IIow slwuld the patrols operate to be most effective V* - That school boy patrol* have been effective in the reduction of accidents lias been proved by a comparison of statistics in many cities where the patrols have operated over a number of years. Among those cities are Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Cin cinnati, Washington and Philadelphia. Time will not permit going into detail re garding statistics, but "Accident Facts*' publislied by the National Safety Council contains many elaborate presentations of comparative statistic* fai which you will im interested. Ten year* of effort on the part of the national organization of motor clubs en couraging and directing the safety work of its local affiliated clubs, brought forth the realization that there was no uniformity of patrol operation. It las been our belief that school boy patrol operation should be uniform throughout the country-- just as much so as traffic regulations. Early in 1930, President Henry of the A. A. A, invited representatives.of the National Safety Council, the National Congress of Parents & Teachers, and the National Education Association, to participate in a conference, the ultimate object of which wax to produce a standard set of rules and regulations for the- operation of school boy patrols. Committee* were appointed by tins national bodies, and after prolonged delibera tions, a code was adopted by the A. A. A. and the National Safety Council, which it is hoped will serve as the official guide of all organizations sponsoring school boy patrols. Pamphlet* containing `'Standard Rules for the Operation of School 54 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Boy Patrols", may be obtained from either the National Safety Council, the A. A. A. or the local affiliation of either organization. In addressing you on "How School Boy Patrols Operate'", i cannot say that all patrols in the country operate m this way, but it is the earnest desire of the associa tion winch I represent, that our motor chibs will bring into conformity the operation of patrols in the 1,000 cities, towns and villages m which they are now sponsoring patrols, and l know that the National Safety Council likewise is urging adherence to the standard rules. ' (Mr. Starling here presented the Standard Rules.) It most be borne in mind that school boy patrols are organized for two specific purposes; the major ooe is that of guiding school children in traffic and the minor one is that of providing orderly dismissal of children from school. Since neither of the primary purposes of the patrol system is to direct traffic; it is obvious that patrols should not be charged with the responsibility of directing traffic, as this position demands more responsibility and judgment than can usually be ioaad in children from twelve to fourteen years of age, and also there is considerable doubt as to the legality of debating police power to children. As sill pedestrians have certain rights while out cm the highway, children as pedestrians have such rights, and a group of school children crossing the street under the supervision of a school boy patrol are simply exerasing their rights as juvenile pedestrians. To require motorists to slow down while approaching patrols at designated points is less inconvenient to the motorists (ban to require them to slow down for scattered groups of children crossing the streets at various places. In some cases patrols may be limited to keeping children on the sidewalk--it may not be necessary for them to cross a heavy traffic street. Perhaps they will be kept tn a group for only a few city blocks, and yet again, in outlying sections they may travel a mile or store. The responsibility In the second case is to keep the children n n group, and in the absence of sidewalks to require them to use the left side of the road facing on coming traffic. Since our cities cannot, financially, be supplied with a sufficient number of police men to be able to detail an officer to each and every schnolhouse. it will be necessary to train older children to be patrol leaders. But in crowded sections and on heavily traveled streets where the flow of traffic is constant the patrolman from the beat or a motorcycle officer should have a fixed post at school dismissal time. In such a situation, the patrol leader conducts his groups only to the curbing nearest the policeman. Never should a policeman yield his post to a boy officer. Patrols are organized to direct school children, not to relieve the city of the responsibility of pro viding policemen. Reasonable regulations as to conduct while in patrol formation should be made by the principal. Tripping, pushing, quarreling, leaving the line; and such forms of misconduct can be controlled. Discipline should be held over the patrols by the prac tice of requiring the leader to tell the offender to report to die principal when mxt Use child returns to school. The leader should merely Inform the principal of Ids order to the offender to report to the principal. All investigating and punishing is then carried on by the principal. Similarly, any member of the patrol has the right to report to the principal any leader who is abusive. This practice will control story-telling, and from experience lias been found to result in good conduct on the part of both leaders and patrols. The school boy patrol is an excellent method of teaching safely on the highway and has proved on innumerable occasions to be an exercise m good citizenship. From trial, observation and actual experience tn organizing and directing patrols over a period of years. I am positive that it does teach children to slop at the curb be fore crossing, to look both ways, to walk--not run--across the street Children Street and Highwjy Traffic Section 55 have been taught not to cross in the middle of the block, and not to jay-walk, but to cross at right angles and at intersections. It teaches the individual the proper way to come to school, which is essential, since it has been impossible to organize patrols to conduct children the entire distance from home to school. Under the school boy patrol form of dismissal, school yards and neighborhoods arc cleaned of children in much less time than without. Principals have testified to improved conduct on the part of the pupils, noticeable courtesy to younger chil dren and to elderly people, and an evident effect ht the atmosphere of the school. Parents, quite generally, have endorsed school boy patrols as they have a sense of security regarding the safety of their children. Motorists almost universally seem to recognize the rights of the children and cooperate with them to the fullest extent. Educators agree that tin: proper mental attitude and habits of conduct can be acquired more easily if the educational material relates to the experiences of the person taught Habits will be more developed, attitudes better defined, and the consciousness better formed. The subject matter of education for safety offers abundant material drawn front the experiences of the children, and to my mind, there is nothing which contributes more to the safety education of tle average school child than a school boy patrol. CftAnatA)* Dewsis: Now that there has been some reference to the police author ities. it is logical that we should hear at this time from die police power that directs these school patrols. 1 am very glad, therefore, to have the privilege of Introducing to you Inspector Thomas O'ReSly, of the Traffic Division. Toledo Police Department, Toledo, Ohio! School Boy Patrol---Its Relation to the Police By THOMAS O'REILLY Inspector of Traffic, Toledo Police Department, Toledo, O. I juu glad to say a word in support of the school boy patrols of the junior Safet> Council. These councils were formed iu the public and parochial scliools of our city ki the Spring of 1925 under the direction of Jay E. TliomgHon, Secretary of tl*e Toledo Safety Council. They are in operation in 45 public, 33 Catholic, 2 Lutheran and 5 county schools. They have approximately 450 officers consisting of presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries, captains of patrol and fire marshals; some 1.200 active members; 7,500 associate members and 1,200 school boy patrols. The councils consist of both boys and girls from the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh am) eighth grades with the patrols chosen from the upper grades. The junior safety councils, of which the school boy patrols are a part, concern themselves with the big problem of accident prevention as it affects home, public and school conditions. The officers of these councils meet each Friday afternoon for a city conference on safety, following which they are entertained at the Toledo Paramoiait Theater. In the individual schools the junior safety councils hold meet ings for safety discussion and conduct assembly programs of an educational nature hi accident pttreafioti As the fire marctafe receive the cooperation and instruction of the Fire Depart ment the safety patrols receive the cooperation and instruction of the Police Depart ment. Although primarily an educational group, the safety patrol members exercise an effective control over pedestrian traffic. They are not permitted to operate in the street nor are they permitted to direct or control vehicle traffic. This is covered by their pledge which reads: "I Hereby promise that I win fulfill the duties of my office as laid down by the 56 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress - captain o patrols and in such a manner as to avoid accidental injury to rayself or others. "I furthermore promise that I will at no time attempt to operate from a position in the roadway or assume any authority over automobile traffic which. I understand, is a function of the City Police Department and the responsibility of the driver. Mfn tlw interest of Safety. 1 will cooperate with my parents; the principal of my school, the Junior Safety Council, city authorities and the general public." The school guards are detailed at each comer of the intersection and the children arc tokl when to cross the street in the Vicinity of the school. The guards arc placed on as many as four intersections, depending a great deal on the number of children going and coming to and from school and by placing the school patrol at these points, they have a direct control over the children. What hut Been Accomplished by the School Boy Patrol? 1, The children Ixave been educated in crossing the street with care and at the crosswalks, instead of running in all directions as was the custom in years gone by. This rule nut only applies at school crossings, but at any crossing and we must all admit dial the constant drilling along these safety lines is hound to bring results. Tiierc is no way of measuring the good that has been done by these patrols, dh the Police Department can say is that they are rendering excellent service. In the past five years there have been only two fatal accidents in Ac vicinity of the schools, a record which I cannot help but feel must be attributed to the good work of the school patrol. 2. The school patrol has brought about a better understanding between the police officer and the school child. This understanding will gain the respect of the little ones, and will continue when they grow into men and women. The school patrol is the logical medium through which the Police Department keeps in touch with the sixty thousand children. In this way, where we receive com plaints of rotter skating or playing in (he streets, which in some locations is more dangerous than others, we are able, through the school patrol of that locality, to get to the scat of the trouble at once. . The school boy patrol has crested a friendly rivalry of spirit m the different schools in trying to have the best accident record, all of whkh means a lessening of the work foe the Police Department. There are quite a number of public and parochial schools in this city, at which the Police Department has been unable to detail a regular police officer to guard the children. There are a number of these schools where the Police Department has had erected traffic signs! Hghts, which are operated ody during the time the children are going 'o and coming from school, which means that the lights are in operation for possibly five boors each school day. The school boy patrol is doing excellent work at these corners, ha educating the children from kindergarten upwards, along safety lines. We have also found the school boy patrol an effective mean* of improving bad boy* by placing them on the patrol and giving them a definite job. I want to make it clear that the Police Department has no intention of making a policeman of the scliod boy patrol or of giving them police power in any manner. The sole purpose of this organization is the prevention of accidents. It Is true that there are a number of schools where there fc no police officer detailed and the school Hoy patrol takes care of the children, but at these schools we do not permit them to get out m the street to stop the traffic. They wait at the crossing until there is a chance to cross in safety, then walk across the street with the children. The placing of police officers at schools is very costly and weakens the patrol force which would be detailed to districts, but nevertheless I feci that the saving of ooe child's life is well worth all the money that it costs the taxpayer* for the service, and I Street and Highway Traffic Section 57 hope that the time is not far off when tiiere will fie a police officer detailed at every school. In conclusion, 1 will ask you to divide the traffic problem into its two logical sections, the motorist and the pedestrian, and will state that the solution of the latier problem is aided by the school boy patrols. We are indexed to them for their assistance and recommend them to every community- In conclusion, 1 want to answer just one question that came up here about civilian school police in the city of Toledo. There are a number of schools where live police department has placed civilian police, meaning that they are working possibly about five hours a day. Personally. I don't favor this. I don't feel that die citizens get tiie results from them that they do from the regular policeman and it is only on account of financial considerations that tire police departmetit was compelled in the city of Toledo to place them on these comers; but I hope that the time is not far distant when wc will have all regular policemen detailed at all crossings now covered by these civilian police. In connection with the sdvool !>oy paired there is a chart placed here by Mr. Thompson of the Toledo Safety Council. 1 will ask him to come up here and explain it and how it work*. Jay Thompson (Toledo Safety Council, Toledo, O.); I will take only a minute to explain this chart. This plan is outlined to he used by the Junior Safety Council. This is an intersection used as an example for them; they are to go out and work oat tbeir own program, Of course we will help them; Inspector O'Reilly will help them it they need it. We ask them to lay out and follow their own program through. This plan con templates using four men at this intersection going to the school; we have a boy patrol here to direct traffic at the crossing here (radicating); he directs it all over here going to schools, to avoid sending thetn in this direction where they are threat ened with a right hand turn. The patrol picks out an open spot in tl*e traffic and sends the children across to this man. who in turn picks out an opening and sends them down to the school comer. Down here (indicating) wc have a man to watch traffic tiiat might turn, and another man to watch for an opening arid scud the children across. In going home, we eta out this crossing over here (indicating) which has a right hand turn hazard. Franklin Kjieml (Evanston): 1 would like to inquire from Mr. Starling wltai is the procedure in determining who arc to be the commanding officers in the units. Does the principal of the school designate them, or the Association, or the police depart ment, or are they elected ? Mr. Starling : No reference is made to selection of officers in the standard rules. That was discussed at considerable length in our deliberations. It was decided that it was a problem in which we were not concerned. The administration of die patrol is in the hands of the principal; site is responsible for the discipline and under stands the chSdren better. Therefore she is the one to appoint the officers, but In a great many cases we know the patrol hoys themselves select their own officers. They have standards of competition set up and boys attaining the highest average in these competitions automatically become the officers. As far as the police, or the civic organization sponsoring the patrol is coocemed, they are not interested in the officers. M*. Ormeroo (Philadelphia, Pa.): I would like to ask Mr. Star!big or anyone else, w&at are the legal aspects of the sclwoi boy patrol. In Philadelphia counsel for the Board of Education has ruled that any accident happening to a member of the patrol would render the members of the Board of Education jointly and severally liable. This is not the opinion of a court and so it cannot be appealed usd finally 58 Nineteenth Aminat Safety Congress decided. For that reason we have no school boy patrol in Philadelphia, which we regret very much. Have you had any experience such as this? . Ma, Stalling : X am familiar with the situation in Philadelphia. The trouble was that the man who was supposed to be chairman of this meeting today, sent a query to the Attorney General. One of the school superintendents in Philadelphia inquired of Dr. Keith as to the liability of the school board in ease of injury to a school boy patrolman. The question was transmitted to the Attorney General of the State of Petm*ylv*rua. I am sorry I do oat have my file on liability here because to make this point dear you should have the specific question asked of the Attorney General. Tliat question was; Can we establish a school boy patrol for the direc tion of traffic at and near our school ? And may we arrange it so that the boys may make arrests of persons who violate orders? The Attorney General of Pennsylvania in a ruling covering eight or ten pages, rules that no sdrool board had any police power; therefore they could not delegate power to a school boy patrolman; that precipitated the discussion in Philadelphia. I was called there by Dr. Brown, the Superintendent; l attended the full meeting of the Board and we discussed the problem of liability pro and con for several hours. A member of the school board stated that the opinion of his counsel was that m the event of injury to a school boy patrolman detailed by the principal or by the school beard the principal and the school board were liable. That again was not an official opinion. Then they asked for an opinion of the City Solicitor, or whatever the title is of the city attorney there, who expressed the same opinion, but in no case in Philadelphia or Pennsylvania was the question submitted in the right way. Mr. Owen Roberts, of Philadelphia, now a member of the Supmne Court of the United States gave an opinion in which he stated that the school board would not be liable, and neither would the principal he liable, provided the patrols were or ganized fot guiding children in traffic, and not for directing vehicular traffic. Miss Emma A. Schad (Baltimore, Md.) : 1 should like to ask if six months is the best time to be on patrol duty. If they serve four times a dav, day after day for Six montits, how do you keep up tlte interest? Mr. Starling: I knew that question was going to come up- I rather hoped it wouldn't. The reason for my regret is that therein is the problem for the civic sponsoring body. I do not mean to he blowing the horn of the motor club" or die Safety Coun cil in this connection, but die civic sponsoring body, their chief responsibility, duty, in administering effective school boy patrols is to provide that incentive to keep the boys on their toes, as it were. That s done m Washington by the A. A. A. We have a merit plan by which the boys arc rewarded for promptness, neatness, courtesy and so on, entirely apart from tbe*school system. We have different types of swards. It is very easy there. Each of our thirteen policemen supervises the patrol and sees that every patrol Is in operation in his precinct at least once a week when he checks up on the promptness of the patrols. He makes out a report which is submitted to the principal of the school through tl*e captain of the patrol for the approval of the teaclier. The faculty is the sponsor of the patrols; we have no trouble in our own city, yet there are a great many [daces where die civic institutions' wlio have been interested in the organization of the patrol, purchased elaborate equipment, and got the citizenry worked up over the movement, immediately forget about there when they are or ganized. _ You cannot leave boys from twelve to fifteen to work out their own problems effectively; they must have some interest back of it. It is through the civic spon soring body that this interest must be supplied. If you speak with any manager of a local safety council lie wiU tell you that that b part of the program. Inspector Street ami Highway Traffic Section 59 0*Reil|y spoke in his address of entertainment, and Mr. Sherrard spoke of making awards. That plan is followed pretty generally. Chairman Dsir/crs: 1 understand that it is the ciptain of patrol who may sene a minimum time, unless lie is inefficient, but your time for the patrol, members is six weeks, rather than six months, it fc the captain who runs through for SIX months. Miss Schad: I meant that, hut the point I wanted to get is would there be any objection to having two sets of patrols operating; we have found that six weeks does not work. Mt. Starling: The rules are standard, based cm what those people who have had experience in about a thousand cities in the United States believe to be the best We do not feel that we have met local conditions in the rules and recommendations we have tried to lay down. We say these rules arc not iron-clad. You may go further if you desire, but do not violate the fundamentals which we have tried to lay down on which you may build and to which you may add. There arc so many local condi tions entering into die operation of any plan that it would be impossible to lay down standard rules to meet all requirements. We have no objection to more groups; this has been suggested as being necessary on account of staggered dUmis&al Chairman Dennis: What is the prevailing time among the groups represented. In the city of Toledo it is six weeks as a minimum; it would probably run to six months' service as a member. Mil Thompson: In Toledo we run from five to seven or eight, the captains about ftfty-hffy serving ooe year, or half a school year of constant service, energized by die special activities for that particular fellow. We have some members working in the morning and some at eight; wc give them a plan to build on. M. Shrrraab: In Pittsburgh we organize once each semester. We have enough so one boy does not have too much to do. I am rather surprised at this question-- what happens if they are not interested. We order arm bands by the thousands; it is a privilege to belong; we have no trouble about boys not wanting to serve. I am surprised. Why, if a boy happens to be sick and not on his corner, there is immediately a boy ready to stand there U he can get hold of an arm band. We would rather appoint a boy, but we have more trouble keeping them off titan in putting tliem on. Mr. Graham : Our boys in Detroit all operate for the period of a full semester except in case of sickness or other difficulties arising to cause the term to be shorter, but it is generally a full semester. This is constant, daily service. One very im portant point should be made in connection with dismissal times. An order has gone through our system in Detroit that all the rooms in any one school dismiss and assemble at the same time, which obviates the necessity of having additional groups of patrol boys to handle the stagger system. I might mention with regard to the idea of incentive dm the boys are taken to a Mg league baseball game once a year, and a good football game In Detroit; there are several theatre parties without cost to the buys, or any obligation at all. F. C Berry (Miimeapolts. Minn.): I think Mr. Starling mentioned that these patrols could and perhaps should be organized in all schools of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. There are a good many innovations recently which have brought about changes; so many junior high schools have been introduced with the result that many grade schools, a large proportion in the city 1 want to refer to, go through the sixth grade, and a definite opposition has arisen there from the teaching staff. They consider that the boys in tlte sixth grade are too young to serve in the capacity of patrols. I would like to ask the opinion of any one here, as to their experience on this matter of age. - 60 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress E. B. LirranTS (Auto Club of Southern California, Lo* Angeles. Cal.): We are operating in southern California oa the six-threc-three plan; we have in the city of Los Angeles two hundred and eighty-three elementary schools; I believe that U the number, practically one hundred per cent organwed with a Safety Committee Plan. That means that elementary schools atop at the sixth grade. Our Safety Committee is formed from the fourth, fifth and sixth grades. The patrol that has the responsibility at intersections is a sob-committee of the entire Safety Committee, usually chosen from among the sixth grade boys and girls. While 1 am on my feet, I thought it might be of interest to the lady from Balti more to state that ii our program we have a forty week school year. Our Safety Committee members are elected for a period of ten weeks, one half the term, or a quarter of the school year. We figure (hat the Safety Committee is one inodium of education, therefore the larger turnover we can get oa the Safety Committee the more interested the children will be in the subject of safety and protection of them selves and their playmates. We encourage a maximum turnover. Remember our patrols in no instance attempt to direct traffic; they arc limited to work on the side walks except in those sciwols where we have the tunnels. Mr. Graham made a reference in his address to the tunnels, of which we have forty-odd in Los Angeles. X cannot agree with him as be anticipated, that: they are not a successful method of handling traffic. First, they eliminate the vehicular delays and therefore they are of more benefit than a stop and go system, because no stop is necessary. They are not put at every intersection by a long way, but at the most dangerous, and they lave enabled us to replace traffic officers except where the traffic has been so great that police control has been necessary. Our tunnels average a cost of slight ly over eight thousand dollars. From a monetary standpoint they are a good In vestment; this amount would not begin to pay for even temporary police protection. Mr. Graham : We have no objections not surmountable; we have three thousand patrols operating; wc have no parental objections. Mr. Hall (Minneapolis, Minn.) : Our abjections do not come from the parents, but from the principals of the schools. I would like to hear some of these prin cipals, some of the educators. What is their attitude, the attitude of the people actually engaged in the instruction of tlw children ? Mr. Starling: We have fifty-six elementary schools in Washington; the sixth grade is the highest. Every one is organized with a patrol, both the colored and the white schools, and every competition we have had has been won by a sixth grade school. Wc find they make the best patrols. After a boy gets up into the junior high school he has other outside interests, and is not so much interested in patrol work. We fee) that the sixth grade boys not only can but do make exceptionally good school boy patrols. Mr. Daniei-son (Department of State, South Dakota) : Our problems are different from those of industrial sections. Wc have a population of only seven hun dred thousand people; in the largest city in the state, Sioux Falls, there is a popula tion of only twenty-six thousand people. We have a Young Citizens League, some of you may have heard of it, organized by the present superintendent, Mr. E. C. Gifford. Since the essential of safety is education, we have the foundation laid in South Dakota for the main purpose of teaching better citizenship; we not only teach the children tire taws of tlc road, but alt the laws of the state. There is a League in every sdtooi in our state: they Hold state meetings every year with three delegates from each county. I wish some td you could sit in and listen to that body when it is in session. 1 telfevc it would he a good thing for the various states to look into that organization. With the teaching of citizenship wc believe wc will eventually have a class of citizens Street and Highway Traffic Section 61 who will really grow up and be able to run an automobile on the highway, and ob serve practically all the laws of our state. Mr. Lefferts: Some one asktd me if we stopped at the elementary schools with our plan. Wc have the same genera) type of organization with different insignia in the junior high schools, and tlus year it has been taken up in our senior high schools. The same type of organization as in our elementary schools las spread to the others, and I think it will be just as effective there. ADJOURNMENT 62 Nineteenth Animal Safety Congress Tue*day Luncheon Session September 30, 1930 COMMISSIONER CLIFFORD DAVIS, Chairman Vice-Chairman, Street and Highway Traffic Section This was the first annual business meeting of the Section. Eighty-eight members attended. ' The following reports of chairmen of standing committee* were accepted: Burton W. Marsh. Chairman of the Committee on Annual Congress Program, reported arrangements for seven sectional meetings, a Traffic Observation Tour, and a luncheon-bnsincss meeting for the Nineteenth Annua! Saiety Congress. Oscar G. Oiander, Chairman of the Committee on Uniformity, was unable to attend because of illness in his family and no report was given. William C Knoellt. Chairman of the Committee o* Public Education, reported twenty-five articles in PUBLIC SAFETY and three in the NATIONAL gjmnB-rv NEWS during the past year, furnished by the Street and Highway Tom Section or reporting ks activities. . Judge Lee E. 5kcd. Chairman of the Committee on Enforcement, reported committee participation in the Central States Saiety Congress and the arousal of considerable mterest in aceidem investigation squad activities in several 6ties. Cusnuueaionev CHfiord liars.. Chairman of the Committee on Membership, reported a total of ?S reinifcm. 2a* in the Public Saiety classification and 207 ocher*. AJJ arm. are rcpn.nnsMd as the asembership except Ariaona, New Mexico, Neva*. North Unknca. SotsA Carofina. Vermont, and Wyoming. Sidney J. Wiflin- cafes. id the sepevoiarew ul ihe National Safety Council's naff for the rwh me istnlmh .1 hy da- Season durmg ks first year of activity. He stressed the :~n------- - ul drs.ws.' Sosse kciilxbon. explaining that studies of traffic frulilii hetuee and ate* the p.Mge ul drivers' license legislation in nine rtate. dsoswd that imitln- ware > per --< irwer than they would have been had their iatalhy rare, mi -ti- --` m a. the mate, without drivers' license laws. A nation by Ahuahr h. Ugt that the Str* and Highway Traffic Section should mob the n w oi >>' liatu. r law. and promote uniform legislation regulath* ffir operaasoa ai vetncla., <m enrtuai. Judge Levi M. Had. ji~rif- o* the Nusuiautuig Cusumktee. recommended reelectiun sf the fothswsng three ehietsse officers of the Section: Chairman. Protect Amt Vdieucr. Department of Police Administration. QsicMto Untvesvicy. and Chief of Police. Berkeley, Calif. Vice-Chairman. Honor*!*- Clifford Davis. Vice-Mayor and Commissioner of Fire and Police. Memphis. Term. Vice-Chairman. Major George A. Parker. Registrar of Motor Vehicles of Massachusetts. It was voted to adopt the report of the Nominating Committee. ADJOURNMENT Street aini Highway Traffic Section 63 Enforcement Methods Wednesday Morning, October I, 1930 HON. CLIFFORD DAVIS, Chairman Vice-Chairman, Street and Highway Traffic Section The second session was presided over by Honorable Clifford Davis, vice-chairman of the section and Vice-Mayor ami Commissioner of Fire and Police. Memphis, Tenn. ' Chairman Davis : Mr. Leonard Ormerod will present a safety motion picture this morning. Leonard Oauzaoe (Assistant to V. Pres., Bell Telephone Company of Penn, Philadelphia,- Pa.): This picture, made for the Philadelphia Safety Council, {$ an attempt to illustrate die traffic probkxn in a popular one reel film. It has no sound track. (The motion picture eras shewn.) Ma. OiXEMv: If you want prints, you can get them at cost, by writing to Mr. Fred Johnson c* the Gases* Safety CocBouttee. care of the Philadelphia Clumber of Commerce. Chaquax Darts: The firs* paper was to bare been delivered by Captain W. CFric^, who has mode a reputation for himself in the selection of good men. Cattaiw W. C. Pwct (Superimenrfenr, Pcnosylvama State Highway Patrol) : J k**'* }?** through an uferaboo that ha* made it practically Impossible for iw to deliver m addreo. few m wiutwe. Captain P. J. Dorr, will do h for me. Sttoctiag m& Training Traffic Officers Ww CAPTAIN W. C PRICE lapMHudhK ad iu Fiaatyhaaia State Highway Patrol We haur the fer&n* traanag achcwl for police officers m the country, outside of the city %d hJew Yurie W are cunemaaslly training 50 to 75 men. Each wftnaa who * couriered fur the highway patrol must be between the age* of 21 and di, priLraMy 25 to 15. He must be single, must have a good reputation m the ciwwwty m which he re*de>. and must be physically fit. He is taken in order of to* MnArwaw. A character card, is sent to the station nearest this man's henac. On it is the wum`* address, his physical description, and his age. The patrolman so whom tfai* card is scot goes immediately to the applicant's home, bat aMtaf of Mfeerriewmg the references the applicant has listed on his application, the mvestigaaer. will visit the chief of police, the post master, a business man, and a baadeer. Latrr on, he will call upon toe applicant, measure him, study Wm, and CeB him frankly just what is going to happen to his papers. The application is returned with the recommendations of this officer. If he is turned down, his cards and papers are placed in the inactive file. Often the ap plicant lists his bright as five feet, eight, the required height, but wiwn actually measured he is found to be only five feet, six. Consequently he Is turned down immediately. When a vacancy occurs we do rot call an individual, but rather a class of 25, 30 or sometimes 40. The applicant is called In on a certain date along with a number of others, possibly double the number we expect to select. He is given a mental test, which is more less elementary, but he is given a very rigid and thorough physical examination by our own physician. If he is successful in fj4 Xim'h'CHlii Anuual Safety Congress pasrin*?. He i' given a fatigue outfit which by no means resembles tl>e snappy uniform that he wear* after lie graduates, and as a tryout far a couple of weeks he does his share of kitchen police. He scruta floors, digs ditches* washes dishes, and cleans the rooms of the officers. It is considered to he a disgrace if he is unsuccessful in "going-over the hump." as we call it. We build character. We also build men physically. We are continually looking out /or men who Iwave had previous service far the sole purpose of discipline. We find that the man who comes from the army, navy or marine corps has instilled fa him the discipline that we want. After his third or fourth week the student takes his regular classes indoors. He arises at five-thirty in the morning during the summer. We give him one-half hour to make his bed. For the next 45 minutes, until a quarter to seven, lie is given outside calisthenics; nothing inside regardless of the weather. This consists oS close order drill, some boxing, tumbling, and, of course, the usual run in the morning. At a quarter to seven He is brought in and compelled to take a shower bath under the watchful eye of non-commissioned officers, and I don't mind telling you that some of them try to escape the terrible ordeal of taking a bath in file morning. At seven-fifteen l*c lias breakfast; at seven forty-five the general call for fatigue. The barracks are the most complete of their kind in the country. Everything in the kitchen Is electric. There is linoleum on the floors, we have receptions rooms, class rooms, and dormitories. It is a perfectly eq&pped training school--a model that other states throughout the country are following. After his fatigue the student has a regular schedule of classes, criminal procedure, motor laws, elementary spelling, arithmetic, writing, and typewriting, at the end of the day--{his day cods, as far as the classes are concerned, at four forty-five)--he is pretty well tired out. He lias his supper at five followed by a period of relaxation until approximately seven-thirty. Then there is a study period until eight-thirty ur nine, and that study period is supervised l . At fen o'clock the lights are out, A bed check is takeu to prevent men from uring the fire escapes and coining back at all hours. The same system is also in effect in training the slate police. The only difference is that they use horses and we use motorcycles. The student, after ten or twelve weeks of this intentise training, is given a complete new outfit. To train this student for the first ten weeks of bis service, salary included, costs file Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the neighborhood of $700. That includes his equipment and when he leaves for his tour of duty he is nattily equipped with a new uniform, usually a new motorcycle, new puttees; all of his leather equipment is new. He is assigned to a substation under the watchful eye of a non-commissioned officer who has been in the field for years and knows his business. He is not welcomed into the substation with a brass band, but rather a scowl from the man in charge and, "Put your-equipment around fa the garage and remember you arc out here under me now." . In the field he is introduced to the justice of the peace who resides m the com munity. Soon he thinks, `'Well, I have learned the law, 1 Joxnr the fundamentals of the police game, I learned it under capable instructors; I will quit this job and get a job as the chief of police at home.'* Then we lose a good man after training him. The Commonwealth has paid for it, yet the local community, if the man follows the police game, is going to benefit by this man's services. If he sticks, he gets along after a while with tint non-commissioned officers. Later, maybe lie gets a station himself and then he becomes high hat. He becomes a sergeant and then a lieutenant. When he is a lieutenant and wears a bar, of course, there is no holding him back. He is going to stick to the organuatfao, be loyal Street and Hiyftteay Traffic Section (>5 to his superiors, and do anything in the world for them because he wants that double bar. the most coveted position in the organization. I have carried you through cmr system of training tile students, but I just want to add that our training school is open to any police organization in this country **r Canada and we would like to have you come and visit us; there is plenty of room. Send your men there if you want them trained. It would cost you only a nominal sum. That is an open invitation to every police organization in the slate and in t(.c country. Chairman Davis: Do you permit the officers to marry? Cavt. Dorr: We have had some sad experiences with married men, but after ,i year's satisfactory service, with the recommendation of the immediate sujcrior and approvals cm up to the superintendent, he may marry. Capt. Price : The Pennsylvania Highway Patrol has 67 stations in Pennsylvania The men must always be available far call. With one man living nn the north sKi\ one on the south side, and one on the east side, they are not available. We select the home. We pay the board and we specify the hours that they stall be Acre and accessible to meet the public's call. Three married men at one sub station. living in different localities, are an absolute failure. A patrolman gets $90 per month as base pay, and he gets his board, lodging, clothing, and equipment. He must learn to live within that $90 every month before we will permit him to marry. We feel that fa one year he knows our regulations and what is expected of him After that, his record being good, wc will permit hirn to marry. Nathan Harris (Engineer, Board of Estimate & Taxation. Minneapolis, Minn.): Do you require candidates to he residents of Pennsylvania? Cart. Dorr : No, but we try to keep it pretty well within our own state. We have men from the outside, usually with military experience. W. R. Kelly (Sec'y, Citizens Safety Committee, Chamber of Commerce, Phila delphia, Pa.); What percentage of the men resign within a year after being gradu ated? , Cart. Price: That runs between 10 and 11 per cent, but wc weal out many in the school. Only about 40 per cent of those taken cm finally get over the "hump". E. H. Barber (Chief of Police, Duluth, Minn.) : Do your state highway patrolmen have police powers in other than highway duties? Capt. Price: The state highway patrol of Pennsylvania have full police power, greater power than any other officer in the state- They are the only men who may arrest upon sight for a motor * violation in Pennsylvania. That is denied to every other officer. However, we stall attempt to change that in the next legislature because I have had two men within the last four months shot to death in attempting apprehension for felonies. We have 440 men to patrol 14,000 miles of improved highway plus 70,000 miles of unimproved highway. They ride the country alone with full police powers, but do pot interfere with minor criminal misdemeanors. Wc take up felonies and motor violations only, unless there is a brawl in our presence, in which wc artrequired to interfere- Mr. Barber: Which do you consider better for patrolling highways, an automobile or a motorcycle? Cart. Prior: The automobile is not flexible enough for highways. The motorcycle is the only thing to get in and relieve congestion whb. , Chairman Davis: Our next address is `'Accident Investigation for Conviction of Violators," by Franklin M. Krcrnl, who has gained national recognition in the lant year on this particular subject. 66 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Accident Investigation for Conviction of Violators By FRANKLIN M. KRRML Director, Atodest Prevention Batons, Kvnsston Police Department, Bvaostea, IIL In our city, immediately adjoining Chicago on the norHi, we found we were being 3wept alone s traffic accidents with that great city. Our people were bring injured and killed. Hence, at the request of The Evanston Safety Council, a Burestt of Accident Prevention was organised in the police department Wc have developed eight major activities in this Bureau to date. This morning I am going to tell you about one of them; namely, accident investigation. For jut a moment, however, 1 should like to say a word or two about the other things that we are doing so that I can give to yon a complete picture, so that you shan't go away from here feeling that I have told you that accident investigation alone Is going to prevent traffic accidents. I believe to prevent accidents we must take -unto ourselves every activity which we can and go ahead on a full steam basis, not for safely week; or safety month, but all year aroond 1 Fig. l~~P.ki>tagrafihic evidence of which car hit which. Note imprint of keatttight an door. The Evanston Police Department is a typical city police department. It perliaps would be a typical small town police department except that we are so close to Chicago. Onr accident records' were in the same shape that the records of many police de partment* are m now. We bad a wealth of information stored away in books with records filed in chronological Order, a wealth of information we never could get to. We changed that and put in anodic, record system by which they are filed by location. When we had done that, wc began to do research work on bad intersec tions as Indicated by the spot map. From an estimate made jut before I came to this Congress, I concluded that we have prevented 176 accidents at 60 intersections which we have treated by the use of collision diagrams. We carry on publicity and educational work. Wc put publicity in our street cars and on our street cars, in our busses and on our busses, in our movie houses, on the sides of our truck*, in tl>e windows of our taxicabs. It is changed each month. Each month we attack something else. It isn't just general educational publicity. It isn't a question of, Be Careful 1 Stop Accidents t Don't do this and don't do that. It Street and Highway Traffic Section" ^ v* " ^ -iv-c c-CdC O'**** Mhita -\ wenflinUVjMMc*MU**tci4. n-t) RwMm Art--*fr****^ STOP 4** - - r*y D(*tW btekM......... M* (Whwk kMw*,.. FktitiaM* fcwwi ...... S1***^! " ** ... F*il*re h *igi*l .,. , . --Signal an t*4.. Only .. Vuf p--f> ftmr* i. I WiWMrt .llplt*.: 67 Fig. 2--Percentage of accidents resulting Fig. 3--Hit-and-run drivers, Evanston, m investigations, arrests end convictions. //b, SO weeks ending Sept. IS, 1930. is a constant attempt to attack those specific problems which we feel are causing acci dents. I would like to say here that we know what cur specific problems are because our records tell us what they are. For example, we had an average of seventy personal injury accidents a month over a period of eight months. Fifty-six accidents were a restdt of pedestrians getting off the front end of a bus and watking in front of traffic passing on the left. We put an 8" x Am card op in: front of each bus which read, "Don't run in front of this car. Be careful. Evanston Police Department." In a survey made after the signs ware placed we found only throe people who i>a$scd ia front of a bus and were injured We are using license revocations and we are conducting a drivers* school. Wc began to use our spot map by plotting certain danger zones m our city for the direction of motorcycle police. We found that our motorcycle men wore riding Sheridan Road, a beautiful drive along the bice, close to Northwestern University. We found also that there were few acckknts there became there are no intersecting streets from tbe lakeside. We found, on the other hand, that the southwest comer of tbe city, was the location of 70 per cent of the fatalities. Traffic dote not wove very fast down there, but it is a foreign section where many children play in tbe streets for hours at a time. They were being ltiUe& We sent some motorcycle police down. They didn't make many arrests, and those they wade weren't for driving fast as they would bare been on Sheridan Road. They found the things they bad to do were different than the things they had fW"* on Sheridan Road, They bad to take dsOdrea out of the street and make Polish or Lithuanian mothers understand that they had to be kept out of tbe street. Accidents were reduced in that partksUr section, however. Those are things we are doing-in addition to our investigation work. At toe time we organised tbe Boren, we looked into tiw matter of accident inves tigation for shoot six weeks. We found that we were getting very few convictions following arridente We found that hit-*nd*nm drivers, not being charged to any particular officer, bureau, or dmtioo of the police deportment, were generally allowed to go their way. There was m real Mfew-up; nobody charged with it-- why worry about it? Tbe pofice officers would go to tot scene of toe accident, ask your name, address,< and tefepboae aawtoer. How old arc you? Which way wow you going? 68 Nineteenth A itam! Safety Congress He would do the same for the other driver. Then he would bay, "Da you want to sign a complaint against this man ?" "Well, no, I don't. I am practicing law in Chicago and I am on my way down to court. I don't care to be bothered with this sort of thins.'* And so it went. It may have been that the man at fault was going SO or 55 miles an hour. He may have violated a stop sign or traffic signal caused some damage, but nobody was seriously hurt or killed, and because of the officer's reluctance to sign a complaint he would say, "All right, that is all. Go ahead/' Or if the injured individual did want to sign a complaint, the oilier driver said, "All right, if yon are going to sign a complaint, if you want trouble, I will sign a complaint, too/' and so both of them signed a complaint. The case would come up in court and what could the judge do? Doc driver told his story; the other driver told his--both stories contradictory--no witnesses--the case dismissed. Vet our motorcycle policemen might have sets) this same offender going down o/* 7~h*% p Sr'** ^ sec/ ** dZej, si/veJ Street and Highway Traffic Section 69 fig. 4--Types of convictions 'obtained in connection with investigated accidents. Sheridan Road at 36 or 37 miles an hour the day before and have taken him into court, where he was fined. Tlie next day he went 55 miles an hour through a stop sign, crashed into another tar, and the officer had to say, "I didn't see it. I can't take him in unless a complaint Is sigued by someone else." It didn't seem right, so we instituted our accident investigation squad. We have two eight-hour shifts on this squad. The men ride around in a Ford sedan. They cover every accident in the city. Whether I am a motorcycle officer, a detective in a flivver squad, or a patrolman walking my beat, I am under orders to telephone imme diately to the station and call for the accident investigation squad if I come upon an accident, and I must hold the ifties until the squad arrives. I can't handle the accident and if I do 1 am violating my chiefs orders. Right here I would like to refute the contention that this thing is expensive. You have to send somebody to the accident, don't you ? What difference does it make whether you send two men who are particularly trained in handling such situations, or send men whom you happen to get on your box telephone or who happen to be in the station at that time- I would like to say further tlun these squads are on the streets doing flivver squad patrol duty when they are not covering accidents. The public does not lose their protection; not by any mean*. They are sent to the scene of the accident by tins red light recall system. We are not using radio yet. The squad car is lettered "Bureau of Accident Prevention" A white cross is the insignia of our particular bureau. The men work out of the office, but they are O Fig. ,t--:Y(#r illustrations depicting v- accident ti'hieh supplemented statements of witnesses and obtained ctwt-klunt of denser. 70 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress on the street* doing patrol duty and arc accessible to answer any call. If we have four flivver squads far general patroling the other squads will be sent first, so that there will be an investigation squad on hand if an accident call comes in. Each squad carries a camera, a flash gun, flash powder, tripod, KXMt steel tape, first aid kit, portable typewriter and the necessary papers. Pictures are taken of the scene. Many people have asked me if we took pictures of every accident or if we took pictures of just the serious accidents. We don't do either. We take pictures of accidents where we think the pictures will assist us in making a case out against one of the drivers in court. The question of the serious ness of the accident lias not)dug to do with it. We do make pictures of every accident where the pictures will lidp us in court. Wc have bad serious accidents where we took no pictures except periaps ooc or two of the intersection as an explanation to the court as to how and where die accident lappened. Mr. Barm*; After you have taken the pictures, do you allow the attorneys chasing accidents to see them? Mr. Kreml: We do not. You know, as an officer, that if wc did, our men would be in civil courts nearly all of the time.' Wc liave never given these pictures to the attorneys, although in one case the superior court issued a writ for the pictures and we had to take them down. Measurements arc always made of skid marks, and one of the officers must Lake a statement from each witness on tlic spot. If you are a witness at the scene of an accident in Evanston, and you say, "I saw that fellow come along about 50 miles an hour right through the stop light," our man says. "That is fine, Mr. Jones. Come over here with me and sit down." Then out comes a typewriter down goes the statement. The witness signs it and is given a copy of it. Chairman Davis: Is the statement sworn to? Mr. Kreml: The officers cannot administer an oath in a case of that kind. I doubt if such a statement would hold water unless in the form of a deposition and 1 question whether officers may take depositions. However, I don't believe it is neces sary. You have the man's signed statement. You can call him as a court witness. He has a copy of what he said. If he alters any statement which he has made to the policeman at the time, you may impeach him. Figure 1 is a general summary of the accidents tliat we handled in the year ending September 1, 1930. At the left is the total accidents reported. A certain number of minor ones are immediately discarded. For instance, two drivers come together at a deserted intersection at two o'clock in the morning. Each driver said, "It was tny fault, I was sleeping at the wheel. It wasn't his fault." Neither one was going fast and there were no witnesses. There was really nothing you could do in a case of that kind. Tliat sort is not investigated further. The remainder are investigated -but a certain number are deflected where wc find no basis for a complaint. We must, of course, find an actual law violation. There is no crime on the books such as running into a man's car, and we cannot arrest a man just because he had an accident unless we find he was speeding or passed a stop sign, or did aay one of a number of things which constitutes a violation of an actual law. A certain number of technical arrests are made. For instance, if you live in Pittsburgh, and, driving through Evanston, seriously injure someone, it is necessary for the officers of the squad to get your name and address and have a bond set so that if the person dies you will be available for the coroner's inquest. There is iw intention of prosecuting. After deducting the technical arrests, wc have left the number convicted, compared with those dismissed- Unfortunately, we do not win all cases. We itave no property damage limit on tfie accidents wc file or investigateFormerly wc had a $2o limit, but we have come to agree that it is not a question of Street and Highway Traffic Section 71 the amount of damage to the automobile, but the fact that the can came togetlicr which shows that something is wrong somewhere. We cover every accident and some of the best convictions we have had liave bcci^ in comparatively minor cases. Alderman O. A. Pearson* (Minneapolis, Minn.): Have you bad any experience with a man who has been bumped and gives a statement to the officer, but who, when summoned into court as a witness, tries to change his testimony because the man who bumped him has made a settlement? Mr. Kreml: There has been a tendency toward tliat, but tlx: difficulty has not grown serious Wc do not ask private individuals to sign complaints. When officers operating on the investigation squads believe that they have sufficient grounds for an investigation, they make the arrest themselves, and sign the compaint themselves. The witnesses are subpoenaed into court. We finished a hit-and-run case like Unit two weeks auo. It took six weeks to get the driver, but we got him. He paid $275 to the man be hit; $225 for damages and a $50 bonus. The injured man came in aod said, "I would like to withdraw the com plaint I made." It was my pleasure to tell hied, "l am sorry, sir. You have no complaint to withdraw. The complaint was made by Officer Egebrecht, and you will appear in answer to summons or the court will issue a warrant for your arrest" When the case came tip for hearing the offender received a $50 fine. If the court xnd the prosecuting attorney are vigorous in combating that difficulty I don't believe you will find that it is a serious question, but you will find that there are some people who are so unscrupulous and have so much cupidity that nothing will sway them after they have received their damages. Alderman Pxarsow : We liave had a little trouble in our squad with men coming in and changing Uieir testimony. Wc were discussing it the other day and it was suggested that we have the officers on the accident prevention squad sworn in as notary publics, then they could make out an affidavit and have the witnesses sign it. ' Mil Krcml : I don't see any objection to that. Judge Levi N. Hall (Minneapolis, Minn.): There wouldn't be, except in the case of the defendant. You couldn't use such an affidavit against him. Mr. Kkeml: I have here about six pictures, one from each of six cases aod also a aeries of pictures of a single case showing how we handled it by several pictures, as we almost always do. Figure 2 is from a case which the stop and go light was in operation and apparently one driver ran the red. By talking to several witnesses who,really didn't know who went through the stop light, but who knew something- about tins accident we came to the conclusion that whoever did the hitting in this accident was the one who went through the stop light. We talked the case over with the city prosecutor who agreed with us. . He went before the judge and brought out the evidence. He put the witnesses on the stand and finally, at the conclusion of the case, he introduced this picture, indicat ing to the court the print of the headlight of the other car on this car. The other driver was fined for passing a stop light In the first cue we had, our friend, Harry Stein, driving down Judson Av. and approaching Main which is a through street, hit a Buick car driven by a woman. They were the only witnesses. She said he didn't stop. He said he did. He hit her car in the right rear fender without doing much damage. There were skid marks, and the officer asked Stein, "Did you you make any attempt to stop?** MSnre I did," he replied. "Don't you see titosc skid marks?" He pointed to the marks while Use officer took his picture. The marks started 17 feet before the stop was reached and continued uninterruptedly 7 feet beyond! He was easily convicted of failure to stop 72 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Another ease was that of a wealthy coal dealer's car versus a cab in which a lady who for years wouldn't ride in a cab because site was afraid to. She asked the driver to be particularly careful. He promised to do so. but they had cone only five blocks when the coal dealer struck the side of the cah. ^ Wc secured a conviction against the coal dealer on the basis of pictures showing his skid marks. Wc had two witnesses identifying them and testifying that they started back behind the stop sign. He was convicted on a charge of going through a stop sign. _ One liit-and-ron case was peculiar, tW kind wc dtai't often get. A young Swede carpenter came in one evening about six o'clock all excited. He told us he had seen an accident. A big black sedan hit a boy on a bicycle. The sedan went on. He bad chased it nine or ten blocks and then lost it. He said there were four or five men in the car. # We sent the investigation squad out but they didn't find the boy, the bicycle, or anything. We thought the Swede must have been drunk, but we posted the accident on the board. Our detective bureau squad was driving up an _ and they saw a Stutz sedan being driven into a private garage "by a colorc enow. They stopped him and found a dent on the right fender and a spot of something there. They scraped die spot off and took it over to Northwestern University to be analyzed. It was human Wood. Two or three hours later they found the boy. He had been picked up arxl taken borne. > Wc confronted the driver with the picture showing the dent, and the analysis of the blood on the fender of hts car. He entered a plea of guilty for leaving the scene of the accident; the sentence was $75 and ten days. Another picture we took showed a car which bit a tree at a street and you wouldn't know whether the driver was drunk or crazy or whether the steering knuckles broke, or what happened, from the way the wreck occurred. The accident happened at four o'clock on a very foggy morning. There was no Jight where the street ended at a cross street The accident is easily understood. The city council understands it now, too. We had asked for street end lights for about a year. Four rather prominent boys were hurt in this accident and they have the street end lights up now. This boy had driven straight on. not knowing the street ended there. In another case, a woman drove her car into the canaL This accident occurred outside our jurisdiction and once again it is an illustnUoe of what pictures etui show'. This happened at two o'clock in the morning. A bridge was out over the sanitary Canal at Dempster street The woman became excited and drove through the barricade into the canaL She was going along Dempster Street and then over the end where the bridge should have been but was saved from going into deep water by a caisson. - A sketch was made to show where she hit the first barricade, traveled 187 feet, 6 inches, hit the second barricade, knocked it down. It is 36 feet horizontally from the end of the paving to where she landed and it is estimated she traveled 44 feet diagonally landing with all four wheels in the water. She said she was going IS miles an hour. She had one bone broken m her ankle. She wasn't drunk cither. Now photographic evidence works both ways. One case, for example was a pure and simple shakedown. A pedestrian was hit and the only witness was a second comm or something of the injured person. A young boy about 21 years of age was driving the car aad because he was young and driving a big car, k was assumed that he was a speeder. The complainants thought. '`Lei's get together, get all we can, and we trill spfaV After we got their story we took some picture*. We had one of the officers of the accident sq***d stxod in the position of the pedestrian, and then we brought both of the witnesses back and put the pictures down on the table and had them tell their story one at a time. We heard one story and that kt inn go oat and brought Street amt Highway Traffic Section 73 the other in, and after repeating that process three times we didn't oeed to tel! them they were liars; they knew it. They walked out and we heard no more from them. These squads have utility i other matters besides accidents. We have a large negro population in Evanston. It is (he servant center for the elite who live along the North Shore. The colored boys and girls will drink alcohol ami get into trouble. We had one suffering from alcoholism who had also gone fanatic on the subject of religion. He shot two colored women coming out of the wrong church. He didn't like that church and wouldn't have anybody going to it if he could help it. The police detective bureau squad was sent out and as tlicy were going down' the street the accident Investigation squad saw them and tagged ou behind. They found the two women wounded and lying on the sidewalk. The sergeant in charge asked them to unload their equipment and take the women to the hospital. They put the women in the car and started. In the meantime, the fanatic gunman had been located, and an officer taking a couple of shots at him as he ran, killed him. The camera was there and they had a picture of that negro within a minute and a half after he had been killed. They didn't have to call a photographer and spend half an hour waiting for a picture while a crowd collected and got a lot of bad feeling started. They took two fine pictures. The next day at the coroner's inquest those pictures of that killing served as a real utility and economy. Besides all that, the officer who was going to the hospital in the squad car got just four blocks away when a drunken negro in a Haines car ran into him and turned him upside down. He sent the women on to the hospital in another car. sent a civilian for his equipment, got a picture, and convicted tlw negro of drunken driving. A good night's work l I can't think of a case where we have taken only one picture. We have usually taken three or four, aod in cases which would be difficult to explain to the court we have taken as many as ten or eleven pictures. In ooe case we had the following photographs. (See Figure 3.) 1. Our No. 1, a Packard, which had been north bound on Orrmgton Avenue, approaching Central Street, a through street with stop sign. 2. Car No. 2, an Essex, going east on Central Street. It had the right of way on the through street, but was struck by the Packard going north. The side of the Essex was broken open, and two women riding with the driver fell into the street. The Packard drove over them and broke both their backs. 3. A diagram of the accident showing how the Essex was going east ami Uie Packard north. The two women in the Essex knew only that they had been riding and heard a crash and woke up in the hospital. The people living in the neighboring houses heard a crash; that was all. There was not a real eye witness except the two drivers. Jack Swartz, the man in the Packard, was the most expert liar, that 1 ever met. He bad us doubting that wc even knew that the things wc saw were there. The driver of the other car, said, "I swear he didn't stop and I swear he was going 50 or 55 miles an hour." but in a criminal case all the defense has to do Is to cast a reasonable doubt, and the state's case is tost. We were afraid of that reasonable doubt. . 4. We found a skid mark but the Packard ear was gone, Wc couldn't trace this skid mark up to the Packard to show it continuous. 'Babcock identified it a> the Packard's skid mark. Swartz denied it, and there was the reasonable doubt So we had to IookTor something tangible to connect up with these skid marks, something to substantiate the testimony of Babcock. 5. We photograplied the left rear tire of tle Packard car driven by Swartz. 6. We also photographed the faint that we found at the termination of the skkl marks. This matched identically in pattern, sire and dimension, the tread of the 74 Nineteenth Anttuai Safety Congress tire. Now tbit roily would not be enough to comet, bat it wo enough to sub stantiate the testimony of Babcock and we felt we had sonrthmg worth while, 7. Another photograph shows how the skid mark started 6 feet back of the stop sign and continued 31 feet beyond to the point of impact. The impact knocked the Kssctc 94 feet north- The testimony of Bibcock, the pictures, the length of the skid marks was enough to get an indictment before the gvand jury. The case is now pending in criminal court, and I think we will get Mr. Swartr. 8. a picture of the whole corner shows it was open to wiew. There was no rea son why Swarta shouldn't have seen the other car coming. The reason for the other fellow not seeing him was the high speed of Swartz' car. 9. An additional picture shows the skid mark which started within 31 feet of the point of impact and then went from the point of impact in a northeasterly di rection 35 feet. 10. The last picture in the set sluws the Essex where it come to rest One thing I would like to emphasize most forcibly in our accident investigation work is that our squads are charged with the job of finding hit-and-run drivers. (See Figure 4.) We put it up on the board and it stays on the board until they find that driver. We have had 71 cases since September 1 last year. We have only six names on that board now. We have apprehended 65 of thou. Of the charges preferred, driving while intoxicated and disorderly conduct come first Disorderly conduct is grouped with driving while intoxicated because, in many cases when the evidence is not strong, and we arc taking a chance of a dis missal by preferring the diargc of driving while intoxicated, we change the charge to disorderly conduct and it is much easier to get the conviction. Leaving the scene of the accident, although it has nothing to do with the accident itself, is the second largest offense so far as convictions are concerned. Passing stop signs, reckless driving and speeding, failure to yield right of way, defective brakes, and so on, are all charges preferred on which we get convictions. These are not the true indications, of course, of the causes <4 accidents. Tire cause oi the accident may lave been that the man fell asleep, but if we find lie lias defective brakes that is what he will be charged with. Whatever statutory violation we can find constitutes the charge. Before 1 tell you what the final results of this thing have been, I want you to remember please that we immediately adjoin the city of Chicago on tin' north, that it is very difficult for us to reach the citizens of the city of Chicago with any of our educational propaganda. Since we have instituted this system, our convictions following accidents have gone up 190 per cent and we have shown this year a 62.5 per cent reduction in fatal accidents. The people who were killed were in every instance Chicagoans: so were the drivers of both cars. We do not recommend this as a utopian plan. There arc many things yet to he done. We are trying to improve our own system every day and there is much to be learned and many more activities that we could go into and hope to go into, but we do feel that we have made some real progress in tlw last year. Joiwz Hall - The chief trouble we have is with failure to yield the right of way. In those cases do you require evidence of some other violation before you take the case to court, or do you go into court with simple complaint of failure to yield the right oC way? Mr. Kheml: We do, but we are extremely careful when we make an arrest for that violation. We wouldn't go into court on such evidence, for instance, as the statement of a driver ad somebody in the car with him* and a picture showing that tire car at the left, which did not have the right of way. hit the car at the right on the left rear fender. Ordinarily that would seem like a pretty good case, bat it Street and ifiytoeay Traffic Section 75 lias to be stronger than that Tliat is, we demand in our office a higher degree of proof before going to court on that particular violation. C. W. Ba*&X (Director of Police, Rochester, Y.): How is it that your in vestigating squad can make an arrest or as you express it. file a complaint, for a misdemeanor which tiwy do not see. Ma. K*e:mi.: Before we started we realized that if \vc couldn't do that, wc could only serve as an agency for people interested in collecting damages. We wouldn't have gone ahead on that basis. Therefore we appealed to the corporation counsel, to tle city attorney, and also to J. Allen Davis, who drafted the Model Municipal Traffic Ordnance and Uniform Vehicle Code for the Hoover Conference. After investigating for several weeks, Mr. Davis felt that, unless expressly prohibited by statute, the officers liad a right to make that kind of arrest, and that tbc only recourse the individual so arrested would have, would be a charge of malicious prosecution, in which case he would have to show an element in that suit of malice in fact not in law. In other words, they would have to show that this officer had malice for the particular person ar rested. In practically all cases, needless to say, the officers have never seen the defendant before so of course a malice in fact would be hard to prove. If you are expressly prohibited by statute in New York State from such arrests, then of course you can't do it, bin if you are not expressly prohibited hy statute then it is a false belief than an officer cannot make an arrest for a misdemeanor unics he witnessed it. If there is no actual malice and lie has reasonable grounds to believe and does believe that there was a violation, tlum he may sign a complaint. Burrow W. Marsh (Traffic Engineer, Philadelphia, Pa.): fn all the congress session* I have ever attended, and they arc quite a few, this is the most outstanding presentation l have ever heard, i should like to offer a resolution that this talk, with such discussion as may be deemed advantageous, and with the pictures, be published as a separate paper. Then we in other parts of the country wlw, are not getting the almost utopian result* which Mr. Kreml is getting--may have tl*e op portunity to distribute this to persons in those cities who should become interested in that fact that it can be done. Chairman Davis: Mr. Krem! says tlwit the National Safety Council lias several copies of this film strip No. 29, accompanied by a special lecture which lias been written on the basis of hi* experiences. Public Safety Mono. No. 39, also covers this subject. I received a copy of it during the summer and was very much inter ested in it. But I think it ought to make Kreml feel good to have this resolution passed. (The resolution was adopted unanimously.) This all goes to show what you can make out of a motorcycle officer. Bin you will never ride one of them again, Kreml, I will tel! you that. The Prosecutor's View of Enforcement By ALEXANDER K. GAGE Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Wayne County, Detroit, Mich. No one who loves his feilow-men can consider the appalling toll of street and highway traffic without registering a high resolve to do his part to help in solving Ibis great human problem. Modern living with all its complexities is presenting problems and conditions which the fixed principles of our common law cannot satisfy. We need an adjust ment of these old and honored principles to modern industrial practice and social and economic conditions. In no particular, is tins more true than in connection with 76 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress street and highway traffic in our cities and indeed wherever, throughout die land, we find the hard road and Hie paved highway. In this adjustment, the police anil kindred agencies are recording great progress in tl>e accumulation and intelligent use of statistics and the formulating of regula tions based upon them. The police, in our metropolitan districts especially, have made notable advances in the technique of initial investigation and in the appre hension of law violators. The Courts also, by structural alteration and procedural reforms, have shown a truly modem spirit of progress. The separate Traffic Court in the larger municipali ties has made the accurate observation of any surviving maladjustment very much more easy and effective. The Prosecuting Attorney deals directly with the Police ami kindred agencies, on the one hand, and with the Courts, on the other. His duties not only require him to direct and scrutinise investigations and the apprehension of law violators; but. also, to supervise the preparation of the evidence and to present the legal bash for the discipline and punishment to be imposed by the Courts. And, so, his is a position of peculiar advantage as well as great responsibility in finding a "definite practical relationship between the statutes as enacted and their enforceability, as a part of the reality rather than the theory ot government."* ^ In most metropolitan districts, the investigation, apprehension and punishment of minor traffic violations arc left to the direct supervision of the special accident in vestigation bureau in the police department and to the Courts. The prosecutor's office is called upon only in cases of major- infractions and the more complicated and serious instances of reckless driving. In the City of Detroit and environs which are Included in the County of Wayne, these cases number between five and six hundred, every year. In all of these cases, there is a wide range of degree of guilty intent. The facts are often poorly observed and the witnesses lamentably un skilled in telling what they saw. The physical facts are recorded hr remote locations. The pressure of ever newer cases and other casualties interferes with the prompt investigation and recording of these facts; the interest and prejudices of the parties and witnesses must be determined and discounted, if not overthrown; the witnesses must be persuaded that the case and tbeir testimony is a part of a great public emergency existing which calls for patriotic sacrifice of personal convenience and cost. Often the office investigation shows that the occurence was the result of no unlawful act upon the part of the driver or that.the victim was primarily at fault. Often, the farts are so contradictory that a further determination is required by reference to a Coroner's Inquest. And, in many cases, the surviving driver is held upon a warrant based upon probable cause where all the elements of the crime charged are present and proof thereof available. When these cases are finally prepared, and ready fra- trial, they must compete foe the time of the Court, with thousands of other cases. The line of demarcation be tween a negligent homicide or a manslaughter case and a reckless driving case is only in tlie degree of danger to other persons and vehicles. And, thus, we find great difficulty in securing deliberate and patient attention from the Courts and Juries. This condition is greatly relieved in those cities where there are Special Traffic Courts. .. Why is there such difficulty in securing just punishment for the guilty w Traffic Cases? What is the cause of the oft-heard complaint that there ts an absence of even-handed justice? What are the remedies, if any, for the resulting situation? Is our present system of laws inadequate to cope with the solution of Ibis great modern . problem? _,, .. In answering these questions, I may be pardoned if I refer to an experience ot THE IJUUTAllNG EFFICACY OF ENGLISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE, by Go>e W. Alger in the ATLANTIC icr Attfiut 1*2A Street am? Highway Traffic Section 77 nearly five years in the office of the ProMrcotmR Attorney of Wayne County, at Detroit, daring which time I have had charge of die investigations in approximately 3,800 major traffic case* and have assisted in preparing and trying at least a thou sand cases. Let us commence our inquiry by a close examination of the final act in the dread ful drama of motor mania. Court's in Session! The case is called. The jury's impanelled. Most of the jurors are, themselves, drivers. They're pedestrians, too. The people present their case; a long list of witnesses testify to the various ele ments contained in the charge. Much of this testimony is routine and entirely taririag Is dramatic appeal. Most of the testimony is fragmentary and unsatisfactory because of poor observation or lack erf skill in the telling. Oftentimes, important witnesses fail U> appear. Case ** ckffved. Arguments of counsel. The judge's charge: presumption of Umo fence, reasonable doubt, unlawful act or the violation of some Statute, intent (whether required or not--whether implied or not), the weight of evidence, interest, bias, ability and capacity to observe on the part of witnesses; and. again, reasonable doubt and presumption of innocence. The jury retires. The evidence is considered. The "intangibles'* are also considered. The verdict. I yield to none in my adherence to the belief "that the average American jury, when properly made aware of the seriousness of its task, is intelligent, conscientious, fair-minded, and frequently amazingly able to comprehend complicated situations of fact and pass upon them. Corruption in juries is a rare and uncommon thing, and. because of the rule of law that verdicts most be unanimous, exceedingly difficult of successful accomplishment `The fault for miscarriages of justice lies primarily, I am convinced, not with the juries, but with the antiquated concepts of law with which they arc shackled in arriving at their verdicts. Within the limitations of these shackles, the average American jury is as competent a tribunal for the finding of fact and the even-handed doing of justice as any that mankind lias yet devised."* Yet, how can it be that, with the facts practically undisputed, our j ivies so often bring in a verdict of "not guilty?" Is it the "intangibles?" Is it sympathy for the driver or his family--are the members of the jury totalty devoid of sympathy for the victim and his dear ones? Is it unwillingness to credit defendant with any in tention to do wrong ? Is it a strange insistence upon the fundamental principles that an act and an evil intent must combine to produce a crime; that no amount of intent alooe or of act alone, is sufficient; that the two must combine; tliat the act and in* tent must concur in point of time; that the evil intent must be fairly deducible from the facts and proofs? These rules are elemental and have subsisted as long as the Jury system itself. Are these tests applied to the evidence in the case during the jury's quest for a "reasonable doubt" so insisted upon by defense and carefully (sometimes, it would seem, overcarefully) stated by the Judge in his charge? It is true that the Court may have fully diarged the Jury as to whether or not it is necessary to prove intent; and also (where gross negligence ia charged) as to the degree of negligence which may take the place of intent- But does this careful safeguarding of tlie people's case overthrow the intangible influence of these funda mental principles which are ingrained in every freeman's breast and which are so skillfully set In vibration by the oft repeated reference to conviction ''beyond a rea sonable doubt?" Our juries are cross sections of the current lives and thought of the great mass of our people. Their verdicts reflect the thought and spirit of the day. We must not be impatient with their findings; we must seek to truly interpret this thought and the correct rule of life to our juries. Ami there is one point (and one point only), it seems to me, which must be carried, in order to secure this correct inter- A* AtKiim jTetic* at Fault, ]>/ Victor Hww. la tb ATLANTIC far August 192S. 78 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress preiatkm of the true thought and sound spirit of the day. And that point is this: An Automobile is a "dangerous instrumentality" and, when recklessly and heedlessly employed, it is just as deadly as a gtm or knife or any other instrument of destruc tion. We all know this, drivers of cars know the truth of the fact; but do they understand and appreciate their individual responsibility? How do we enforce this individual responsibility? The Accident Analysis Committee of the Public Safety League on February 6th, 1930, at Detroit, made the following recommendation; "The experience of States requiring operator's license, shows that although 25 per cent of the applicants fail on the first examination, much less than 5 per cent are refused licenses. Records in Detroit show that in less than three years motorists who have physical defects have been involved m 8 fatal and 66 injury accidents. Private concerns employing large number of bus and truck drivers state that only about 20 per cent of the applicants who apply to them for positions are able to pass the company's requirements, although all the applicants have operator's licenses. The passage of an operator's license law which requires a more strict examination before a license k issued, and that each motor vehicle driver be required to renew his license periodically.* Have we been able, in the comparatively few years since the coming of the motor car, to alter our streets and highways to meet the needs of the enormous growth of vehicular traffic? "We need to rebuild our cities.*^ Have we done all we can to require all the people to have the necessary skill usd judgment to cope with the multiplicity of hazards which have resulted? Are these Itazards of the highway known and charted? A more definite and wide spread public knowledge of the effects of alcohol used in quantities much less than will result in obvious intoxication but which often tend to decrease motor control and appreciably lessen the sense of individual responsibly most be proven and admitted. One drink nay be enough to snake a driver take a chance. Even small amounts of alcohol, quite fnftrffietent to intoxicate, tend to decrease the higher forms of skill and perhaps also to lessen the sense of individual responsibility- Do our people tmderstand that "most accidents result from a combination of causes rather than from a single cause;" that, in most serious and fatal accidents, speed is either a primary or secondary cause; that very few of the 30,000 wmal deaths from street or highway casualties are, strictly speaking, unavoidable? Many casualties might have been avoided were the tennis known or fully ap preciated. Disregarding these hazards, either because of ignorance or heedlessness, a casualty becomes imminent, no longer preventable. In the abstract, all casualties may be avoided; most, can be prevented by the exercise of cane and diligence coupled with knowledge of tite hazards of the highway and a deep and abiding sense of individual responsibility. When the public at large is willing to sobsatoe to these proven facts, a cross-sectioo of that public as found upon oar lories will reflect their convictions ixt their verdicts. _ Let it not be thought that we are unmindful of the many methods and expedients available for improving and remedying conditions. These were succinctly pointed oat ill the report of the Committees on Enforcement and on Causes of Accidents of the Hoover Conference in 1926: "There are three broad methods of approach to remedy. 1st, through prevention and safeguard, 2nd, threx^h much stronger punishment for rotation of the rights of others, 3rd, through public education as to its responsibilities. "Special traffic courts are recommended for the hugest cities, and special traffic sessions of the general court* for smaller cities. Uniformity will be promoted if the traffic are handled by the smallest number of judges able to ha&Se them. *Andrew B. Green, Jr., in conversation with the aothar, l$2fl ~ Street and Highway Traffic Section 79 Judges who confine tbeir attention solely to traffic matters are most likely to admin ister adaqua*e and even-handed justice. "Fiore arc the ooly feasible penalties for small offenses, and probably have a deterring effect if materially increased with each Subsequent offense. Suspension or revocation of operators' licenses is probably the strongest deterrent, whether the bolder operates vehicles for (1) pleasure, (2) necessity, (3) or as a means of eantiog a livelihood. Suspension should be mandatory for live most serious offenses, dther in addition to or in lieu of other punishment . "Whenever the owner of a motor vehicle causes or permits it to be operated in violation of toe traffic laws, both the owner and the operator should be subject to the penalties provided by law. "Uniform, impartial enforcement of reasonable requirements by adequate and prop erly organized police is a primary oecessity in reducing street and highway accidents. Far too little attention is given by the police administration in most commaaiitics to utilization of the general police patrolmen in the enforcement of motor vehicle laws and regulations. "It is highly important to conserve the time of apprehending officers. Officers required to remain hours in court, particularly on their own time, are naturally less likely to apprehend violators than If their cases can be disposed of quickly. "Because of the wide range of degrees of guilty intent in traffic violations, as well as of degrees of danger to other persons and vehicles, and because of the difficulty of obtaining convictions if the penalties are too severe, most of such offenses should be classed as misdemeanors, giving the courts wide latitude in suiting the punish ment to the offense. Only maximum fines and terms of imprisonment should be pro vided in such crees. In the case of major offenses, however, which are essentially dangerous and Intolerable, there should be minimum penalties, severe enough in every ease to act as a read deterrent, and more severe for second or subsequent than for first offerees. The major offenses for which minimum penalties are recommended are: (1) reckless driving, (2) operating while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, and (3) evading identification in cases involving personal injury. "Imprisonment is a much more effective deterrent than the levying of fines, no J***r kw l*nte and there should be prison sentences for major offenses. Undoubtedly prison sentences are also often necessary to discipline habitual vio lators. "Ooe of the most important parts of the enforcement machinery consists of the record of cmmctiocu of traffic violations. The record should be a permanent one for rech individual and should show, besides his convictions, any suspension or revoca tion of his license and any denial erf his application for a license. Recording viola tions on the operator's license card is recommended as a ready guide to the post record of a person apprehended. "Successful tew enforcement is impossible in the long niu without the backing of pcdrfic opuston. The Organization of public opinion to support tew enforcement must be just as comiooous and just as energetic as the efforts to defeat it The aim should be to create a community feeling that the traffic police and courts are performing an important public duty. * "In any event investment in a study of primary causes and contributory circum stances that produce accidents, and a comparative evaluation of the ways used in New York and other states to encourage safe driving, to develop competence, court esy and consideration in ad users of the highways, to eliminate recklessness, to dis cover and remove unnecessary hazards, and to put the enormous weight of public optoioo behind this movement for the conservation of human life will yield to the nation returns whose value is beyond measure." 80 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress This last paragraph la, from the standpoint of your speaker, especially significant. Too long hare our public authorities, especially those chargeable with law enforce ment, regarded the traffic authorities as a by-product, as an appendage, to the more serious agencies for preventing crime and apprehending and punishing criminals. When the public is brought to realize not only the tragedies of traffic but also the tremendous economic loss involved, they may be ready and glad to treat their agen cies chargeable with traffic enforcement with a much more liberal, even a lavish hand. The utmost latitude, within raison, should be allowed and will, without doubt, show large returns in the swiftness, certainty and appropriateness of judgments secured. As was said, the methods and expedients available are many and effective. But there are certain aspects of the traffic problem which cannot be adequately solved under our present system. These aspects arc partly social, partly economic and partly juristic Let us consider the case of Jim Maloney. Jim was a hard-working, sober man. He had a good wife, three little girls and a neat, tidy home. He bad a good job. One day, while he was at work and the little girls were at school, his wife went to the store around the corner to buy some supplies. ' It was a cold, bleak morning; there had been an ice storm the night before and the streets were like glass. She crossed to the middle of the roadway past the traffic bound toward town and stood waiting for a heavy duty truck, loaded with cement, to pass la the opposite direction close to the curb on the further side of the broad highway. As she stood there, entirely cm the left or farther side of the street, a light roadster driven by a man of social and financial prominence in the community, approached the intersecting street at a reasonably moderate speed, even under the apparent condition of the road. A car approaching die thoroughfare from the right appealed not to intend to atop. Our suburban driver put on his brakes in order to slow down and give the impatient driver from tbe side street more room to pass. The icy surface offered no traction for the locked wheels. The little roadster seemed to gather momentum even as it sailed out into the intersection. The driver of the roadster twisted his steering wheel this way and that in a frantic effort to avoid a collision. Suddenly his car drifted to the left; and, for the first time, the driver dis covered Mrs, Maloney standing in his sidelong path, all unconsciously looking in the opposite direction toward the slowly approaching truck. With horrid terror he realized that nothing could be done to avert striking her. The impact threw or rather slid lier underneath the wheels, of the truck. The little lady never knew the terrible fate that befell her. An inquest was ordered- There was little proof of the facts of the occurrence, beyond the physical conditions. The driver of the car from the side street had turned the corner on to the thorough fare and had continued on hss way without seeing what took place. The driver of the truck saw the lady standing in the roadway as the cab of his truck passed by ooly an instant before sbe was struck by the other car and thrown beneath his rear wheels. The only other eye witness was a lady whose car was struck by the still sliding roadster as it reached the rear of the truck. The Coroner's jury fexmd the driver of the roadster responsible for the death of the little wife and mother. While we were considering the filing of complaint and issuance of a warrant, Jim Maloney presented himself at our office. In the two or three weeks which had passed since the tragedy, he bad faced the problem of hi* future and of his three motherless little girls. The driver and his insurance com pany had indicated their willingness aud desire to pay him a substantial settlement but that they could not do so while possible criminal proceedings were pending. They could not do anything which might be construed as admitting liability in any way. Distress and sympathy were not lacking for his bereavement. "If I don't get this mony now, I'll either have to give up my job or break up my home. Are you going to add to my burden by forcing me to wait for the Courts to give me what I am entitled to or will you grant my request to refrain from Street and Htghtmy Traffic Section 81 prosecution so that ] can be free to accept settlement without waiting many months, possibly years?** What answer would you give? Suppose the driver were poor mid not responsible financially? Suppose there were no economic complications? Is tins even-handed justice? What effect does such a case have upon other cases where no such con siderations are present? Of the social aspects, I would presume to say or write little. Hours might be consumed and volumes might be written upon such a subject. Upon the economic aspects, "A Study of Compensation for Automobile Accidents," by Arthur A. Ballautinc of the New York Bar in the February issue of American Bar Association Journal offers some very interesting suggestions. "The most far-reaching suggestion, urged as meeting most of the evils of the present system, is that persons injured by motor vehicles should be enabled to recover moderate fixed statutory' compensation, regardless of Use fault of the defend ants, through expeditious procedure, on the analogy of the workmen's compensation acts. "Desirable as a compensation plan may appear to be, there are obviously ques tions of the greatest difficulty as to whether the plan which has worked so satis factorily in its own field is adaptable to the field of motor vehicle accidents. No one has yet formulated such a plan in detail or made an intelligent estimate of its cost or furnished a basis for determining whether the plan would meet constitutional requirements. These questions require extensive investigation and study before intelligent discussion of the merits of the plan is possible. Some of these problems may be briefly indicated. "What the compensation plan would accomplish depends largely upon the actual refief it would afford. There is obvious difficulty in this instance. In the case of compensation for workmen this was comparatively easy because wages and salaries were always available as the basts for compensation. In the case of motor vehicle accidents a considerable number of the injured would be persons whose income could hardly be expected to be reflected in fixed statutory compensation. A majof question is, therefore, whether a practicable basis of ctanpensatkm can be worked can at all, and whether such a hasis would be likely to be reasonably satisfactory to injured persons or their dependents. "Can a compensation plan be effectively adimmstered by the Courts, or should it be administered by a special agency as in the case of workmen's compensation ? If so. bow are the constitutional requirements as to jury trials to-be met? On the legal and constitutional side there are the fundamental problems as to whether injured persons can be required or induced to accept fixed statutory compensation and whether ownoi cm be subjected to liability without fault and perhaps required to contribute to the indemnity of persons who may have been injured by others. There is also the question as to toe bearing of a compensation plan upon the promotion of safety oft die ways." Upwards of two years ago, I suggested to a number of leaders in our great motor car industry a modification of the plan just now being considered by this conimittee:--a Fowrfarion to supply funds and to direct the proper placing of financial responsibility m cases where innocent victims of traffic casualties might be unable to bear the cost and burden of "the law's delay." The administration of such a foun dation might be limited to a certain jurisdiction as a sort of laboratory experiment until such time as the State or even some national association might take over the enterprise. This suggestion was offered as a practical method of meeting that certain resent ment, which, it is believed, is not unlikely to express itself in three already often discussed program* of legislation for:-- (1) Mechanical speed control. 82 Nineteenth Antni&l Safety Congress (2) Drastk license laws limiting very greatly the number of drivers. (3) Compulsory lability insurance or some approved as&oraoce of the financial responsibility of drivers. The greatest result likely to flow from the success of such a plan or suggestion would be that the excuse for any lack of law enforcement--with even handed jus tice to all--would be forever lost. The economic status of the victim or of the accused would no longer interfere with swift, certain and adequate punishment and the consequent universal respect for the law. In conclusion, may I suggest an analogy which may pomt the way for a possible adjustment of our street and highway traffic problems to a reasonable and proper law enforcement policy. There is no human activity which is more nearly similar to the operation of a motor car than the navigation of a ship. The law of the road stead is the Civil Law, the Roman or Continental Law. No "presumption of inno cence" there--no--"beyond a reasonable doubt" If a master has a collision or loses his ship, "he's out", to use the vernacular, until he has promt his innocence. His license and his command are taken from him. .. Remember that no traffic casualty happens which was not, strictly speaking, avoid able. An accident is an event which is unexpected or the cause of which was unfore seen. How many so-called traffic accidents could not have been foreseen or how many might not be expected as the result--the necessary and almost inevitable result--of the conduct of the driver, if long enough persisted in by him? IF a collision occurs or any other untoward event happens in traffic, is . not tho driver in a better situation to prove the manner In which he was operating than is the public to show that he was guilty of some unlawful or reckless act--"beyond a reasonable doubt?" If traffic accidents are those happenings which are unexpected or the causes of which are unforeseen, is It sot a complete answer to say we must learn to expect any tiling; we must foresee any result from all the factors--of weight, power and speed which contribute to make up the inherent menace of the motor vehicle? Is it a paradox to say that motor accidents never happen, they can always be Foreseen, be avoided; someone is always responsible for every happening. Of course, I am fully aware of tlsc constitutional and legal obstacles in the way of the present adoption of these suggestions. But they have the spark of truth in them and they may form a scientific hypothesis upon which one or the other of our Scljools of Legal Research may base some interesting theses. The exploits of the English Court of Criminal Appeals encourages one to hope that there may be room in our common law--"more common than the English common law"--for some "civil" adjustments of the "practical, effective relationship of law, not to the theory, bat to the reality of government"--and to the effective, just and even-handed enforcement of our street and highway traffic laws. ADJOURNMENT Street and Hightvay Traffic Section 83 Traffic Administration Problems Thursday Horning, October 2, 1930 MAJOR GEORGE A. PARKER, Chairman Vice Chifru i mi. Street and Highway Traffic Section Major tiwegs A Parker. Vice Chairman of the Section and Stale Registrar of Motor Vehicles, ftoetrn, Mass., presided. Csttous Pcaua: Frank C. Hanrahan, city manager of Portsmouth, Virginia, b to <i f i adCfc joa the problem of the control of traffic in a city the size which he nyrtufj He vOs me that he rode in the first automobile in his community a*d be tow toe* hedwrtd with automobiles ever since. Wbat the Small City Thinks About Traffic c.By FRANK HANRAHAN City Manager, Portwaouth, V*. When wmrtniMi wa* extended to me by the Traffic Section of this !>ody to ad dress yuet I Mt tfca* I should not hesitate to give my opinion and offer it for your coosidrncxMk toramc I fed it is the duty of all public officials charged with traffic control to cooperate with an organization such as the National Safety Council iti the constant effort so ctomaatc accidents and save human life. My talk will be confined strictly to tay own experience--just as I find things--without quoting anyone or any authority ou traffic problems. What aa interesting subject this is tn me--looking back to t!>e time when I was a small boy. m the days of the old shell streets, cart houses, and when the greatest traffic accident we boys knew of was a runaway horse, which usually received big head Itaes in the daily papers--then to have the good fortune of riding in the first automobile ever to arrive in my city, and to see the many changes constantly* taking place In this motor age. It is interesting and yet more than perplexing constantly to study ways and means of handling this situation. I find tire one big barrier in the way with all of us. m our efforts to solve the traffic problem with any degree of satisfaction, is that age-old heart and brain disease "Selfishness or Self-Interest", which manifests itself in traffic as in other things; that savage trait in mortal man that crops up at times in most people, cawing lack oi thought for the other lellow. or little or no thought lor the big idea ol "What is best for the group or majority." This may be noticed particularly among those who sometimes seem prone to feel that they have reached a position in life by virtue of which they are deserving of some special recognition--yet it may occur with the merchant, the banker, baker, or candJe-stick maker, because, in a small city, their contacts with the police author ity are more intimate anti because that the ukl selfish interest has a natural chance to work. It sometimes works to such a degree that they are successful in interesting other splendid citizens by magnifying their complaint In regard to some particular traffic order or rule to the extent tliat those who never once thought of objecting to the order, immediately lietnme intensely toterersted in the matter and it can often be traced back to that selfish interest. It Is agreed that in the smaller city, the individuals and groups are somewhat closer together and become interested in each other's problems. My many years of municipal experience, particularly in the matter of handling traffic in my city, have taught me that the executive charge of traffic control should think well before he plants a new traffic order into effect and not blindly follow the other I 84 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress fellow's example. Conditions may be entirely different in his city. I believe our problem* will be better solved, if we study the condition from all angles before putting an order into effect. Once put into effect--be firm and enforce the order unless tlwroughly convinced that it is wrong, and under no circumstances change it because some influential citizen or group of citizens demands a change. If the gov erning body of the city should demand the change, then the responsibility would not be yours. f have found that it is much better to allow a reasonable latitude in business sec tions, both uptown and downtown, than to be so strict that people will feel you are making it too hard for them to conduct business. Remember the thousands of private automobile owners in your city have not been taught as yet, or do not fully realize that die time has arrived when they can no longer shop conveniently from store to store with the automobile; and the folks from the nearby rural sections who feel they have a right to demand parking space ahead of the other fellow, have not learned that we arc fast coming to the time when he must park his car in the garage as his father used to leave his horse and carriage at the cart house. A very large number of our citizens and country neighbors are learning this lesson almost daily, and find that convenient shopping can be done only in the latter way. The restrictions, according to my judgment, should be put on gradually, and only when it is found necessary for tbe orderly and safe flow of traffic, and there should be reasonable warnings before arrests are made. I believe better progress can be made in this way. , There are certain fundamentals in traffic which it is hardly necessary to discuss, such as restrictions on parking near or at fire plugs, stop streets, and at dangerous or congested points, which are common-place in most cities. For the information of those who are not well acquainted with my section of the country, I should tell you that Portsmouth is situated on the land side of the Elizabeth River. Important trunk highways converge on Portsmouth, and mire than a haU-million tourists from all parts of the world pass through our city each year, visiting the U. S- Navy Yard and Government Hospital, then to Norfolk, just across the river, where they visit Virginia Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, and several other summer resorts. We have more than twenty-five miles of white sand beach extending from Ocean View, Lynnhaven and Ocean Park on Chesapeake Bay to Cape Henry and Virginia Beach. The Portsmouth-Norfolk area, or what is often called Tidewater Virginia, has no extremes of temperature, either in winter or summer. The winters are mild and the summers arc not uncomfortably warm. Owing to the proximity of the ocean, nights are cool and pleasant. Outdoor games are enjoyed tbe year around. The mean annual temperature is 59.4 degrees. Wc can accommodate lovers of tbe ocean and bay. To those who love fresh water sport, we can say that there are more fresh water lakes abounding in fish, within a radius of twenty miles of Portsmouth- Norfolk area, titan in any similar section of the country. In fact our section is the Cradle of the Republic--Jamestown. Yorfctown. Williamsburg, and many other points of interest are within a few hours .drive of Portsmouth. I have mentioned tills, not particularly to tell you of our section, but you must know that the American people always have the reputation of knowing a good thing wiicn they see it. They have found that our section is a good place to cosnc to, and since tl>e good roads have been gradually linked up so they can visit us, they are coming in very large num bers. This, of course, adds to our traffic problem, and although our population is small, our traffic problem increases because of our location. These tourists arc made up of all classes of people and from every country. This increases our burden of care. We have an experienced chief of police, a traffic squad consisting of seven men, headed by a lieutenant who has grown up with the traffic problem for many years-- before there was a problem. Wc have recently appointed a younger man, one of irur ablest traffic officers, as sergeant, to care letter for the situation. We, like most Street and Highway Traffic Section 85 cities of our size, find it difficult to appropriate sufficient money for employment of officers needed for required service. We have recently installed a modem system of traffic "stop and go" lights, on oor main street, which is sixty feet wide from curb to curb. This system is timed to tbe flow of traffic at each particular section so that a motorist can go through tbe entire street at a rate of eighteen to twenty miles an hour, with all traffic stopped at cross streets (in safety). If his rate of speed is less or greater than the specified rate, the red flashes in front of him. This system was installed after much study and because the cost of such protection with police officers would be prohibitive to us, but I state very frankly, now tliat I have tried it out. I would not place tlws officers at the corners, even though the city could afford it, because our streets are laid off in such a manner that this light system gives excellent control, and, in my opinion, it would be spending money un wisely to place men at each intersection, or even at a few of them. However, more officers are needed for other sections not controlled by lights. These highways are constantly patrolled by motorcycle officers, who make arrests when necessary. We have changed the curb radius at several of our busy corners, which has helped wonderfully. We have resurfaced old cobfcle-sioue streets, which had not been used to any extent. These streets parallel our up and down-town streets and have taken considerable traffic from these mam thoroughfares. We have established safety zones, commooly known as the Number 2 type--only we have introduced our own new type of V-shaped concrete bumper, about four feet and eight inches long, and 22 inches high, at the head erf each zone. We keep them painted white with black stripes, with red and green glass reflectors at the edge of each of them. A car will not be wrecked if it hits one, yet it is a safety zone, which provides a reasonable amount of safety for the bus and car passengers boarding in the center erf the street. Traffic goes to the right or left erf the zones; slow-moving traffic to tbe extreme right; those making left-hand turns go to the center of the street, left of the zone, where they find die arrow pointing to left-hand turns. Opcr' ating in tins manner, we have not as yet found it necessary to eliminate the lefthand turn, though, as time goes on, it may be necessary in some sections of the street. Finding the traffic problem growing, with so many opinions being offered by some of our leading citizens, and feeling convinced that it is a matter requiring close and constant study, I came to the conclusion that no matter what type of citizen became interested, or how much I respected his opinions on other matters. I could not afford to give serious consideration to his ideas on traffic unless he had studied tite situa tion in a broad way. I appointed each of my department heads on a Traffic Com mittee. They meet each week to study the matter and discuss it from every angle. They are all city officials and all are interested. I believe this method is much better than to call on unofficial citizens' committees, the members of which can not afford to give it their time. However, neither this committee nor myself feel that we know it all, best we are interested and feel it our duty to study the matter. Our interest and responsibility is not like that of the fellow who wants a little mental exercise from his business and who may unconsciously lead you into the wrong path and before you know it you arc hack to the `selfishness or self-interest' again, just where you started. We listen to suggestions and do not despise them in any way. but we feci a keen sense of responsibility in the whole matter. Since organizing this body, we have adopted the accident spot imp. Our traffic officers meet together. Our Chief of Police, who is a member of this committee, receives inspiration weekly from these meetings--it 'peps' him; he ta turn 'peps' his men and the men pass this on to those thoughtless, discourteous, inattentive, selfish motorists, who drive over our streets, by carrying them where they belong--to the place we Southerners sometimes call the 'jail house'. These people arc drivers who are turning this country into a slaughter house for human brings, using automobiles far the slaughtering machinery, and Portsmouth is doing its best to put a stop to this type of thriving in our city. That is why my city is a member of the Natimml 86 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress Safety Council*--that ts why I am here today, to contribute all 1 can to the one outstanding: organization which has done and is doing so much to awaken the citizens of these United States to a keener sense of safety, to the end of saving human life and to lessen the toll of accidents. Oar liealth departments lwive appropriations to teach the mothers how to care for themselves and tlaeir unborn children; the same health departments record births and care for tfe children, furnishing nourishment and shelter, if necessary. All is done to develop normal citizens of them--then why not exert every effort to protect tlx lives of mothers and children in this modern age, from the dangers that are far greater in many instances than diphtheria, scarlet fever, bowel complaints, ami many other dreaded diseases. The campaign of education must keep up--it must be en larged. The people must be taught this great lesson of `Safety'. A. F- Filkixs (Traffic Lieutenant, Peoria, III.) : In Peoria we gave out shopper's lurking tickets for five or six years. When the traffic commission was formed, I asked them to discontinue that shopper's permit because the business district whs congested. > They discontinued that stopper's ticket, and a delegation of 57 prominent business men signed a petition, came before our body, and told me that I was wrecking their business. They told me I was doing away with something that was established all over the country. I would like to know if anybody here has run across this thing or if they use it in their city. I would like to lake, tint information back to our traffic commission awl city government. Mk. Haxwhak : I don't see how you could handle it with shoppers' tickets. I had to show the merchants in tny city that the confusion and congestion of parking for four or five tours did not help their business. I believe l told some of them they were losing money because of it The streets were not made for that purpose. I believe you did the right thing and I believe I did the right thing. Stick by it and convert them. Lieutenant Fn.Kivs: To get around that condition, we got a piece of ground down on the Icvce by the river and put a municipal parking ground there. We don't charge for the parking. I liavm't gone back to the shopper's ticket and if I can help it I am not going to. P. J. Peewitt (Dir., Birmingham Safety Council) : What do you do when some good citizen gets a ticket and a well-known and influential man calls to try to get the ticket taken up. J. M. Bkovguman (Chief of Police, Portsmouth, Va.) : I don't think I ought to let Mr. Hawaiian answer that. As I told you lie has exclusive control of the manage ment of our city government. It doesn't matter whether it is the Admiral, who is a resident of Portsmouth, or the poorest nun in the city, he never stands for it. He has been city manager six or seven years, a>ul he has never stood for anybody fixing a ticket- If a man is accused of violating a traffic taw he has to come to the police station and ehher be exonerated by the justice or pay a fine. 1 don't know of any time m my experience under him a* "city manager that lie lias ever hinted or recom mended that anybody lie allowed lo tseape the penalty of a fine if be violated the law- Mr, Haxxahan; He told you what I do I am going to tell you bow I do it Use force to enforce the law only when needed. Good citizens cannot afford not to respond to the man who is firm. I don't care If it is my brother who gets the ticket There is no use of his coming to me. Don't think tliat everybody who violates a traffic law in Portsmouth pays a fine. Thai is not so. We want to be reasonable. We had a case of a nun worth three or four hundred thousand dollars. He had been warned that he couldn't come down to the bank, double park, and go in to make his deposit He was warned two or three times and then lie paid hts fine. We emildn't be bothered any more. People must respect you. Be considerate and reasonably firm; when people ap* Street ami Hujhxvay Traffic Section 87 proach you on the street you mustn't lose your head, but tell them plainly what the law it- A* for as inflooita! men are concerned, you can reply to them in the same way. If you are wrong and convinced that you are wrong, admit it. Don't think that you are right al! the time. And then above everything rise* conduct yourself in a manner that you will be respected for. Respect tlic taw yourself and make everybody in the city under you restrict tlic law. Judge Levi M. Haul (Minneapolis, Mirtn.) : In Minneapolis we have a triplicate tagging system so that if a man starts out to fix a tag he has to fix three of the public officials rather than one. Wc find it works very effectively. We don't have to depend upon the honesty or efficiency of any single official We have a system that works almost perfectly in a city of 465.000. Chajrmax Parke*: The next speaker is Inspector Greenwood of the Toronto Police Department Whats Doing in Canadian Traffic By CHARLES GREENWOOD Inspector Police Department, Toronto. Canada __ The most significant fact that impresses one in connection with the traffic situation ill Canada today is the tremendous increase in the number id motor vehicles. In the Province of Ontario away back in 1904 we were the proud possessors of 535 motor vehicles. Ten years later, in 1914, the stupendous figure of 31,724 had been readied, 6.000 of which were owned by tourists, who in those days were required to procure a license for every State or Province they entered. Then we take another jump of 1C years to 1924, ami find that 271,341 passenger cars were registerni during that year. Five years later, in 1929, the increase is again quite noticeable l^Puuon oi the fact that 473,222 passenger cars were registered. These figures do not htcludc commercial vehicles or motorcycles. If one were not convinced that traffic bad become a serious problem,. perhaps the following record of tourist traffic in the Province of Ontario during the year 1929 might eliminate any doubt as to that 2,922,536 motor vehicles entered the Province for a period of 24 hours or less; 582,128 motor vehicles entered the Province for a pe riod not exceeding 60 days, and 830 motor vehicles entered the Province for a period of from 60 days to six months. . So much for the increase in the volume of traffic. Now a word as to its accommodation. The development at provincial highways was taken up seriously in 1918 when we were very pleased with ctur 42 miles of Hard sur face roads. At the end of 1929 this had been increased to 2,437 miles of good high ways and future programmes that called for very extensive additions and developments lad been formulated. In the cities and other congested and densely populated areas the development has not been in keeping with the increase in the number of motor vehicle*, consequently serious congestion bas become manifest and to take care of this extensive programmes that include street widening, the creation of new and extremely wide thoroughfares, grade separations, viaducts, etc., have been drawn up and are being carried out as speedily as possible. In the cily of Toronto, Ontario, which I have tlie lionor to represent there is a pop ulation of 805,000, and the total registration of motor vehicles of all ffoym for 1929 numbered 125,000. The down-town or business area is approximately one-half mile square. The streets in this section are very narrow and practically all cl them carry street car traffic in bods directions. Tills fact, as you can well imagine; adds mate rially to the difficult task of creating a safe and steady movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The knowledge and data gained by participation in the various ere 88 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress ferences on uniform traffic regulation and the practical use of control equipment, traffic signs, street painting etc., has helped in no irnall measure to solve this most con tentious problem. Nevertheless the number o fatalities and serious accidents directly attributable to the presence ot motor vehicles on our highways has steadily risen until it has become a matter of grave importance. By reason of this fact it has become im perative that very urgent corrective measures arc necessary to eliminate the hazards tint now exist, and it is the duty of every one of us to assist to the best of our ability whether it be hy educational or regulative methods. Progress along these lines has been accomplished in Ontario and particularly in the city of Toronto where, I am pleased to be able to say some measure of success has been the result of our efforts. In May, 1928. Brigadier General D. C. Draper was appointed Chief Constable in the city of Toronto, and was not long in finding out that there was a great deal of room for improvement in regard to the handling of traffic and the elimination of danger dements. After giving the matter due consideration Jt was decided to start a method ical system of checkin* up on the roadworthiness of motor vehicles. This service was started on the 1st October, 1928, and continued until die 30th November, 1928. The information gained during this period was somewhat alarming for it was found that of the 18,000 vehicles examined 81 per cent of this number were found to be defective in some manner. A more intensive campaign was commenced on the 1st of April, 1929, and continued until the end of November of that year, when it was found that out of the 80,000 vehicles examined the percentage of defectives hod been reduced to 19H per cent Notwithstanding this improvement, 67 persons were killed on the streets of Toronto through the medium of the motor vehicle during 1929. I do not wish to convey that the operators of the various motor vehicles that figured in these fatalities were entirely to blame, for such was not the case. In fact, in the great majority of cases the pedes trian was the party at fault. This figure, I might add, is comparatively low in com parison with other cities of the same awe, but otie cannot help but feel that every effort should be put forth to eliminate this needless loss of human life. On the 1st of April of this year, subsequent to an educational campaign through the medium of the Press, the inspection of motor vehicles was resumed, and up to and including the 31st of August, 90,000 motor vehicles have been tested and examined. The response from the motoring public has been very gratifying, but die most pleasing aspect is the reduction m the number of fatalities and serious accidents. Frpm the 1st of January, 1929, to the 31st of August, 1929, 42 persons were killed by automobiles on the streets of the City of Toronto- During die corresponding period of 1930, 22 persons were killed or nearly SO per cent less than in 1929, notwithstanding the in crease iu the number of motor vehicles. The accident list was reduced in like pro jection. These figures are very significant and in this connection I would like to state that it is a debatable question as to whether the periodical save-a-fife campaign is as meritorious as the persistent educational and corrective one. The method of test iu Toronto is as follows. # Three voluntary stations are maintained and operated by the traffic department, and open from 8 ;00 a^. to 8:00 pni., each day, Sundays excepted. Windshield stick ers are given to those who conform with the regulation*. The color of the sticker is changed every month. Those wl*o do not pass are given a certificate to that effect, and a reasonable amout of time to effect the necessary repairs and adjustments, and tl>cn the vehicle must be submitted for re-examination before the owner is allowed to operate it on the city streets. At the same time all officers of the traffic squad who operate throughout the entire city for 24 hours each day, are stopping motor vehicles a- random, that do wot bear live sticker for the current month. Each car is subjected to the customary test which includes brakes, bom, lights, steering, rear vision mirror, muffler, and all necessary licenses must be produced at this time. If the test is pawed successfully a sticker is issued, bat if such is not the Street and Highway Tragic Section 89 case, and carelessness or negligence is evident, the owner or operator is summoned to court. In addition to this all necessary repairs must be made, as soon as possiNe and the vehicle re-examined at oue of the voluntary stations within a stipulated period of time. Through this medium a large number of decrepit and dilapidated old cars and trucks that were beyond that stage where they could have been made road-worthy have been removed from our streets, for in such cases the vehicles are ordered off the street and the license plates orderd to be turned in. The thought may arise that this is rather an expensive method of enforcing main tenance regulations, bat the experience in Toronto is that the revenue derived from the cardess and negligent owner or operator adequately covers the cost of enforcement and the psychological effect is constant and lasting. To further assist us In the promotion of safety in connection with traffic, a financial responsibility law came into effect id the Province of Ontario on the 1st of Septeuilwr this year, and is quite similar in its construction to those in operation for some time past In about a dozen states in the Union. The substance of tins new law is as fol lows :-- The law was passed by the Legislature of Ontario on recommendation of the Hon ourable Mr. Justice Hodgins, as Royal Commissioner, after careful inquiry by him in Canada, England and the United States. It has been endorsed by the Ontario Motor League, by the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, by the Ontario Associated Beards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce, by the Toronto Board of Trade, and by the Canadian Automobile Underwriters' Association. This law applies to all auto mobiles, motor trucks, trailers, motorcycles and tractors. The Act will apply penalties only to those who bring themselves under it It is intended to encourage safe and careful driving and to penalize reckless or careless drivers. Under this law the oper ator's license and his motor vehicle permit wilt be suspended until the holder has given proof of his financial responsibility if any erf the following offenses have been com mitted in Ontario or In any other Province of the Dominion of Canada or in any of the stales of the United States; or if he has not paid any final judgment against him for damages caused to any person to tbe limit of $5,000 for one person and $10,000 if two or more persons have been injured, or to the property of another in excess of $100 and up to $1^100 arising out of a motor vehicle accident, whether such judgment be rendered against hnn in Ontario or in any other Province of Canada. The following are tbe offences mentioned hi the act: Reckless driving if any injury to any person or property occurs in connection therewith. r Racing on a highway. Exceeding the speed limit if any injury to any person or property occurs in con nection therewith. Failing to remain at or return to the scene of an accident. Driving without holding a license. Any criminal offence involving use o( a motor vehicle which includes any convic tion for driving a motor car while intoxicated. The suspension erf an owner's permit witl apply to all the cars owned by the offender. If damage he done to the person or property of others the operator's license or motor vehicle permit which has been suspended will not be restored until damages awarded hy a court in Ontario or in any other Province of Canada have been paid. Payment of damages by installments may he authorised by the court in Ontario which gave judgment. Proof of financial responsibility will also be required for the future. Proof 'if financial responsibility may be given by any o*e of the following methods: Filing of a policy of an authorized insurance company with limits of $5,000/ 10,000 for public liability and $1,000 for property damage. Filing of bond of an authorized guarantee or surety company. Filing of a bond by two sureties approved by the county judge. Deposit of securities to amount of $11,000. 90 Nineteenth Amituil Safety Congress When proof of financial responsibility has been required, such must be continued tor three years, if the person to whom an insurance policy was issued has violated its terms whether by misstatement in his application for insurance or on breach of the conditions of the policy, the person injured may still claim against the Insurance com pany, but in that event the insurance company by a provision in their policy, may have a right of action against their policyholder for recovery of the damages paid on his behalf. Every motor accident m Ontario resulting in injury to any person, or damage to property which apparently exceeds $50, must be reported to the police by the persons involved and by the Police to the Registrar of Motor Vehicle in Ontario. Tbe Regis trar will keep a permanent record for each person involved in an accident and a copy of such driving record may be obtained on request, and payment o a fee of $1.00. Under reciprocal arrangements with other Provinces and States of the United States any driving offence by an Ontario motorist committed outside of Ontario will be re ported to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles in Ontario, who may then require proof of financial responsibility. Also Ontario will report any offence in Ontario by drivers of cars of other Provinces and Stales to the official who issued the license. Any person insured may obtain a certificate of insurance from tbe company which has issued a policy to him and file it with the Registrar to show Ins financial respon sibility so that m the event of an offence under the Act his license or permit would not be immediately suspended. No filing of insurance certificates or other proof of financial responsibility can be made with tbe Registrar of Motor Vehicles until after September 1st, 19J0, when the Act comes into force. There is no doubt in my mind that this law will eventually materially aid in the elimination of carelessness and negligence which are so ever present oe our highways and byways. Accident reports no matter how gTeat or small are essential. In this new law in On tario, penalties are provided for in the case of those who neglect to report accidents. The reconstruction of accidents as soon as possible after tlieir occurrence, by competent and disinterested persons, is to my mind, very valuable data, and m the city of To ronto two experienced men are on duty at all times, expressly for the purpose of repairing to the scenes of accidents immediately, ami ascertaining lhe true facts, such as: skid marks, damage to vehicles, conditions of operators, condition of roadways, visibility, weather conditions etc, and this report is filed away and follows any subse quent case or action until same is completed. To obtain any results that are com mendable. enforcing authorities must have the necessary backing and confidence of the judicial departments, and in this respect Toronto, Ontario, and in fact die Dominion of Canada as a whole is 100 per cent, by reason of the fact that wherever negligence or carelessness is proven, or evidence of disregard for existing regulations is shown, little or no consideration is given to offenders. In closing I would like to emphasize the point that while I am of the opinion diat any safety movement, no matter how great or small, is commendable to obtain any great or lasting results the movement must be constant and die co-operation of all concerned is essential. In Toronto, the Safety League, Motor League and all right thinking motorists have been largely instrumental in bringing about results that have been obtained, and I fed that if the campaign had been pursued along the line* of pros ecution instead erf through the channel* of cooperation and education it would have been a dismal failure. The Board of Trade of the city of Toronto created what is known as the Joint Traffic Committee, whose object it is to discuss the various traffic problems, and for mulate solutions; and submit recommendations to the authorities for consideration. .This committee is comprised of representatives from all of the various buxine** organ izations, members of the Safely and Motor Leagues, officials from the Transporta tion and Police Departments. It functions 100 per cent ami such a body would be a derided acquisition and invaluable in connection with the promotion of good local Street and Highway Traffic Section 91 traffic conditions, in any modern city. Under abnormal conditions the help and advice of such a committee is very necessary. The Shrine Convention was held in Toronto in June of tills year, and we had approximately 80,000 strangers within our gates during that period. Our records show tiutt there was not a single motor fatality in Toronto during the month of June, neither was there a single serious accident during the Shrine Convention. Another very strenuous period that occurs annually in Toronto is the Canadian Na tional Exhibition, which attracts tourists and visitors from all over the North Ameri can Continent. The average attendance during the two weeks of the Exhibition, which is generally held the last week of August and the first week erf September, is two million. It is not unusual, particularly on a public holiday, such as Labor Day, to see ten thousand cars parked m and about the grounds, from not only every Province in the Dominion of Canada, but from every state in the United States. It will be readily seen that oa such occasion* we have many visitors unfamiliar with our local traffic regulations, and that there is every possibility of unintentional violation. Notwith standing this condition, the violations are infinitesimal, doe to the splendid co-opera tion which is extended to the authorities by all concerned, without which it would be impossible to handle this situation. J. F. H. Wrse (GcuT Mgr., Canadian National Safety League, Toronto, Out.): Inspector Greenwood, with bis usual modesty, has not told us anything about the traffic tights of which he is in charge. The assembly should hear something about the success with which he has met in tins connection. Inspector G*onwooo: To tell you about than would be an absolute repetition of what you beard from Mr. Marsh. \Ve have 125 controlled Intersections in Toronto and have yet to have a serious or fatal accident at one of them. F. C Busy (Mgr. Safety Dept., Minneapolis Automobile Club, Minneapolis, Minn.) : Where the police prosecute and bring about convictions, wliat becomes of lubility suits based upon the conviction which may be assiduously followed up by lawyers? Inspector Greenwood; In the Dominion of Canada, you cannot make the police court a collecting agency m any way. Any collecting done In connection with any accident b done outside of the police coort. That is, a charge is simply laid against the man and that is heard and damages do not enter into the action at all. Civil courts are provided for that. Eo. J, Bath (Legislation & Public Affairs Division, Ohio Farm Bureau Federa tion, Columbus, OO : How do you determine who is subject to this financial respon sibility act. Must one be convicted in a court of record or is it determined on the basis of police judgment? Do both parties to the accident become subject to the act? Inspector Greenwood : One must be convicted in a court of record before he comes under the new financial responsibility law. Framjlun M, Kreml (Director, Accident Prevention Bureau, Police Department, Evanston, III.) : I* driving while intoxicated the first violation in point of numbers, or the second or third or fourth, in your opinion? Inspector Greenwood; Without any statistics, I would say that driving while intoxicated is not the greatest cause of accidents in the city of Toronto. We keep a very, very strict hand upon those who would drive while intoxicated, and even upon those who take liquor and are not what you could absolutely call intoxicated. Our men are especially trained for that feature. If liquor is smelled on the breath of the operator, he can be charged with reckless driving, but, of course, he cannot be convicted of driving while intoxicated. We have to prove that he Is drunk before wc can get a conviction so wc take the lesser charge of reckless driving, which is generally followed by a very stiff fine and loss of license for about six months. We find we have tl>e number of intoxicated 92 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress e' driver* reduced to a minimum. An intoxicated driver is sure of a minimum of 14 days in jail. ' M. W. Torxelson (Reg. Plan. Director, Wisconsin Highway Commission, Madi son, Wis ) : To whom do you issue a summons, the driver or owner of the car? Inspector Greenwood: We have an advantage in that point. The summons is always Issued to the owner of the car. The policeman reports a violation pa a card. Subsequently information and two summonses are made out All go to the police coart and most be sworn to by a magistrate. Then the two summonses cocne back and go to the point of service. The man in that division who serves the summons goes up to the house, and possibly the gentleman who owns the car is not at home, but the leaving of a copy of that sum mons with any adult person m the house constitutes what we call a personal service. Even though the roan does not receive a summons, as long as it is left with an adult person in the house, he is considered to have received it When the case is slated for bearing, whether the defendant is there or not, the case goes on. If he b not there to defend himself he is invariably convicted and fined. From there on the process of collection, either body or money, very simple. We can sell enough goods to pay the fine but we never do that A distress warrant is issued as a matter of course, and then the warrant 0* commitment is issued and we grab Mr. Man and ha either pays up or goes in. PiAffK L Duggan (Chairman Better Traffic Committee, Pittsburgh, Pa.) : How do they determine in Toronto whether the driver of a car is intoxicated? Inspector Greenwood: It has reached the point where we have classes in it nowI listened to the evidence of one of our men a few mornings ago. The magistrate said, "How do you know the man was Intoxicated?* The officer replied. "His speech was affected, he staggered, be couldn't talk intelligently.** The man then spoke in his own defense, saying, "Didn't I intelligently tell you my name and address? And wasn't it such-and-such a tune of day when 1. was ar rested?" That raised a reatcnable doubt, in the magistrate's mind, and the charge was re duced to reckless driving. The offender was punished but not as severely as though convicted of the charge of driving while intoxicated. You have to have them helpless before you can get a conviction of drunkenness. E, B. Lefferts (Mgr, Public Safety Dept., Southern California Automobile Club, Los Angeles, Cal.) : Are intoxicated driving cases heard before a jury or before the magistrate. ' # Inspector Greenwood: Every man who appears in any English or Canadian court of justice has the right to be tried before a magistrate or before a court of common jurisdiction, but most of them do not ask for a jury trial, they get it over as quickly as tlvey can. Chairman Parker: The next speaker will be Dr. Miller McClintoek, wins has done very valuable service to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which I represent, in establishing the system of uniform traffic regulations. Dr. Miller McClimtock (Director, Erskine Bureau for Street Traffic Research, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.): When one hears what Inspector Green wood is doing in Toronto it must enlarge toe very deep respect all people interested in law enforcement have always had for the thoroughly effective and dignified way in which Canadian officials handle the matter. 1 believe that as Inspector Greenwood spoke you must also have thought that tius very clear-cut, simple, direct and effective mechanism for law enforcement which the Inspector described marks a very rapid and complete development within tl pan ten year*. Such a statement by a police official ten years ago would have been an impossibility; not that they did not know what needed to be done, but their hands were so tied with antiquated regulations Street and Highway Traffic Section 93 and legal powers that they were not in a position to act as they would like to haw acted. . In che last analysis the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations and the protec tion of the public on the streets and highways lies in the hands of police department* and we must depend upon their efficiency, their courage, and their honesty to see that our job is done, but wc cannot expect them to do it alone. We must not only back them with proper public opinion, but we must likewise make available for them and their cohorts, mechanisms and equipment which will relieve them of at least some of the more mechanical aspect* of their duties. That why, to me, it is quite significant and proper tliat following the address of so prominent a police official as Inspector Greenwood we should turn our attention for a few minutes to a consideration and discussion of traffic equipment. Pikwitt: Is it not becoming necessary now to use some kind of a reflector on all signs, because of the Increase of night traffic? Down home the police say privately that if they had a serious case of violation of a stop sign at night they could probably get no conviction unless there was a light there or unless it was a reflector type. O*- G. Lloyd (Chief, Sec. of Safety Standards, U. 5. Bureau of Standards, Washington, p. C) ; It does seem that if a sign Is to be effective at night, that it must be illuminated^ m some wiy. In cities that may be sufficiently accomplished by the street illumination. Otherwise, it would seem necessary to have some supple mentary illumination, cither a luminous sign or a reflecting element. The report of the American Engineering Council Committee on the subject did call for illumination of signs. Dr. McCuntock : In driving lately I have been impressed by the efficiency aifuned in the reflector dement. I recall that not so many years ago a reflector sign was a hazard as far as visibility was concerned. . Ernest P. Goodrich (Consulting Engineer, New York City): l would like to suggest to those of you who can do so that you take a trip over some of the county roads in and about Pittsburgh and see the new sort of sign which has been adopted. Not only is this sign low and elate to the roadside so that toe headlights of the automobile will expose the specific message which is carried on the sign, but also the distance and the direction signs to other place* have been so placed that they are visible at mght from the headlight reflection. These signs are also large with large lettering, and they arc black on white. Mr. Lxrntrs: Might I suggest to Mr. Prewitt that the standard shape* for warning signs, directional signs, and stop signs, were developed by the American Engineering Council with the thoiht that It in difficult to thoroughly illuminate every type of sign on a rural road. The shape of the sign, it seems to me, carries a symbol In Itself which ought to take care of the situation if set down low enough to come within the range of the headlights. Dr. McClintock: What experience have you gentlemen liad with stop signs in cities with respect to night operation? Have any of you had any difficulties in dis obedience resulting in complaints that drivers were unable to see non-illummated stop signs? ` E. W. Brown (Ass't Sup't erf Police, Washington, D. C.) ; On some street* we have plain signs with the word, "Stop;* "Boulevard" or `'Through Traffic" on them, and in a great many cases where arrests have been made the motorists have claimed that signs were invisible at night. It is my opinion that all stop signs and warning signs should be of reflecting type or illuminated type*. Carl L. Olsen (Traffic Commissioner, Youngstown. O ) : Is there any standard distance at which stop 'sign* shouM be placed back from the intersection. In Ohio 94 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress there is a. state law which says they shall be placed hade 100 feet Thai is aft right in the country, but not in the city. Da. McClintock: It is obvious that there is no type of regulation wbdk. if disobeyed, creates greater hazard than does disobedience of the *Xvf rigalatiwt because drivers going along the protected way assume that vehicles wxQ cMe* M very.low speed after having come to a full stop. Thus, repeated disobedience erf stop regulations is very hazardous. Furthermore, there is no action required of the motorist which causes more act ventence than does the stop regulation, except that which is required by the Mop aarf wait requirement of the traffic control signal. For that reason, it has always wowed to me that If a stop regulation is put into effect it should be done ooly after Ar moat careful consideration of the elements involved, the amount of protediuo derived as balanced against the amount of inconvenience involved; and that * h were decided that the stop regulation were justifiable, then the mere matter of the cxyc--c in the installation, as between getting an ineffective one and one of masiimiau power, should be secondary consideration. The octagonal sign, wherever seen means stop in the standard code. The colors adopted for the boulevard stop sign are a yellow background with red teeters, a coos' bination of the warning plus the hazard indication. The sign is to be mounted at or as close as possible to the point where the driver is expected to stop bis vehicle in obedience to the regulation, which merely means at the arrest bomdary Hne of the street bring entered; and, of course, far osoagh bade irooa the curb to insure the sign's not being invisible to the approaching driver nor overhanging the roadway so as to be destroyed by the vehicles. If an intersection is irregular and necessitates the stopping of the vehicle other than at the near boundary of the protected street, then the sign should be augmented fay a pavement marking or a secondary sign indicating the stop line for the obedience to the regulation. With those basic principles followed out and with the new installations which have )xvcn developed. 1 txlievc we arc putting our stop regulations cm a much sounder basis than we have heretofore. Now this specific question of illumination is one, I think, of considerable im portance. It is true that the incorporation within the stop sign of an actual light source or of a flashing element is costly, but a failure to obey is also costly, and have we in the past, in our desire to put in as many stop regulations as we could, failed to give sufficiently serious consideration to the character of the device we should install to indicate that regulation? There are a number of cities in tile United States, Chicago. Pittsburgh, San Francisco among them, that have now definitely adopted the standard of directly illuminated stop signs. Mh. Hanrahak : In regard to the coat of signs, I might mention that at present there is a $2,000 verdict pending against the city because of an accident on account of insufficient light. You can buy these signs from various manufacturers and they are not so costly. We don't want tp wait until we are faced with a $2,000 verdict before we pay $7.50 for a sign- We do the best we can and find the people respect it, and we have very little trouble with intersections where there is a demand tor more expensive type of traffic light. I fee! that the reflector serves our purpose and we have adopted it as standard. Cornelius J. Lyons (Traffic Accident Analyst, Pittsburgh, Pa.): The city of Pittsburgh has six through traffic streets with 106 illuminated stop lights. Our engineers designed the signs in cooperation with the Gardner Sign Company. They cost about $120 each, and, I believe, they are worth it. On minor cross streets leading onto the through streets we do not: have the illu minated sign, but we have the reflector or cat's eye type. Mr. Fji.kins : Wc luve a number of through street* in our city, too many in fact. Street and Highway Traffic Section 95 and they are not posted with the Illuminated stop signs. Three bad accidents occurred on them this year, and in two we took the cases to court to prosecute the people who went through the stop signs into the main artery and caused the wrecks, but we got badly beaten on both cases. The judge decided that a stop sign that was not tftmBafttttd was not the type of sign that would properly notify the driver that it was a Mop street. So far as possible we are trying to put in all illuminated signs or cat's eye signs. Of coarse. we are handicapped for money like any other municipality, and in the wmtwbne we are patting in rubber signs many places. I don't know whether those are aw efficient as lighted signs, but they are at least in the line of vision where a man can see them. They are in the middle of the street, about IS feet back from the property line of the street you are coming onto. We are not putting up any more signs until we can have them illuminated. Dt. McClintock: At the present time, when a traffic sign or signal is installed, where it is an important matter of public safety or convenience, the matter of cost ought to be out of the picture. In other words, it is better to delay frequently tl>c attempt to put a regulation into effect if money is not available rather than to put it into effect and have a clcap and inadequate installation turn out to be exceedingly costly in the long run. L, Begot (Consulting Engineer, Cincinnati, O.) : Is it possible, in view of the lack of present day experience, to indicate to police officials the places wlierc and the conditions under which the vehicle actuated traffic signal can find its application ? H. A. Wilcox, Jr. (Engineer, Automatic Signal Company, New Haven, Com.) : We believe it is applicable in every case. The fundamental part of its operation is the distribution of the right of way according to actual traffic conditions, rather than on the average traffic conditions. A great many men going out from a factory might mean an abnormal rush of traffic m one direction, but the traffic actuated signal would divide the period exactly according to the distribution of traffic under tbe instantaneous conditions. If, for instance, a signal were timed for 20 seconds on one street and 40 seconds on the other, it is quite possible that during 30 per cent or almost all of the green period on one street, you could have had traffic using the Intersection very efficiently, but it often happens in the last ten or fifteen seconds you hold the right of way on one street unnecessarily because the light is timed for average conditions, and the street that has waiting traffic could be used more efficiently. Therefore by cutting off five, ton or fifteen seconds that remain after the traffic Is through you add another five, ten or fifteen seconds to the thne of the other street which can use it efficiently. It is just a difference of having the intersection always used at its maximum efficiency. 1 believe you all agree that after the intersection once becomes congested you are in a bad way because the very presence of all this traffic makes the movement very slow. Tbe cars interfere with one anotlter. By keeping it from becoming congested we can, in a great many cases, go right through the normal peak period of traffic without having any congestion apparent. The little bit* of time that are saved really make the difference between a congested intersection and one where the traffic is kept moving. Dx. McClintock : I believe that in tint last three or four years there has been no more interesting development to be found anywhere in the traffic control field from the standpoint of mechanical apparatus than m the development of various forms of traffic-actuated signals. We say this with assurance that the traffic actuated signal has & very important part to play in traffic regulation m the future, and surely no public official can fed that he is adequately informed on the matter of traffic devices unless he know* tbe principles involved in traffic-actuated signals and in their actual application. David Bkccrcwt (N. V- Mgr., Bendix Aviation Corp.. N. Y. C.) : We have had five traffic-actuated signals in operation for approximately three years. 96 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress 1 quite agree with what you say that any community ought to look into these natters. 1 am not in any sense interested in them, except merely as a citizen, bust we find them exceedingly desirable. Question : What is the cost of one of these signals? Mr. Wilcox ; That is a hard question to answer. At as intersection having five approaches where we use a three-period timer, the equipment alone would cost about RSOO. M. W. Torkblsow (Wisconsin Highway Commission, Madison, Wis.): l was riding down town with a brilliant lawyer and we came lo an old-fashioned stop and go signal set against us. We waited almost the fell period for the signal to turn in our favor, without another vehicle in sight anywhere. And when we had started again this lawyer said, "Whenever I have to do that I always feel as though I had accomplished a futility.** . That is the difference between traffic-actuated signals and other signals. The old- fashioned stop and go signal makes you stop when there is no reason why you should stop, and the traffic-actuated signal only makes you stop when you ought to stop, and. in my opinion, that is the greatest point in its favor. Da. McClintocjc; These devices were bought and paid far for the purpose of giving assistance. Public irritation against them is a bad situation. Happily, it can be mitigated somewhat. 1 believe we have failed to give due credit to the manufacturers who have spent thousands of dollars in the design sod development and construction of traffic devices. Notwithstanding that research and development which has taken place on the part of the manufacturers there is no lessened responsibility on the part of engineer* or public officials to see that only traffic devices are selected which are suitable for the conditions under which they are to be used, and I submit to you tint that cannot be done on the basis of casual opinion. I think those among you who are most experi enced in the installation and operation of traffic devices of ooe kind or another would be the first to support me in that statement, and to admit that they, themselves, notwithstanding their rich experience, are not in a position out of casual observation to determine the type or method of operation which should be used, particularly in connection with traffic control signals. ADJOURNMENT Street and Highway Traffic Section 97 Traffic Engineering Problems ThnrwUy Afternoon, Octoifer 2, 1930 DEAN A. N. JOHNSON, Chairman College of Engineering, University of Maryland Dean A. N. Johnson of the College of Engineering, University of Maryland, pre sided. CSAzaxAM Johnson: The meeting opens with a paper on "Coordination of Local and Through Routes in Cities," by Mr. Segoe, Consulting Engineer of Cincinnati. Coordination of Local and Through Routes in Cities By L. SEGOE Consulting Engineer and City Planner, Cincinnati, O. Entering the average city over a main highway, through traffic commonly experi ences increasing congestion. On the street which carries the through route across the city, the volume of traffic increases anywhere from five to twenty times: move ment is retarded by cross traffic, stopping street cars, and vclucles maneuvering into or out of parking positions; route marking* become confused by commercial and parking signs. The results axe slow progress, fatigue, extra mileage, considerable interference with city traffic, and even accidents. Some of the difficulties of through traffic In cities are due to the same causes as those of local traffic such as the inadequacy of the street system, some undoubtedly arc caused by not quite satisfactory provisions for the handling of this type of traffic and some by the conflict between city and through traffic, arising from their different requirements and characteristics. Accepting as a premise that signals, signs, markings and traffic regulations arc but the means for the operation of the street system, the latter being the plant for the turning out of street transportation, that is, of passenger miles and tod mites, manifestly, improvements in the street system, that is, in the plant, have at least as great an effect on the free and safe handling of traffic, which is the output, as im provements in operating methods, that is in traffic regulations. One of tiie main problems cities are facing today n the rehabilitation and amplifi cation of their street system, by widening*, extensions, alignments and grade rectifi cations, and by the improvement or special treatment of street intersections. However, since these corrective measure* represent collectively an enormous outlay of funds and therefore lave to be carried out gradually, the making of best use of the existing street system by appropriate traffic regulation*, signs, signals, and markings becomes the immediate problem of the municipal authorities and of the traffic engineer. Inasmuch as the baste principles that should l followed in devising a practicable operating method for as inadequate street system to increase its traffic handling capacity (a part of which consists of the proper coordinating of through routes with local atrectr), are the same as those that should be employed in the initial design of the thoroughfare system of cities, or in the rehabilitation of an existing system, it appears to be appropriate to discuss some of these principles Opportunities for the coordination of through routes and local street* in the initial basic design of cities are of course extremely rare. Madrid, Leningrad, Washington, Salt Lake City, Savannah and the new capital of Australia, Canberra, are some 98 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress exceptions. However, on a smaller scale hi the layout of garden cities and small industrial towns, not infrequently opportunities are presented for this coordination by correct initial design, Latchworth, Welwlyn, Port Sunlight, in England. Kingsport, Tenn., Marimant, Om Palos Verdes* Calif., and Radburn, N. J. in this country, are but a few examples. On the other hand, m the laying out of new subdivision de velopments, in the sectors formed by the through highways on the outskirts of cities, a very wide field is open for the application of certain features of design, which would greatly reduce the conflict between through and local traffic and would im prove traffic and safety conditions in general. In a plan for the arrangement of local and through arteries in l semi-circular city, located on one side of a river, belt lines or circumferential* must be provided for both through and local traffic. They function as bypasses and provide for the interchange of traffic between radials. They also act as general collectors and dis tributors. The belt line through the outskirts is provided for bypassing through traffic around the more intensively built-up sections of the city. The inner belt lines arc intended for local traffic, the innermost for the purpose of keeping the traffic not originating in or destined to the central business district, out of such business district. The through routes should not extend directly into the densely built-up sections, and local thoroughfares should be forked towards the center of the city to provide increased street capacity for increased traffic. In the actual street plan of the City of Cologne, Germany, the bypass belt line and the termination of some of the radial through highways at ftis belt line are con* sptcuous. Szeged* Hungary, a city of about 150,000, situated oo the bank of the River Theisz was largely destroyed by a flood about fifty years ago. The writer of this paper helped carry out die plan for the rebuilding of the cky after the flood In tliat plan arc evident even more conspicuously than is that of Cologne the belt routes as well as the termination of the through routes at the inner belt. In the Regional Highway Plan for the City of Lexington, Kentucky and Environs, recently prepared by the writer, a series of belt lines extend far into the country, and provide for the interchange of traffic between sixteen radial thoroughfares. At present all traffic is forced to penetrate the heart of the dty in order to reach an other radial through route. Lexington has an unusually inadequate street system, which made it necessary frequently to fork traffic arteries towards the center of the city, to distribute thereby the traffic entering the intensively built-up sections among as many of the narrow dty streets as was found practicable. In recent traffic studies, these principles have been freely applied in the selection of routes for through traffic, to establish over the existing streets, (by routing and traffic regulations) a system of traffic, arteries which approximate the theoretical model first mentioned, endeavoring to make up in part for what has not been provided in the initial design. The through street system of Sait Antonio, Tex., was prepared as a result of a study by the staff of tiw National Safety Council. In spite of a most unfavorable street layout, a simple loop and feeder arrangement lias been developed, which will permit through traffic to bypass the business center and later, when the tentative outer loop, provided, this through traffic will be able to bypass even the more intensively built up residential sections. Similar systems of through routes have been developed in a great many other cities of which Detroit may be mentioned as having % complete outer loop around even its semi-urban districts. Needless to say, in the replanning of thoroughfare systems of cities and when establishing through routes by traffic regulations, the application of the principles and methods illustrated lias to be reconciled with the established layout of streets and, consequently, compromises are often necessary. In some instances, the location of a special link m the through highway route. Street and Highivay Traffic Section 99 such as a bridge or a tututc! makes it unavoidable for through traffic to cross in tensively built up sections of the city. Under such conditions it becomes necessary to segregate through routes from local route?. Where the volumes of through or local traffic, or both, is very heavy, or where the routing of through traffic across a city district would seriotuly interfere with the norma! life ami development of such district, it may become necessary to carry through traffic on a separate level as in the case of the Jersey City approaches to the Holland Tubes. In less intensively developed city districts, the segregation of through and local traffic may be accomplished by providing, within the same right of way, separate roadways for through and for local traffic and, when such right of way is of restricted width, U*eu within the same roadway, by an appropriate arrangement of traffic lanes. For example, on a right of way 140 feet wide for the handling of through and local traffic on separate roadways, except for major thoroughfares, intersecting streets should not cross the center roadway which is to carry fast moving through traffic, but should enter over the roadways on the sides principally provided for local traffic. The advantages of such an arrangement from the standpoint of safety and of reducing intersectkm interference are too obvious to need explanation. However, aside from die basic design of the street system or from the manner of the routing of through traffic, the handling of traffic at intersections has the greatest effect upon the movement of traffic and safety along through traffic arteries. It is generally known that the intersection h the greatest single obstacle to the full utilization of the mid-block capacity of streets and that it is the location of maximum danger. Depending upon the amount of traffic chi the cross street and oil the proportion of turning movements, the capacity of the street at the intersection may be reduced to as little as 50 per cent of its mid-block capacity. Of course, the roost effective means for eliminating the intersection problem would be the elimination of the intersection itself by separation of grades. However, the 'wholesale application of this remedy is prohibitive financially and is probably im practical from other standpoints. Moreover, except in special locations, such as the intersection of two very heavily traveled traffic arteries, these highway grade sep arations would hardly be economically justifiable even In the outlying districts, while in the intensively built up districts* they would likely prove enormously costly. It is more than questionable whether the traffic handling capacity of even such inter sections, and this, of course, b the primary object of a highway grade separation, could not be attained by the much more inexpensive method of widened street sections near the intersections, which arrangement would also obviate the need ol costly ramps for the interchange of traffic. It is not intended to imply that there are not special instances and locations where grade separation may not be appropriately employed- Reference was already made to the Jersey City approaches to the Holland Tubes. Quite recently the grades were separated at the intersection of Routes 4 and 25 near Rahway, N. J. by a very complete arrangement The Lincoln Park and South Park Commissioners m Chicago built several isolated grade separations as did the Westchester County Park Commission, although in the last named case topo graphic conditions rendered such grade separation particularly appropriate. However, as far as the majority of intersections of through routes with local streets are concerned, the reduction of the intersection interference by the physical rearrange ment of the intersection will require much less costly methods than highway grade separations. At the intersection of a local secondary traffic artery with a through route, the width of the former may be greatly increased for a distance of about 150 feet back from the intersection for the purpose of providing a reservoir for cross traffic. This traffic would line up four or five abreast waiting for the signal light, and at the flash of the green light would quickly clear the intersection. The reduction of the time required 100 Nineteenth Aiinital Safety Congress fur the handling of lh cross traffic across the intersection would correspondingly increase the traffic handling capacity of the through route. In a local business center at the intersection of a through route with a city thorough fare, divided roadways for through and load traffic and freedom from interference by minor street intersections are the means employed to reduce the conflict between through and loeal traffic and to ininkuze the accident hazard arising from such interference. As may have been noted thus far this paper was confined principally to physical design and routing as a means for coordinating through routes and local streets in cities. The second major angle of the subject would involve the discussion of signs, markings, signals and regulations as regulatory means for bringing about such coordination. However, inasmuch as the network of through highways would usually be a part of the city's system of through streets, and inasmuch as a very comprehensive study was recently made by the staff of the Council of the planning of through streets, as well as of traffic regulations, of marking and signaling; hi cooncction with such through streets, (which study u in prim and has been widely distributed) die writer considers it superfluous to repeat here the conclusions of this study, with which he . finds himself in complete agreement. Accepting thus that the principles in the planning, regulation and signaling of city through streets are applicable to through highway routes crossing cities, it ought to be emphasized that the marking of the latter routes should receive a great deal mure attention than is necessary in the case of city through streets, and infinitely more than can be evidenced at present in most cities. Indeed, m comparison with the guidance that is extended to the driver on the rural highway In tbe form of clearly visible and frequently placed route markings and direction signs, be must often feel, when reaching the intensively bulk up sections of tbe city, as if be had bees led into a labyrinth and left to his own resources. It should be borne in mind that m the city it is often difficult to read route numbers, direction signs, etc, because of the con fusing effect of the large number of other traffic, parking and commercial signs, and because of the overwhelming demand on the attention of the driver by the operation of the vehicle. The placing of the route numbers on the far corner of every intersection along the route should be a minimum requirement, not several blocks apart as at present. There can never be too many route markers on a busy city street H confusion and delays to both local and through traffic are to be minimized. One difficulty that may arise from the frequent placing of route numbers on streets carrying several routes, may be the accumulation of a large number of route numbers and direction signs on the same post, which condition, considering the type of route and direction markers now m use, would result in complicated and confusing picture difficult to remember, even for the distance of one Hock. Tbe Canadians use a combined warning and directional sign in the form of a simple diagram of the roods just ahead. One glance at the diagram "tells the story** clearly and simply. Memorizing the diagram is easy, and a few kcooJs later the drives meets the same picture on the ground. There is bo possibility of torxnog Sato tbe side road by mistake. It is submitted that the use of diagrams for conveying directional information is superior in clarity, simplicity and ease of memorizing to our present method of marking and should be, therefore, freely used for this purpose. In concluding it is desired to submit a minor suggestion for the improvement of our present method of route marking. It would be very desirable, at least in cities, to use route markers that in addition to the route number would designate the two directions of the route by principal compass points, for example U. S. 40 E. and U. S. 40 W. When entering the route at present the driver not familiar with the route needs to refer to the map or must ask for information, otherwise he may casBy travel in the wrong direction for several miles before something makes hhn suspect Street and Highway Traffic Section 101 his mistake. Because in cities even through routes often change directions, knowledge of and attention to geographical directions are of tittle assistance. The need for this additional information is particularly left at night or. after oat of the all too irequent and frequently not all too well marked city detours. Caaxxkan Jojsmsok: We will defer discussion of the papers until they have all been presented. Mr. Van Duzer will speak next. He is the President of tbe American Road Builders' Association. Building Safety Into Highways By W. A. VAN DUZER Aaristant Chief Engineer, Pennsylvania Department of Highways Building safety into highways means avoiding or mitigating hazards. Accidents are almost invariably directly attributable to negligence or fault of driver rather than to condition of vehicle or road. In many cases, however, a road condition may be a contributing factor. Sharp curves or crossings with short clear view distance, narrow bridges or cul verts, and steep hills, are all places where momentary carelessness may lead to col lision or overturning. Highway engineering alms to avoid, eliminate, or modify hazardous conditions, ki so far as practical In cases where hazardous condition} cannot be avoided, eliminated, Or modified, the aim is to marie them dearly and distinctly for special driving caution. Corves An analysis of accident data of 1936 showed the ratio of curve hazard to be, tan gent LOO, light curve 1X15, sharp curve 8.75, 10 degrees being taken as the point of division between tight curve and sharp curve. Present standards of tbe Pennsylvania Department of Highways establish 4 degrees as maximum curvature for roods of Classes 1 and 2, -and 6 degrees as maximum curvature of roads of Class 3, ahtoogb in some spedal cases greater curvature is unavoidable. (See accompanying dart) The significant features of a curve are clear view tldddlog resistance, and overturning tendency. The desirable minimum dear view distance is 500 feet, 400 feet being established as requirement for roads of Classes 1 and 2, 300 feet as requirement for roads of Class 3. In special cases side slopes are beached to in crease clear view distance. The tendency to skid or overturn oa a curve is offset by superelevation or banking, the Pennsylvania standard of superelevation befog ooe-faaH Inch to three-fourths inch per foot width of pavement on curves of degree exceeding 2 degrees 52 minutes. Where curvature of degree greater than 9 degrees 32 minutes h unavoidable tbe pavement is widened by from two feet to six feet. Three hundred feet in advance of point of curvature an advance warning roadside sign is placed. Tbe standard sign now in use Is ooe painted black oa yellow and an Improvement under consideration is the substituting of an emblem, a Urge arrow set with reflecting studs, for the lettered sign. From fifty feet in advance of point of curvature to fifty feet beyond the end of the curve traffic line is painted on tbe road surface, no crossing of the traffic line being permitted. Approximately at tbe point of curvature a hexagonal reflecting sign is used. At particularly hazardous curve* the painted traffic line is supplemented by a paring marking including tbe word "Slow" in large letters. 102 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Grades Tbe aiore-roeniioticd analysis of 1926 accident data showed the ratio of hazard of grades to be, light grades 1.00, heavy grades 5.08, 6 per cent being tbe limit of grades. Tlie Pennsylvania standard is 7 per cent maximum grade for roads of Classes 1 and 2 and 8 per cent maximum for roads of Qass 3. As gradient in crease* the tractive resistance of sn-face becomes more important. Sometimes sur faces that are quite satisfactory m dry weather become slippery when wet and it is important to avoid the use of such surfaces 911 heavy grades, or to improve their tractive resistance quality by tar surface treatment. The greatest hill hazard is produced by sleet or ice, regardless of type of surface. This condition can be reme died only by temporary covering-. Cinders treated with calcium chloride prior to application have been found to be most economical and moat effective. In connection with the covering of an icy surface special consideration is given to sections of road adjacent to railroad or highway crossing at common grade. The accompanying tabulation shows braking distances determined by test on dry surfaces for various speeds 00 various grades. Three hundred feet in advance of a steep down grade an advance warning roadside sign is ttiri This sign carries one of two alternative inscriptions, "Dangerous Hill---Go into Second Gear" or "Dangerous Hill--Trucks Go Into Second Gear" accordingly as the steepness of the hill requires, for safety, all vehicles or only trucks to change gear. Traffic line is painted on all vertical curves where clear view distance cannot be obtained from a point 250 feet on one side of the summit to a point 250 feet on tbe other side, the traffic line, generally extending 250 feet on each side of the summit and as in the case of horizontal curve no crossing of the Unc being permitted. The combination of vertical and horizontal curvature is especially dangerous and as far as possible b avoided in designing road improvements. Width of Road Width of road naturally* varies somewhat with volume of traffic. Roads carrying an annual daily average of over 3,006 vehicles are built with three or four lanes. Tbe three Jane width being a compromise of expediency in case traffic is heavy peri odically in one direction and too heavy for two lanes but not sufficient to warrant four lane construction. The. width of shoulders varies from Arc to ten feet in ac cordance with class of road. Structures Bridges are built with sufficient clear width between wheel guards, so that maxi mum volume of traffic cm be carried without congestion, and portals of bridges and underpasses are checkered compicuously. Culvert' are laid or built with end vraUs or parapets clearing shoulder .line to furnish safe riiotilder width. Guard Fence The Pennsylvania standard of guard fence las been developed by experiment and experience- It Is a wire rope fence supported by wooden posts with offset metal fixtures, such that a vehicle can run along or graze the rope of the fence without having the hubs come m contact with the fence s>ots. Three-fourtl15 inch rope is used in the upper and lower Hne except at especially dangerous locations where oneinch rope is used for the upper line. General rules for locating guard fences, with reference to alignment, gradient, presence of pole line along slope, and height of fill, are as follows: Street and Highway Traffic Section 103 104 M.P.H. Speed 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Highways . Braking Datwce Minus Per Cost Grade 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 Two-Wheel Brakes Braking Distance 10.0 12. S 15.0 17.5 20.0 - Fear-Wheel Brakes Braking Braking Distance Distance Pins 17 Feet 6.0 7.5 9.0 10.5 12.0 23.0 24.5 26.0 27.5 29.0 22.50 28.12 33.75 39.37 45.00 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 13.5 16.9 20.3 23.6* 27.0 24.0 30.0 36.0 42.0 48.0 30.5 33.9 37.3 40.6 44.0 41.0 47.0 53.0 59.0 65.0 62.5 78.0 93.6 109.2 124.8 90.0 112.5 135.0 157.5 180.0 37.5 46.8 S6.2 65.5 74.9 54.0 67.5 81.0 94.5 108.0 54.5 63.8 73.2 82.5 91.9 - 71.0 84.5 98.0 111.5 125.0 122.5 153.0 183.6 214.2 244.8 73.5 91.8 110.2 128.5 146.9 90.5 108.8 127.2 145.5 163.9 160.0 200.0 240.0 280.0 320.0 96.0 120.0 144.0 168.0 192.0 113.0 137.0 161.0 185.0 209.0 Street and Highway Traffic Section 105 Tabulation erf Requirements Tangents Location Tangent, on pole line. Grade over 5% Tangent, no pole Ime, Grade over 5% Approaching narrow bridges Flooded sections Fill 10 ft 6 ft 2ft 2 ft Degree up to 5 Up to 10" Up to 10" Up to 20 Up to 20 Over 20" Curves Grade Grade more than 556 Grade kss than 5% Grade more than 5% Grade less than 5% Grade more than 5% Fill 5 it. 5 ft. 4 ft. 4 ft 3 ft 3 ft Railroad Crossings The intersection of railroad and highway at common grade is productive of many serious accidents. Such grade crossings are avoided as far as possible in locating highways, or are eliminated when practicable by grading. Were railroad grade crossings are unavoidable great care is given to providing maximum dear view distance and marking. Three hundred feet in advance of the track an advance warning roadside sign b used, warning pavement marking is painted with traffic Hne, and no crossing of the traffic line is permitted. The pavement marking is very conspicuous. There is an agreement between the railroads, the Public Service Commission and the Department of Highways in Pennsylvania, whereby the railroad companies and the Department of Highways cooperate in placing at grade crossings track circuited red flashing signals, and. where conditions are such that the track circuited signal cannot be seen for at least 500 feet on the approaching highway, a supplementary continoously flashing signal showing a yellow cross and in reflector letters MRRH. ' The agreement between railroad companies, the Public Service Commission and the Department of Highways, also provides for placing continuously flashing signals at dangerous approaches to separate grade crossings. These signals flash an amber square in diamond position and show the word "Slow** in reflecting letters. Highway Croubgi The separation of grades at highway Intersections is usually impracticable but the hazard of such intersections has been greatly reduced by through traffic route designat ing and marking. At highway intersections, as at railroad crossings, no definite rule as to clear sight distance can be established but in each case clear sight distance is made as great as possible and no avoidable obstructions are permitted. There is ample marking at road crossings. Three hundred feet in advance of the intersection there is a roadside sign and at a distance of. according to local conditions, from one hundred to throe hundred feet, in advance of the intersection a pavement marking is painted with the word "Slow**. Traffic line is pointed a corresponding distance on each side of the intersection, and no crossing of the traffic line is per mitted. At the road intersection there is a hexagonal reflector sign. That the effectiveness of built-in highway safety is timited is shown by the fact that the accident rate is not diminishing. Standards of highway construction and main tenance have been unproved m recent yours and the efficiency of motor vehicles, in cluding braking equipment, has been greatly increased. There does not appear, however, to have been a corresponding improvement in driving and with the increased volume of traffic and higher speed of travel now prevalent any negligence or fault of driver is more likely to have serious consequence*. There have been no changes in the natural laws, impact still increases with the square of velocity; there has been no increase in the capacity of the human skutl to withstand impact without fracture; 106 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress and increased volume of trance with increased speed of operation bas been accompanied by increased toll of accident loss. Highway safety apparently requires more education and close co-ordination of highway construction, highway maintenance and traffic centred. Chauumam JoBvson: The next paper is to be presented by Mr. Maxwell Halsey, who is Traffic Engineer of the State Department of Public Works, Massachusetts. Mr. Halsey has the distinction of being the first state traffic engineer. Rural Highway Traffic Problems By MAXWELL HALSEY Traffic Engineer for Massachusetts, Boston, Mass. Rural highway traffic is that which is outside the business and residential areas of cities and towns. In the past, traffic has been concentrated in the built up areas of large cKies, beyond which the volume was so snail that a problem seldom existed. The increase in cars and the increased me of each car. has expanded the- congestion to the intercity routes and increased speed, has added to the problem. Consequently, there now exists a real rural highway traffic problem, and more and name attention is being attracted to ft. The greatest difference between urban and rural traffic is that of speed. Except upon parkways urban speeds are slow because of heavy volume, narrow streets, short blocks, pedestrians. Under these conditions a mistake in judgment by a motorist can usually be remedied by a quick stop. Upon (He open highway, however, a similar error will be modi more serious because Kiglier speeds make quick stops hazardous and frequently impossible. Another important difference is that of traffic. The rural fluctuations in traffic volumes arc more frequent and severe than those found in urban districts. When we frequently drive between cities, states, and even interstate regions it is impossible to learn a different system of control for each jurisdiction through which we pass. The problem of each community can no longer be segregated and handled independently without regard for the problem of adjacent communities. The two metlxxfr usually employed m securing uniformity are; first, a law speci fying standards; and second, that of. placing a state department in charge, and re quiring its approval of all forms of traffic control. The latter is preferable because of Its flexibility. The best example of the latter type is to be found in Massachusetts. In 1928 the Massachusetts legislature passed "An Act Providing for Uniform Traffic Signs, Lights, Markings, Signal Systems and Regulations" There are three main purposes of the Act: first, basic*uniformity in signs, signals, control devices and regulations: second, the maximum safety and facility for through traffic on state highways where they pass through cities and towns, (a) by preventing unnecessary obstruction of such routes by improperly placed and operated control devices, (b) by protecting such through routes from dangerous interference from cross traffic by application, where necessary, of the "Through Traffic" or "Boulevard Stop" rule; and (c) the creation of a responsible traffic engineering agency in the De partment of Public Works capable of cooperating with local officials in developing and administering safe and uniform methods of traffic control. State uniformity, then, assists rural traffic control, and ties it up with urban traffic; control, by acquainting motorists wilh a consistent method of traffic regulations. Street and Higfnvay Traffic Section 107 Attacking the Bund Tragic Problem It is particularly important that the rural traffic problem be accurately located and understood before any corrective attempts are started. I shall take as an example our experiences in Massachusetts. The Traffic Volume Study. Since the State was primarily interested in rural traffic, all traffic counts were made outside of business and residential districts. A flow map was prepared which showed the exact volume on each numbered route. Fluctuation of Rural Highway Traffic. Yearly fluctuation of rural highway traffic has been calculated since 1909 by triennial counts. In 1928. yearly counts were be gun and will be continued. The monthly fluctuation has been determined from the volume of gasoline sold. August is the peak month, almost 32% higher than tite average. July 27% higher. January and February were the low months with 35% less than average. This spread of 67% during the year indicates the concentration of the problem during the summer months. The cbiily variation showed Sunday to be the heaviest day, with 91% more traffic than ihe average week day- Saturday was next with 26% more. Tuesday Is the lowest with 7% less than tite average week day. These figures show the importance of week-end travel upon outiymg highways. The hourly variation for the week day* (Monday through Friday) showed a fairly heavy morning peak between ten and eleven, and a heavy evening peak between five and six. The Saturday flow showed a peak condition between 2 and S P. M. The Sunday flow showed a slight morning peak at 12:30 P. M. and a heavy evening peak from 4:30 to 7:00 P. M. The count* showed that of the total traffic only 9% was composed of commercial vehicle*. This was further subdivided into heavy trucks 4%, light trucks 4%, and .busses 1%. Speed and Obstruction Studies. The next step was to determine what speed ex isted at different points along each route. Delay Studies. Having found from speed and obstruction studies tint points at which the delay occurs, the next step was to measure the amount of that delay. By determining the actual amount of delay for each intersection, their comparative Importance was established, and the actual amount of delay served to indicate what type of control should be used and what type could be economically justified. Accitlettt Study. From tbv viewpoint of the traffic control engineer the most im portant fact regarding an accident is its location. 'Without this fact hi* efforts will be scattered over the entire highway. In the past the matter of location was often neglected. The name of the city or town was mentioned, and sometimes the name of the highway, but seldom the exact location. This provided the engineer with iery little material. The accident form which is used, and the instructions concerning it should be sttch as to induce those reporting the accidents to locate them within at least 100 feet. In Massachusetts, before the introduction of a uniform accident reporting form, only 33% of the accident reports gave locations which were of any use. At the present time 90% have accurate locations. To gather accident location reports and file them by names Is of no benefit to the traffic engineer, tlvey mist be filed by location, and m such a manner that they can be easily compared, but the spot map is the roost effective means of recording the location of accidents. One of the test examples of such a spot map is being kept by die Department of Public Works of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This map is nine feet high and eighteen feet long. The entire numbered route system is marked upon k and accidents are shown with tacks. The spot map show* at a glance the comparative hazard of each route. As soon as any particular route or intersection or curve begins to show upon the map, a study is made to determine the 108 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress causes of accidents, and, if they are the fault of the highway, steps are immediately taken to correct them. -Vunwary of the Survey. The above facts give us practically Uc whole picture. We have tlie vofome of traffic using each important road, we have the speed at which that volume travels, we have ilic points at which the delay occurs, we have the amount of the delay wherever ft is heavy enough to cause congestion, and we have the location of all the accidents that have occurred. All that remains now is to pick out die worst spots and improve them. The repetition of the aforementioned procedure at a later date will indicate just how effective the treatment of each individual problem has been. Methods of Reducing Congestion and Accidents Publicity. Without publicity the public will feci that nothing is being done, and will make no attempt to cooperate. Publicity may appear through newspaper releases or over the radio. It may be effectively used in the form of official .bulletins. By way of example, I should like to call attention to two of the buQetmt issued in Massachusetts to assist local communities in handling their traffic problems. Bulletin Number I, "Recommendations and Requirements Rdating to Through Ways", sets forth the proper application of the through way principle as well as its limitations. Bulletin Number 2. "A Standard Code for Traffic Control Signal Installation and Operation," covers all the more important aspects of the traffic control signal. Rules and Regulations. The complaint seems to be that rules are complex and out of date. Control Devices. Whenever it is possible the highway should be so constructed as to make control unnecessary. Traffic control signals are sometimes installed where a decrease in speed would be adequate. Still another device is the flashing beacon, which has been so over used that It has lost much of its effectiveness. The use of signs and markings is being improved every day and is undoubtedly having a good effect. The use of rotary traffic circles and grade separations is in its infancy. They are both bound to become very popular within the next few years. Enforcement. The problem ot enforcement is a most difficult one. It needs im provement all the way front prevention of the fixing of cases to live expansion of the existing personnel. Without a certain measure of enforcement none of ihe devices will be effective. Removing the Necessity for Control It is fundamental that we should build our highways in such a way as lo prevent and discourage accidents and congestion. We should not have to introduce control devices to correct what could have been prevented in the beginning. Attempts made in the past to lessen the need tor control have been cutting down grades on hills, lessening curves and roughening the surface of our highways. Mure recently developed methods are as follows. Medial Strips or Parkways. Failure of slow moving vehicles to tala the Tight lane causes those passing to travel on the left. Faflurc to keep to the right of the center line is quite common, and frequently results in accidents and congestion. The introduction of a raised medial strip or parkway is a means of automatically forcing motorists to stay on the correct side of live road. Tlw physical separation of the two center lanes with the resulting abolition of the head-on collision U a real factor hi accident reduction. It ha* the further advantage of reducing headlight glare. Improved Shoulders for Forking. Lanes intended for travel are frequently used for parking which creates a series of bottle-necks, and seriously reduces the capacity of the highway. By smoothing and levelling the shoulder and possibly treating it Street and Highway Traffic Section 109 with oil or tar, it can be made to attract parking, and thus alt the lattes of the lushway cut be made free for travel. Clearance from Guard Rail. Another factor which' frequently limits the use of the outer lane is the proximity of the guard-rail to the edge of the improved surface. Motorists will not travel close to fixed objects at high speeds, and if there is not room for them to move over they will slow down. The usual result of dose guard rails is that motorists swing to the left and encroach upon the lane intended for passing. This either causes accidents or reduces the capacity of the highway. An additional two or three feet of clearance will do raudi to encourage motorists to use the outside lane. Dual Type Highways. In the case of earlier roads with a high crown, truck operators tried to drive on top because to drive on the side meant hanging on to the old reversible type steering wheel with both hands to keep the vehicle out of tlie ditch. Passenger car operator* were frequently a little afraid to drive on an angle, and hated to be too close to any ditch; and in wet weather both track and passenger car operators drove on top for safety. Modern highways have so little crown, and non-reversible steering wheels require so little effort, tliat this reason is no longer effective. The second, and by far tbe most important reason, is that the surfaces erf the right hand lanes are frequently not so smooth and attractive as that of tile center lane or lanes. An important principle of higlnody travel is that tragic will travel upon ihe most attractive surface to be found. Motorist* will frequently drive upon the left side of the road if it has the smoother surface. In the third place, center lanes are frequently repaired more consistently than right hand lanes. The result is that the outside lanes, are frequently less attractive in surface than the center. Let us next consider a way to facilitate passing by keeping the slow moving traffic to the right. Tile most obvious method is to provide the necessary room, erect signs, paint lane lines, and then provide motorcycle officers to enforce. This would un doubtedly work, and is one erf the benefits of motorized patrol, but traffic officers are expensive, and it is economically almost impossible to provide enough of them to develop such a driving habit unassisted. A great improvement to this method is to provide right hand lanes, which you expect to be used by the slowly moving traffic, with surfaces having attractive power not only equal to that of the center lanes but far superior to it. If this is done, traffic will follow the lines of least resistance, and seeking the best surface, will automatically keep to the right. Several pieces ot road designed for this purpose have been constructed throughout the country. Those in Massachusetts are called the "dual" type, and are constructed with the outside lanes of cement and the center Jane or lanes of macadam. This provides a marked contrast between the inside and outside lanes. The cement, bring smoother than toe macadam, attracts all the traffic and the macadam is used only for pairing. Driving upon the macadam gives a slight vibration and a rumble, caused to some extent, by the use of balloon tires. Hie lane* are clearly marked by toe joints and by the contrast between the light color of the cement and toe dark color of the macadam. Those in Massachusetts have been very successful. There are a few obvious limitations upon tbe dual type highway. First, the threelane dual type should not be used wound-sharp corners, because it would encourage passing where the virion is obscured. Second, tbe three or four-lane dual type should not be used where an unbalanced flow may be desired. Third, the cement might not be used economically in swampy ground, without expensive filling, although there is no reason why the same principle of a differentiation of smoothness and color could not be developed in other material*. Fourth, the joints of the dual type might prove %n additional maintenance problem, although past experience has not indicated this to be tbe case. Channelising Islands. Another method of physically forcing motorists to drive properly is that of the u*e of traffic islands. These are particularly useful in prevent- 110 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress mg the cutting of comers by those making left turns. These islands when grassed over add an artistic touch to the highway itself. Crude Separation. The limitations upon the capacity of a highway arc to be found at the intersections, and that grade separations are admittedly the ultimate solution. Let me set forth u theory or prioeiple which may lead to their increased use. It is a significant fact that a four-lane highway with grade separations at all important crossroads, has a greater capacity than a six-lane highway without grade separations. It is possible that a careful study of tlie cost factor would indicate that the former would cost less than the latter. It is my belief that rather than build highways wider than four lanes, the money should be expended upon grade separations in order to bring the capacity of the intersections up to that of the highway between Inter sections, Traffic Control Signals There have been many signals installed which have caused more harm than good. In part this was due to the wrong application of the signal. I-et us consider the characteristics of rural intersections. Character a) Rural Intersection!. There are certain characteristics which dis tinguish the rural from the urban intersections. 1. The high speed found upon the outlying highways requires- additional safety factors. The signals themselves must be visible for a greater distance ahead. The signal should not turn too quickly in the face of oncoming traffic. A longer yellow period may be needed. Conflicting movements can never be permitted to run together at so high a speed. __ 2. The absence of pedestrians opens up many possibilities for the increased efficiency of motor vehicle operation. 3. The great distance between important intersections upon the open highway usually makes it unnecessary to coordinate signals at adjacent intersections. 4. The flow of traffic through rural intersections may be light during a good part of tlie time, but there may occur a sufficient number of peaks to make signals nec essary during certain hours. This means that signals must be continually adapting themselves to changing conditions. _ 5. The proportion of traffic at rural intersections is frequently apt to be one-sided. The actual cross flow may be exceedingly light and yet the main flow so heavy at times that the cross street traffic cannot enter without the aid of signals. An uneven proportion under light traffic conditions represents a situation which makes the timing of a tralfic signal very difficult. ,. , , ,, , Limitations on the Fixed Cycle Signal. One of the greatest difficulties of the fixed cycle is that it is absolutely arbitrary. At urban intersections where the traffic flow is fairly consistent, the fixed-cycle signal gets along fairly well because no matter to which street it turns there will always be vehicles waiting. But at rural inter sections, particularly under light traffic conditions, the fixed cycle is inefficient and causes unnecessary delay. .. Another limitation of the fixed-time signal is that it must be continually retimed to keep it in step with die actual flow. As the volume decreases the total cycle should be lengthened. Unless the signal is kept in step with traffic conditions it will operate very inefficiently and wifi cause unnecessary delay. Another difficulty found in fixed-time cycle signals is that of dividing a short cycle, desirable under light traffic conditions, into a one sided proportion. Ifon might wish to use a SO-second cycle, but i the proportion o traffic were 90-10 you could not because the 10% of 50 seconds is only 5 seconds, not sufficient to permit one vehicle to cross. The only altera:-lives are to increase the 10% to 20%, or to lengthen the total cycle. . Street ami Highway Traffic Section Ill The night stop and go operation of a fixed-time signal is not satisfactory. It is too much to expect the motorist to wait 30 or 40 seconds upon a red signal when there is no cross traffic. This can be remedied to some extent by changing the night operation to Bashing yellow which is the best practice, but it lacks the effectiveness of stop and go operation to prevent accidents. Advantages of the Vehicle Actuated Signal. There are many intersections, par ticularly in rural areas, which do not have sufficient tralfic to warrant or permit efficient fixed cycle operation, and yet- where high speed or other conditions have resulted in many accidents and make some sort of positive control necessary. Tile ve hicle actuated signal, by its ability to automatically adjust its operation to existing traffic conditions is an excellent safety device even under light traffic conditions. The actuated signal is being timed by the flow of traffic as it arrives and thus will automatically adjust its operation to different conditions. This feature is par ticularly valuable at rural intersections where fluctuations in volume and proportions are frequent. By allotting time to each street only when vehicles arc present and in proportion to the number which arrives, the vehicle actuated signal reduces to a minimum the unnecessary delay. The detectors or treadles offer a safety feature where high speeds exist. For ex ample, it is possible to place the pavement unit back from the intersection equal to the braking distance fen- the speeds usually encountered. If a hick speed vehicle hits the treadle upon the green, he is guaranteed that it will remain green until after he has passed through the intersection. Comparison oj Delay Caused by Each Type of Signet. In order to determine the relative merits of the different types of control signals, tlie State of Massachusetts has started a series of delay studies. The following statistics give a rough idea of what may be learned by this method. At intersection A. the How was about 25.000 vehicles from 7 A ll. to 11 P.M. on Sunday, and 14,000 vehicles on a week day during the same hours. The actual flow during the study ranged about 500 to 700 vehicles per hour. Tlie proportion of traffic was fairly equal. The delay obtained was the actual time lost by vehicles standing still while waiting for the signal to turn green. Tlie losses due to ileceleration and acceleration were not included since they were assumed to be equal for each type of control. The full vehicle actuated control, with detectors upon each entering road, showed a delay per car of 6.84 seconds. The semi-actuated control, with detectors only upon the minor street, indicated a delay per car of 8.52 seconds TV fixed cycle showed a delay per car of 9.60 seconds. Upon the basis of this delay, the full-actuated signal gave 29% less delay than the fixed cycle signal, and the semi actuated signal 13% less delay than the fixed cycle signal. Tlie semi actuated signal did not show up so well at this particular intersection because it is primarily designed to control intersections where the cross traffic is much less than the main flow. At intersection 11, with less traffic and a greater proportion upon the main street, the delays were as follows. Pull-actuated control 2,76 seconds per car, semi actuated control 3.42 seconds per car, and fixed cycle control 840 seconds per car. This showed tlie full actuated signal to be 67% more efficient and the setni actuated control 59% more efficient than the fixed cycle control. Accident Reduction by Actuated Signals. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has installed several actuated signals upon state highways. One of these has been in action for more than a year, and the rest for periods of from 3 to 3 months. The one which has been in for 13 months has reduced the accidents from an average of two a month to an average of one a month, a reduction of 50%. Of the accidents which have occurred at the nine intersections where signals hare been installed, 52% were rear end collisions in which practically no damage was done, 22% were due to 112 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress croft* movements, and 26% were due to unknown causes. The total of the accidents has been reduced as well as ti*e severity o each accident. Through Way Regulations The purpose o a through way regulation is to protect consistently heavy high speed flows upon mam highways from the quick and unexpected entrance of vehicles from the less important cross streets. Since 35 to 40 miles per hour is the popular speed through intersections upon main arteries, it Is easy to forecast the result of a car entering from the cross road at 20 miles per hour, particularly if the intersection is blind and the entrance is unexpected. The requirement that the motorist entering from the less important street must stop before entering will prevent many accidents. The through way regulation is not usually as effective in the city as it is upon the open highway. In the city too many vehicles are apt to be entering from the cross street at the same time. This introduces the difficult problem as to whether each vehicle shall stop or whether a stop from the third position is satisfactory. When the flow from the cross street becomes a steady stream the through way regulation is apt to break down entirely. , The one-sided proportion of traffic found upon the main highway intersections is favorable to the through way regulation. The intermittent flow from the cross roads introduces no difficulties in the actual stopping at the intersection. The high speeds prevalent increase the value of stopping before entering. It is anticipated that every main highway wilt eventually iwive the safety and facility of its flow increased by the through way regulation. Flashing Beacons Flashing beacons arc simply illuminated signs. Their advantage over the ordinary sign lies in the greater attracting power of their flashing light. This same flash, however, if it is in the form of a round lens has one distinct disadvantage. When h is incorporated into a sign, the flash absolutely obscures the legend of the sip. Motorists traveling at the high speeds of today need not only a general warning but a specific warning of the actual hazard. A few seconds spent in debate as to whether the hazard Is a cross road or a curve may result in an accident. Few this reason I believe there will be a general tendency toward having flashing beacons give specific types of warning- .. One of the most valuable uses of the flashing beacon is in connection with fixed objects in or adjacent to the roadway. The center span of -a bridge or trestle, a sharp curve under an underpass, or a right angle turn represent dangerous con ditions which can be gTeatly improved by the use of flashing beacons. The conversion of an isolated traffic signal into a flashing beacon for night operation is another excellent use. The flashing yellow provides a camionary indication, which, if obeyed, is tetter than a stop indication wlien the traffic flow has dropped to almost nothing. . Another valuable use of the flashing beacon is as a supplement to the stop sign found upon through ways. Tte flashing red is known almost everywhere as indicating the presence of a through way and as requiring a full stop before entering. The introduction of reflecting buttons has served to replace socne of the demand for beacons. The reflecting buttons are capable of actually illuminating the message and thus giving the motorist the fullest information. The Commonwealth of Mass achusetts is undertaking to illuminate all it* warning sign* and numbered highway markers. The federal route markers and many of the wanting signs have already been converted. Street and Highway Traffic Section Traffic Signs m The greatest difference in the demand placed upon signs by rural and urban con ditions is that of size and risibility. In the city 18-inch signs suffice; vehicle speeds are moderate, a large sign is somewhat difficult to mount, and, the sign can be mounted very close to the edge of the pavement. Rural highway conditions place much heavier demands upon a sign. High speeds require that the sign be more visible to provide warning' a greater distance. The presence of shoulders and drainage ditches sometimes makes it difficult to place a sign dose to the edge of tte improved surface. The 24-inch sign may be adequate for the majority of locations, but there are many places where greater risibility is necessary. Sometimes an auxiliary sign may be used, at others the only satisfactory method i tliat of increasing the size of the sign. I have seen many signs which compared favorably with small billboards in their rise and effectiveness. There is a real demand for the iUurninatvn of highway signs at night. The travel at night is usually at high speeds, and dangerous curves and comers become still more hazardous. The general indications are that more motorists will travel at night to avoid the congestion of the day^ The demand for uniformity of signs is so obvious and the general movement toward it so well under way that nothing is needed but further encouragement. There is one aspect of signs, however, which needs consideration, and that is the appearance Of the signs. Signs which are kept clean and well painted are apt to lie noticed and obeyed because they give the impression that the highway is being controlled. Signs which look delapldated give the impression that they have been put up and forgotten, and hence there is no fear that any enforcement is taking place. The greatest need winch signs have today is enforcement. One of the greatest reasons why traffic control signals are more effective than signs is because they are enforced. Motorists are apprehended, convicted and fined for a violation of signals, and it is rare that a motorist is apprehended for disobeying a sign. The motorist who drives through a Mind intersection at 40 mites per hour deserves to be arrested just as much as the motorist who goes by a red traffic signal. . Street traffic markings are another type of sign. There are certain types of information which it is difficult or impossible to give the motorist by means of signs posted at the side of the road. Unes or words painted on the pavement, therefore, are used to provide information which cannot be given any other way. Thus, lanes, the center line of the road, and street car overhang can only be shown by painted Hues. There is a second important use of markings, and that is their use as a supplement to signs. Stop signs are frequently supplemented by a stop line indicating the exact point at which vehicles are to stop and by the word "stop** upon the psvenxnt. Pave ment markings are limited in their use because they are made more or less invisible by rain and snow. The value of center and lane tines to assist In alignment of traffic and to serve as guides in darkness and fogs is very high. Their use will increase. Rural Highway Traffic in the Future * The development of traffic control has advanced to a sufficient degree to provide safe and convenient travel if all the recent improvement could be concentrated upon one highway. The main highway traffic would be protected from the unimportant light cross traffic by the Through Way regulation. If the cross traffic should be enough to warrant signals, the vehicle actuated signal would guarantee that no traffic would be stopped unless cross traffic were actually there to use the time. If cross traffic were still heavier, a large rotary traffic system would permit continuous movement at a 114 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress fairly high rate of speed, and if the cross traffic movement approached or equalled that of the main highway, a grade separation would be provided. The highway would be of sufficient width to permit passing at all times, and the outside lanes would be attractive enough to induce the slow-moving vehicles to use them. Adequate center strips or parkways would be installed to reduce the head light glare, and to prevent head-on collisions between the two high speed lanes. The surface of the highway would be such as to prevent skidding. As a result of all these improvements the economic saving in accidents and delay would be tremendous. All of the above devices covered in this picture have already been tried out and found to be successful. Each 1ms its particular function, and it will soon be possible to determine from the factors of traffic volume, speed, and accidents just which one is needed for any particular spot. It is important for time and energy to be spet upon experiments in order that we may progress. But it is even more important that we should employ those facilities already discussed. We have been backward in using the hundreds of improvements which have been tested and found successful. Chairman Johnson: These three excellent papers are now before us for dis- Nathan Harris (Engr, Board of Estimate & Taxation, Minneapolis) : What experience have you had in Massachusetts with pedestrian actuated devices for crossing highways, especially rural highways, which must be crossed by school children. Me. Halsey : That is a controversial question. If the children are young I think the officer is needed because the little tots can hardly be expected to know exactly what to do. The older children could use a signal of that kind easily. There is a definite field for both. I don't believe you can concentrate on any one of these things; use an 01 mem. Ed. J. Batii (Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Columbus, O.) : What study have you made or what relationship have you found between rural highway police and the effectiveness of rural highway safety? Mr. Halsev: The Department of Public Safety in Massachusetts has a group of motorcycle officers whose sole duly is traffic. These officers are divided up, of course, ail over the state. They patrol highways on the basis of the amount of volume and the number of accidents. They are provided cadi month with a statement as to which routes are having the accidents. Sometimes the same area patrolled by the state trooper is also patrolled by the local officer. We haven't enough officers in Massachusetts at Hie present time to do the whole job ourselves. X don't even know that we should, but, I believe, it is very important, and I think tlic presence of the officer on the highway ha* as great an effect in reduc ing accidents as anything I can name. The patrol should be expanded. Our police should be motorized or given some means of getting around. Light cars are going to be used as much as motorcycles, because you get only four months effective use with the motorcycles; the jest of the tear the rain, snow, and so forth, make them practically useless. Mr. Vax Dozer: We have had a motor patrol for about six yean. Among other duties tlie patrolman enforce the through-street stop regulation especially when we put tile through traffic stops into effect: consequently we have very few people in Pennsylvania who come up to a through traffic stop and don't stop. In the winter, we keep the snow off the roads and the motorcycle officers patrol day and night. The amount of patrol depends upon the amount of traffic. Davis S. Beyer (V. P. & Chief Engr., Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Boston, Mass.) : From the standpoint of one of the users of the highways, I want to say that traffic operated signals have been very effective when adapted to the require ments of the highways, but there might be some conditions where there would be a Street and Highway Traffic Section 115 little confusion due to drivers parking beyond the actuating device when traffic on the side street was light and signals recently installed. Mr. Hai-sy . X think tiiat the type of thing which Mr. Beyer mentions is tempo rary. We had some trouble with cyclists who liked to ride back and forth over the actuating device and watch the light change. It was a public nuisance for a month or so, and the condition is not serious. I believe we can overcome the trouble you mention by placing another device ahead so that when you pull up you will hit it. Actuated devices arc not an answer to all problems. They have their place as well as the progressive system and as well as the fixed-cycle system. It is something in addition to what we already have Alex K. Gage (Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Detroit, Mich.) ; I had hoped that Mr. Halsey would say something about sidewalks or pathways at the side of rural highways to accomodate children going to and coming from school. I believe it is a very important matter, where nothing but the shoulder of the highway is pro vided for their safe passage unless they go on the roadway. Mr. Halsev : You have a combination of the fact that the children need protection and the fact that you can't economically build an additional highway for them parallel to the one which you have. One of the things which helps them most is the improvement of the shoulder. If you can get an attractive shoulder the children will walk upon it. If not, the children will not walk upon the shoulder. When roll make cuts through hills provide enough room for them to walk beside the road. I have seen many highways where you couldn't get out of the road. Ernest P. Goodrich (Consulting Engineer, New York City) : I believe it takes a certain amount of regional planning. I am charged with the formulation ot a plan covering dfl square mile* including both traffic planning and the location of rural schools. School sites have been selected so that the children will not have to cross or proceed along the main highways. They go to school along sidewalks and rural pathways provided especially for them. T. D. Dutches (Mgr., Standard Rwy. Fuse Corp, West Newton, Pa.): Has anyone present bad any experience with the emergency signal lights carried by the state police and highway patrols in several states ? Our police inspector is very much in favor of it and has been recommending it all over, and he claims it is one of the biggest advances in safety that lias come along lately. Of course, it is man-operated and each police car and each police motorcycle in New York is carrying two, I believe. . "My City's Activity in Accident Prevention'* Chairman Johnson : The last Item on our program is "My City's Best Activity in Traffic Accident Prevenlion," to be a series of five-minute talks. Mr. Oscar Gunder son of Flint, Michigan, has offered to open this discussion. Oscar M. Gunderson (Traffic Isaginecr, Police Dept., Flint, Mich.) ; 1 think that the major traffic activity in which the Police Department has been interested has been that of the school-boy patrol. Our Safety Division, consisting of a sergeant and two patrolmen, with the coop eration of the schools and the Automobile Club, direct the activities of the sehoot-boy patrols. We have nearly 800 boys interested, in a city which has a school population of over 30,000. They are equipped with belts, badges, raincoats, and hats, both as a distinc tive marking and for utility. The men in the Police Department have been quite successful in getting good re sults out of them. Among the devices which they use is the personal supervision of police officers lliemselves, occasional attendance at theater parties, and certain athletic 116 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress events or contests. Perhaps the best method of all is the organization of what is known as the Arrowhead Safety Club. The benefits to be derived from school-boy patrols are reflected in an accident record which has been very favorable so far this year in Flint. We had a reduction of 3d per cent in accidents to child pedestrians in the first 8 months of this year, com pared with the first 8 months of last year. Among the other benefits are the reduction m the number of police officers for school traffic, teaching the boys a self-reliant attitude, bringing home to the motorists an attitude of becoming accident-conscious, and educating the parents. Chairman Johnson ; Mr. Harris of MitmeapoUs is the next. Mn. Harms: Our traffic accidents were primarily a pedestrian problem. Seventythree per cent of the fatalities for the first eight months of 1929 involved pedestrians. Consequently every agency in the city of Minneapolis made an effort to contend with the pedestrian hazards. That applied not only to the enforcement agencies but also to the educational and engineering. As a result there was a 22-per-cent reduction in the pedestrian fatality rate, taken the first eight months pi this year as compared to the first eight months of last year. A good many of the activities are similar to those in other cities, but there is one which I would like to stress; namely, file establishment of an accident prevention squad. Needless to say we appreciate file help of Mr. Kreml of Evanston in planning this organization. One difference between the Minneapolis squad and the Evanston squad is that our squad is provided with 12 cars equipped with radio. That makes it possible for it not only continuously to patrol the streets for ordinary police and traffic duties, but also to be instantly available on call in case of accidents requiring investigation. It took approximately six months to get the organization of this squad started. The principal objections that we had to contend with were that there weren't enough men in the department to take care of the thing, and that there weren't sufficient funds to purchase necessary apparatus and material. I mention that because it developed upon analysis of the personnel in the Minneapolis Police Department that these was a substantial waste of man-power. It was discovered, by checking very closely in the assignment and distribution of the personnel, that it was rather a simple matter to find at least eight positions in which there was a waste of man-power. The result was that both the mayor of the city and the chief of the Department were fall? convinced that as far as personnel was concerned the Department was not seriously handicapped, and the eight men were assigned to this work. The matter of cost, was taken care of by simitar analysis of the budget of the Police Department, and it was found that there was some misdirection of the expendi tures, and that without material additions to the budget requirements of the Police Department sufficient funds were found to take care of the purchase of apparatus, equipment, and material required for this work. Da. C. F. StOUdaju) (Department of Labor, Washington, D. C) : One of file gentlemen spoke of 70 per cent of their accidents involving pedestrians. He didn't say anything about approaching the problem from the meet obvious standpoint, and I wonder why so many of our cities are shying at the question of pedestrian control. I want to mention one instance which came to my personal attention and another one similar to it which affected myself. In Austin, Texas, I tried to cross the street and an officer waved at me. I didn't know what he was saying or what he meant. He whistled and finally got my attention and motioned me baric. I decided to go baric. In Kansas City I was standing cm a corner watching the signab operate and I saw two girls start across the crossing ugrixut the red light. The officer whistled but tiicy didn't pay any attention. He whistled three times before he attracted their attention, and by that time they were over on the other curb. He stepped over to Street and Highway Traffic Section 117 them aad motioned them to retrace their steps across the street, mid then return on the green light. Now h fans been said that pedestrian control can't be enforced, that if anybody wanted to take the matter to court they would get away with jl Well, we don't know. For that reason maybe the traffic officers arc timid about it, but I have wondered a little aboot it It can be done as a matter of education if not actual enforcement. M*. Ccnjnxius J. Lyons (Accident Analyst, Department of Traffic Planning, Pittsburgh. Pa.): Among the many activities in file city in which the Congress is convened. I win tell you first about the Better Traffic Committee. It appointed by the mayor and is divided into several sections: Accident pre vention, engineering, educational, and traffic flow. At the present time they are sponsoring an essay contest for school children in which approximately 70,000 pupils are participating. This is an annual program, carried out for the last three years, and is one of our major projects. This city, I believe, has the first accident analyst. We have just finished copying 6,000 accident reports made by motorists. These are all spotted on the map, and they denote the dangerous intersections and dangerous thoroughfares throughout our city. Da. B. L. Corbett (Exec. Sec'y, Safety Commission, Milwaukee, Wis.) : How many members has the Better Traffic Committee ami how is it financed ? M*. Lyons: The Better Traffic Committee is composed of SO members. wl arc civic leaders, appointed by the mayor. '3`hesc men give of their time freely but titer City Council provides a budget for educational purposes. It is a purely educational committee. Each sub-committee meets about once a week. They have one paid sec retary, who takes care of all the detail work. His salary comes out of tta Bureau of Traffic Planning budget. . J. M. Riot (Consulting Engineer, Pittsburgh, Pa.): l want to supplement Mr, Lyons' remarks as a member of the Better Traffic Committee. Tire question of pedestrian control has taken up much of our time, but, like most other cities, I pre sume that our problem has been growing more rapidly than the solutions have developed. The Council of our city ts responsive to public opinion, and we have felt that it was betted to proceed slowly and stand our ground firmly rather than to go into a head-long program of making everybody behave and in that way creating a public sentiment against the things which it was most necessary to take care of first. I believe that eventually Pittsburgh will have pedestrian control, but it will be largely because the people are ready to observe the rules and not became they arc forced to do it. . Mr. Gage: In Detroit we have considered the question of pedestrian control ami we Brought that the suggestion of pedestrian protection rather than pedestrian control was a more ei^honious method of presenting it to the people and perhaps would be more effective. E. Ross Farra (Manager Grand Rapids Safety Council, Grand Rapids, Mich.): What success has been bad with subways in front of sdiool bouses on rural highways leading to large cities. We have a number of trunk lines entering our chy and on every one there is a school house. It is a great problem for the children to get across the highway We have installed two subways recently. Will the children use them unless somebody stands there with a club and makes them go down to the subway ? Mr. Lyons: In our city one of our hazardous locations lias an underground passage, but the children wilt not use it unless the policeman makes them. Charles Greenwood (Inspector, Police Department, Toronto, Oat.) : I believe the outstanding traffic feature of the year in Toronto is that we concentrated on the education of traffic officers as a means of educating motorists. Each one of our traffic officers attends a meeting once a week and anything that comes up is freely discussed. He is given any new information that is available. His equipment eon- 118 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress sists of everything that we can possibly give him that is portable, such as a brake testing device. But where wc think we gain immediate value is through the personal contact wc make with every motorist we meet Up to the present time this year the traffic squad has met over 100,000 motorists and in accomplishing that they have done something I don't think we could have done through the medium oi the press or anything else. The press is very good to us and has given us space on the front page every day with regard to our activities, but the personal contact of the traffic officers with the motorists is more essential than an} thing 1 oait think oi. ADJOURNMENT Street and Highway Traffic Section 119 Joint Session Electric Railway, Delivery, Taxicab and Bus, and Public. Utilities Sections with Street and Highway Traffic Section Friday Morning, October 3. 1930 T. G. BRABSTON, Chairman Brahflttm Electric Company, Birmingham, Ala. The joint meeting *>f the Street and Highway Traffic, Electric Railway, Delivery, Taxkab and Bos. and Public Utilities Sections of the Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress was called to order by T. G. Brabstou. Superintendent of transportation. Binningham Electric Company. Birmingham, Alabama, chairman. Chairman Brarston: The American public resents anything that seems to im pose restraint. Yet, for the good of all, I think we must admit that some sort of restraint should be applied to those drivers who are very definitely unfitted to oper ate motor vehicles on the street. Then again, with tlie rapid increase in the use of the automobile, legislation governing the operation of those vehicles has been built up on what seemed to be the needs of the particular community so that a man driving through several states is confronted with a variety of rules and regulations. The title for our first paper, is "What Can We Do for the Pedestrian?". Mr. Theodore M. Matson, Assistant Traffic Engineer, Philadelphia, will present the paper for Mr. Robinson. Mr. Matson was associated with Mr. Robinson in the San Francisco Traffic Survey, What Can We Do For the Pedestrian? By RALPH W. ROBINSON Executive Secretary, San Francisco Traffic Survey Committee Notwithstanding the many restrictions placed upon tlie operation of motor vehicles for the protection of pedestrians, about three in every four .traffic fatalities are the result of vehicles coming into contact with pedestrians. The most pitiful aspect of this matter is the frequency of death or injury to young childem and elderly people. These two groups are shown to be the victims in 68 per cent of die fatal accidentsThe whole question is naturally- one of the gravest concern to every conscientious citizen. The difficulty lies in the fact that we have rapidly adopted a type of vehicular traffic which is so radically different from that in vogue during the development of our customs and our streets that we are now suffering from a condition of malad justment We have been unable thus Ur to change our habits, our roadways and our cities rapfcfly enough to keep pace with the growth of automobile use. After some efforts to meet the new conditions, there is a tendency fix' communities to become discouraged and to fed that these accidents are more or less inevitable. The difficulties presented by this problem, however, are not insuperable, ft is a matter of adjustment to fit ourselves and our cities to the high speed automotive traffic system that we have adopted. I will endeavor to point out some of the principal features of an adjustment pro gram which if carried out will help to reduce pedestrian fatalities to a minimum. The measures mentioned are not more experiments--they have proved successful 120 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress where applied and is some cases very marked decreases hi fatalities and ntfanea have been brought about by their adoption. Pedestrian accidents are caused primarily by the existence of areas where physical contacts between vehicles and pedestrians are possible. So long aa these potential conflict areas exist we shall have accident*, but it is possible to relieve this condi tion by various means. Traffic Safety Education Among the most effective meant of relief is public education in die rules and rotations and a presistent program of publicity warning people constantly of the things they must do or avoid, to prevent accidents. The best proof of the effi cacy of education Is the fact that the safety educational activities carried on through out the country among children of school age have actually reduced the death rate of children during a period of general national increase in traffic fatalities. There is every reason to believe from experience in various cities that education for the protection of adults will also prove effective. It is much more difficult to reach the adult, but thoroughgoing and successful educational programs have been worked out. Full information is available through the National Safety Council on how to organize and carry on a continuous program of traffic safety education and how to maintain public interest m such a program. Any community can cut its death rate by using this method. It means hard work, and self-sacrifice on the part of repre sentative organizations and leaders in the community, bid it can be dooe--aod the results arc eminently worth while. Safe habits lie at the basis of the whole problem. No matter how carefully our laws are devised, bow thoroughly regulatory devices are employed, unless die citi zens themselves are instilled with the idea of carefulness little progress can be ex pected. Sound Traffic Regulations Habits are guided by legal requirements where intelligently enforced. Therefore, as a basis of proper educational work, it is necessary to have a firm application of legal .provisions. These should be designed to eliminate or reduce the number and severity of conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians. The old common law rule tlrnt all users of die highway have equal and reciprocal rights and dories on public highways is not applicable to modem traffic conditions. No matter what the equities may be,' we are confronted with a practical situation, and it is not safe for a pedestrian to assume an equality of rights. The mere mechanical operation of a motor vehicle at speeds ordinarily employed makes it suicidal for a pedestrian to attempt to exercise stub rights. Modification of die centuries old common law rule is essential, in order to adjust street movements to a practical basis. The Model Municipal Traffic Ordinance requires pedestrians to yield the right of way to vehicles between intersections, and motorists are required to yield the right of way to pedes trians at intersection crosswalks or other established crosswalks. Motorists are nevertheless required to exercise due pare for the protection of pedestrians in mid block. By this adjustment pedestrians are concentrated at points convenient to them and where motorists may expect to' see them. Greater freedom of vehicular move ment is thus gives in midblock and greater safety is afforded the pedestrian while crossing roadways. The rule lays emphasis upon the fact that if a pedestrian crosses the roadway elsewhere than in a crosswalk he is doing so at his own risk. This is a reasonable adjustment to give greater safety and meet the practical needs of both motorists and pedestrians, and when understood by the public and property enforced the provisions meet with general acceptance. Street a*if Uiyitu-uy Traffic Section 121 Ptduttnia Control in Central Business District In congested districts where traffic is cootrolled by stop and go signals or officers it is liighly desirable for safety that pedestrians also be required to observe the traffic signal indications and be required to cross streets only jo crosswalks, provided the regulation can be properly applied. Before attempting to introduce full pedes trian control in a city a careful adjustment should be made of all control mechanisms to see that the intervals of movement are as short as cooststent with the handling of traffic volume. Numerous cities have failed completely in an attempt to establish pedestrian control because the signal apparatus required waits of unendurable length or pedestrians waiting under conditions when there is rx> crossing traffic. Cities should not cootcmplate success of this plan where the maximum waits under normal conditions trill exceed 45 seconds, and it is better that the maximum intervals of waiting shetuid not exceed 30 seconds. In other words, the Ideal conditions for suc cessful pedestrian control is to be found in control intervals of minimum length, and in continuity of traffic flow. In starting the plan the public should be fully informed through tlie press and other media of publicity as to the provisions of the law, as to the day the innovation will be introduced, and the benefits that the public and especially the pedestrians will derive. Then it is necessary to place police officers at every controlled intersection and at many places in midbiock. These officers should be fully instructed regarding their duties, and should understand that violators must be dealt with courteously, but firmly. No arrests should be made except in very rare cases of wilful and deter mined disobedience of the orders of an officer. If all details have been property ar ranged and carried oat, it will be found that the pedestrians will soon understand and accept the new regulation, because they have observed that it is a practical means of protection against danger to them. In a few days the extra detail of police officers may be removed, but always thereafter special attention must be given by police officers to pedestrian control to prevent tlie people lapsing back into their former bod habits. Ia San Francisco and in Los Angeles pedestrian control m the business districts was properly introduced, and has been in successful operation for several years, with a very good degree observance, wherever police officers are normally or occasionally present. "Hiese officers are necessary in the congested dis trict in any event for other traffic duties. Enforcement by Police ____ _ __ tiuvuoitciu ui iramc regulations oy me police, there is Uttle hope of securing safety for either pedestrians or vehicles. Safety edu cation based upon adequate legislation must be backed up by the police force. Police action becomes especially necessary at intersections where there are large numbers of turning movements, for these movements interfere with pedestrians proceeding cm the *'go~ signal. Officers can do much to regularize these turns and to restrain over-anxious motorists from endangering the safety of pedestrians. There is a mis taken idea quite prevalent that police action ia no longer needed after stop and go signals are installed. You will frequently ser police officers standing by and doing nothing- to help turning vehicles or to protect pedestrians. The signals should be regarded as a means of relieving the officer from mechanical routine, so that he may use h/s intelligence to keep traffic moving with greater safety. Police Discipline Near Schools Police discipline is essential in the vicinity of all public schools to give the pupils protection m crossing roadways. This protection can be afforded with a minimum of extra cost by assigning patrolmen regularly working in the districts where schools 122 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress are located, to doty at or near the schools during the time when pupils are entering or leaving. As a second measure, the use of the school boy traffic patrol plan will be found very effective, if well organized, supervised and backed up by the Police Department. ' Physical Change* to Reduce Hazards Widespread public education in traffic safety, based upon adequate legal require ments coupled with energetic and constant enforcement of traffic regulations will accomplish much toward accident reduction, but in many cases physical remedies roust be brought to bear in order to completely eliminate or to reduce the severity of roadway hazards. 4 Wherever pedestrians find it necessary to stand in the roadway, as an incident to boarding or alighting from street cars, or hi crossing exceptionally -wide road* ways carrying heavy traffic volume or where there are extra long crosswalks at irregularly shaped intersections, pedestrians should be physically protected fnxn po tential contact with vehicles. These "confusion areas" are especially hazardous and warrant careful engineering study and the construction of suitable barriers, bods for the protection of pedestrians and for the better channelization' of vehicular flow. Street Car Safety Zones The liberal provision of street car safety zones at all intersections^ and other {daces where passengers ordinarily are taken up or discharged, is a very important part of the pedestrian safety program. Paint-marked safety zones are of no utility as they are constantly violated by motorists when pedestrians are not standing in them, and frequently even when pedestrians are present motorists will cut through the., zone. Such acmes are really a menace because they tend to give pedestrians a sense of security when in fact there is no security provided. . A raised platform zone when properly constructed offers almost complete security for pedestrians, and at the same time it presents little danger to motorists. It must be adequately illuminated, so that motorists can readily see the location and nature of the obstruction in their path in time to avoid it; otherwise it will constitute a very serious hazard. Such zones should have a bulkhead at the end toward mid block, high enough and heavy enough to physically prevent a vehicle from striking a person standing in the zone, and so shaped as to cause the least damage to a vehicle that may collide with it The curb should be carefully tapered at the ends to avoid unnecessary hazards to wheels of vehicles running close to the zone. Raised zones constructed as above described cost about $750, and are therefore too expensive to be used at all points where street car passengers need protection. They are especially adapted to heavy loading points, or to unusually hazardous points, for example, the first safety zone location on a high speed artery entering a city. The most practical compromise which will afford a reasonable degree of protection to pedestrians and the least danger to motorists, is to install button marked safety zones. The buttons should be three or four inches high, preferably with a heavily fluted surface. The buttons at the midblock end of the zooe should be set close together so that an automobile wheel cannot run between them, and the two comer buttons at the midhlock end should be fitted with carefully designed reflectors with red lenses, to pick up the rays from automobile headlights and reflect them back to the driver while at least 300 feet from die zone. The comer button nearest the curb at the other end should also be fitted with a reflector. . While such button marked zones do not give complete pedestrian protection, and while they do present a certain hazard to the motorist, they work out well in practice and serve to substantially cut down deaths and injuries. In San Francisco about 350 of these zones are in service and since their installation practically no motorists Street and Highway Traffic Section 123 have suffered accidents except reckless or drunken drivers, and pedestrians standing in these zones are comparatively safe. The number of deaths m safety zones has been radically reduced. Motorists soon find out that it Is uncomfortable and some what dangerous to drive through button 2ones, and they readily learn to drive so as to avoid them. The prevalence of button zones at intersections throughout the city causes the motorists to drive either to the right or the left of normal street car loading spaces, and tends to protect passengers even at intersections where there are no safety zones. It is important that the buttons and reflectors be adequately maintained after installation. Safety Inlands in Wide Roadways Where very wide roadways exist carrying fast moving traffic or a heavy volume of traffic, t^ Is unsafe for pedestrians to cross without the traffic flow being inter* rupted by signals or officers, unless there is a point of refuge at the middle of the roadway. I refer to roadways of perhaps sixty fret in width or over. It may happen that such an artery is 50 located that there Is very little cross vehicular traffic, and the installation of stop and go signals is therefore unwarranted. A remedy for this difficulty will be found in the installation of small curb-height safety islands in the crosswalk area at the center of the mam roadway. These islands must be protected at the midblock end with a bulkhead, suitably illuminated the same as described for raised street car safety zones. Curbs should be carefully tapered to a stream-line pattern. Ordinarily, about four feet would be a good width, and the length of the platform slxxild be governed by the wkfch of the crosswalk. Wider islands would reduce the number erf lanes of vehicles that could be accom modated along the street As these islands are quite expensive they would be war ranted only at points where pedestrian movements are fairly frequent. Safety islands correctly located opposite each other to the two crosswalks serve also to channelize turning movements of vehicles at an Intersection, reducing the tendency of taming vehicles to cut comers, and they also eliminate the tendency erf vehicles going straight through to encroach upon the left aide of the mam roadway when pedestrians are crossing on the right side. Both of these tendencies are ex tremely confusing and dangerous to pedestrians as well as hazardous for other ve hicles. In very wide roadways safety islands as described sun of great advantage even where the through traffic is interrupted by stop and go signals--this for the reason that without the islands long waiting intervals holding the main street traf fic would be required, to permit pedestrians who lave started across to reach flic other side el the street In wide roadways where street car tracks arc located center safety islands cannot be used, but the street car loading zones serve as refuge points for pedestrians in crossing such streets. r Islands to Channelize Traffic Flow At intersections of irregular shape, five or more point intersections, etc., there will frequently be found Urge areas of open pavement which permit automobiles to weave to and out of the natural channels of flow and to encroach upon pedestrian crossings. If the entering streets are wide, the crosswalks may be so long that a pedestrian cannot get from curb to curb in one signal interval; or if there is no stop and go control, ,the pedestrian will be unable to find gaps in the vehicular traffic of sufficient length to allow him to get safely across the intersection. In places of this sort a competent engineering survey will often reveal how the confusion areas may be completely eliminated by the installation of raised safety islands, so designed as to alter the shape of the intersection so that vehicular flow will be channelized mid matte to operate as smoothly as at any ordinary right angle intersection. Market Street, m San Francisco, is probably the most complicated traffic street 124 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress in the United States. Safety islands installed on that street give many different examples of what can be done to simplify the most complex intersections and pro* vide safety refuges for pedestrians. These islands also make it possible to success fully employ stop and go signal control at intersections which would otherwise be so wide as to cause very low efficiency of traffic movement, because of the excess* ively long clearance intervals that would be required. Also they make possible die Installation of signals at certain points of good visibility for both vehicle opqaftocs and pedestrians, which otherwise would be difficult or impossible. Standard traffic bulkheads and adequate illumination are also essential for this type of safety Sidewalks Along Outlying Highways At certain points in rural or suburban territory heavy pedestrian movement may occur along highways which also carry fast vehicular traffic--for example, in the vicinity of outlying factories; and frequently no sidewalks are provided. It hardly seems necessary to point out that in all such places vehicular and pedestrian traffic should be physically separated by curbing or fences. Tunnels and Bridges Much bas been written regarding innumerable schemes for carrying pedestrian traffic on a separate plane from vehicular traffic. This, or some other method which will provide for complete separation of the two classes of traffic, is, of course; the only means of completely and permanently solving the pedestrian accident problem. In most cases, however, it presents great difficulty of application, and involves ex cessive costs. Pedestrian tunnels constructed principally for school children crossing major streets have been very successfully employed in Los Angeles. Tunnels under streets do not seem to work out well for adults in most cases, because unlike children adults are not tinder discipline, and they dfsISce the extra effort of going tip and down steps or ramps. Experience tas proven dot pedestrian tunnels must be care fully policed, and kept well illuminated and clean*. Otherwise, they are useless for pedestrians and become catch basins for dirt and sore as cover for crime or public nuisances. Provision should be nude to lode ttrnnds at night or whenever not in regular use. Pedestrian bridges have ordinarily proved effective only where there are differ ences in levels, where It is necessary to climb or descend in any event and it is easier to use the bridge than to cross a roadway on the surface. Bridges ate used effect ively In special cases in connection with transportation terminals. Bridges or tunnels are frequently well adapted to connect buildings where there is a close inter-relatioa of business, and such passage-ways may well be used to avoid crossing a roadway on the surface. There will come a time, if indeed it is not already here in some places, when downtown streets must either be widened or other means found to accommodate the great pressure of vehicles and pedestrians. Probably the cheapest and best thing that can be done to give more room and eliminate conflicting movements in a dis trict would be to construct second story arcades for pedestrian use with bridges at intersections, and connecting buildings at points of greatest demand, leaving the entire ground level of streets between property lines for vehicles. This is a radical departure, perhaps, bat compared to the cost and difficulty of cutting off the entire fronts of buildings to widen streets, it would be Car easier and less costly. Great costs may well be warranted to prevent a high class business district from becoming decadent. Street and Highway Tragic Section 125 Summary The principal items in a program of pedestrian safety includes (1) a sound frameweek of legal regulations, (2) widespread. Intensive and continuous public education based upon such laws, (3) a highly co-ordinated system of traffic control mechanisms based upon a competent survey of local traffic requirements, (4) full pedestrian con trol in congested central business district (5) fair and firm law enforcement, and facilitation of traffic movement by the police, (6) the use of safety zones, safety is lands or other means of physically separating pedestrians from vehicles on the sur face of roadways, and (7) final resort to methods of complete separation of pedestrians and vehicles by carrying the two classes of traffic on separate planes, as by tunnels or bridges. Aside from the last named method, this program of pedes trian safety can be carried out with comparatively little cost. The principal require ment is good organization of public, civic and private agencies, intelligent leader* ship and persistent unselfish work for the benefit of the whole community. With these factors at work, a community may confidently expect a very substantial redac tion of deaths and injuries within a reasonably short time. E. B. Leffects (Manager Public Safety Dept., Automobile Club of Southern Cali fornia, Los Angeles, Cal.) : In Los Angeles we have about 40 tunnels that have been bolt primarily for school-child protection, but we have not found it necessary tn lock them although there is always the problem of keeping them clean. With the tunnels and the safety'Committee activities which wc have carried on, we have been able to reduce by 29.4 per cent the fatalities to children of school age ut Los Angeles, comparing the first eight mouth* of this year, with the same period last year. The majority of our street-car loading zones are of the reflector-button type, and I am sorry to say that the kind of driver we warn primarily to control is i>ot af fected by those. When a pedestrian goes into an area set aside for his protection, he is entitled to that protection from the drunken driver, and a button zone does not afford it. It is the cartless or drunken nr reckless driver that is our problem, and it seems to me we should attempt to give the pedestrian the full protection to which he is entitled in safety zones. I did not Hear Mr. Robinson mention that without center safety zones it is neces sary to give a longer yellow interval to take care of pedestrians. If we have the distance, by providing these center islands, we can cut down the yellow period and therefore use more effectively for vehicular movement live cycle interval that has been set aside for this particular intersection. ' John M. Rice (Consulting Engineer, Pittsburgh. Pa.): 1 have seen people fall by failing to step either on or off from the safety island. Is it desirable to raise them? Mu. Matson: I have seen pedestrians get serious falls from a curb where a step down is ordinarily expected. It is the old question of death* and injuries from falls, which is indeed a serious one. Mr. Rice: At the average crossing, after you leave tlic curb and walk on the level, there are no obstructions, whereas if you place a safely island there, you raise a projection. It seems to me that >f there is enough protection against the vehicle that there is something to be said in keeping the safety zone at the level of the rest of the pavement. In Pittsburgh, they are generally raised, but l am not satisfied that that is the solution. I believe you are introducing an additional hazard when you raise them. E. D. Doane (Statistician, Dep't. of Street Railways. Detroit, Mich ): Possibly a part of the objection to raised islands would l>c overcome if the riser were painted with Mack and white stripes so that it would be rfiscovcrol by IHe pedestrian. Mr. Matson : There were several zones on Market Street where traffic was ap proaching from two or three different sides. Where you have vehicle* approaching 126 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress from two direction* you have to establish a curb. Sometimes it is possible to keep the safety zone at pavement level, without a change in grade, by using buttons, but turning vehicles must not be overlooked in designing a zone. The ideal thing is to have enough accident reports to find out whether accidents resulting from falls at such places were greater or less than those from vehicles cutting through zones of the level type. ... CnAlaMAK Bzasstok: When the signal system was established to Birmingham, the boy scouts were enlisted for several days, and they held the pedestrians back at intersections where the red was against them. Since the inauguration of the signals there has been little effort on die part of pedestrians to violate them even when an officer doesn't happen to be present. The next speaker, J. Rowland Bibbins, consulting engineer of Washington, D. C., has some theories to present cm the work an adequate traffic signal system should l<rform. The Worts an Adequate Traffic Signal System Must Perform Bp J. ROWLAND BIBBINS Consulting Engineor A trackdriver said to a teamster: "What do yoti do with them asses ?" ' "O! they're cheaper to stop and start--giddap" Here indeed Is the que tar a most profitable discussion of signal control and pro tection. There is too much stop. In fact the housewives along Third Avenue, New York, say they time thetr soft-boiled eggs by signals, "one Green, or two Reds; which will you have?" ... The comprehensive program of this Congress lists some significant titles--"the value of analysis"--"what's wrong with enforcement"--"plain truths about safety** and "the importance and control of human motivation." I shall stress this last glimmer of light--psychology--against the unhappy background of 33,000 fatalities, for it seems to have been lost sight of in our feverish search for greater safety. First and last, I want to emphasize that while all parties to the safety problem Have been striving courageously for the great objective of lessening death, suffering and inconvenience of street movement, there has often been too little unity of effort and working at cross purposes among the numberless agencies, public and private, concerning themselves with tragic, transportation and safety. Before signals or traffic controls will ever accomplish their mam object we must have more thorough understanding of the technical and economic as well as toe legal questions involved. This object is "the greatest good for the greatest number**, taking into account all people who use the public streets, in private or public vehicles or on toot. (They are one and toe same.) It is this broader perspective tliat is so often lacking today. For example; in Washington we-have 12 public agencies (not to raentioo unoffi cial ones) from Congressional Committees down the line, dealing officially with traffic and transportation, including the Public Utilities Commission. Its job is to preserve some economic balance between adequate public service and its yodaAooL Yet local traffic agencies are often found instituting regulations and mtuHirg signals with disastrous economic results. It is not necessary in ottr pursuit of safety that a large majority of pedestrians should disobey the signals, nor to redact the street speeds of great transit systems to 4 or 5 m.p.b. when they are capable of carrying people home twice as fast with equal safety. It Is not in a critical attitude that I raise certain questions before this great body of earnest workers but if possible to unearth some plain facts about safety and signal*. Street and Highway Traffic Section 127 WHAT ARE SIGNALS FOR? To promote order and safety?--Ye$, bat why not speed also? It can be done. , To decrease pedestrian hazard? Yes, if so designed with cycle* neither too long nor the crossing intervals too short, so that people will obey them. To increase capacity and speed? Yes, Sometimes it is necessary to signal for traffic volume, other times for speed, occasionally for heavy pedestrian traffic primarily. To replace policemen? Not primarily, but if well-designed, they can be coordinated more efficiently than a series of independent officers. At critical traffic points we may need both signals and also police to control pedestrian and turning movements, Z WHEN ARE SIGNALS USEFUL? When intersecting traffic becomes Figure l hazardous or gets tangled tip by itself. This requires tome kind of a standard to go by and much judgment (later discussed). On light traffic streets, or during light traffic hours, they may be more dangerous than useful, because drivers disobey them. If rush hour densities require signals, then fixed or flashing amber can be used non-rush tor caution signals, especially at night. Are signals justified because an accident may have happened there? No. Signals where not clearly needed every day will encourage violation and increase accident*. 3. HOES TRAFFIC OBEY SIGNALS? Speaking generally, yes; public serv ice vehicles practically J00 per cent. But a considerable proportion of motorists jump the red-amber signals, which has given rise to the invisible two-color overlap period with toe same clearance time. New York has educated motorists to stop at all streets between those signalled when the main street is open. So it can be done. The effectiveness of STOP signs has been questioned of late. But to me thd* main practical necessity is to secure a real slow down to safe control speeds. I find this broadly true. The SLOW sign seems rather ineffective. Signals them' selves are also violated, which is much worse. 4. HO PEDESTRIANS OBEY THE SIGNAL AS WELL? Generally no. by no means. This is the great question today. In New York 1 found over twothirds of the pedestrians violated the 2-minute Red signals. Pedestrian* will not wait for long signals but will wait for short ones. On the 1-minute Red less than one-third violated the signal. With a 30-second Red toe violation and hazard should be-reduced to about 10 per cent 5. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY FACTORS? 1st. The shortest possible length of cycle and Red interval, consistent with the traffic density, and a design that will produce maximum through movement without stop. 128 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress 2nd. On very wide thoroughfares, suitable refuge zones mid-street protected by mushroom markers or otherwise, arc necessary to safeguard slow walker*. The pedestrian interval is the key to signalling on wide streets. Otherwise we shall lose m lowered capacity and efficiency much of the money we have spent for these great wide arteries. 3rd. Lane markings at intersections for both pedestrians and traffic to prevent meandering. I find many traffic authorities printing pedestrian lanes on a long diagonal across a wide street This may require one-half more time to cross. Pedes trian crossings should usually be guided across the narrowest point, i.e. at right angles. HOW FAST PEOPLE CROSS THE STREET Tolly of 60*000 Pedestrians *--Slows,'- 3-6 ft/sc. -gisU *n .................................. .............................. -............. *' ' Average --0.5 s 3 lnactives "Act****- Women 4.4 *%. 46 *Vs*e. f\c fives'-Men 53 "/am. f Percentage el Total Pedestrians Pigurt 2 4th. Special pedestrian signals set low at eye-level vision, or dc set low on signal posts, will probably be necessary, equipped with a positive indication of Use end of safe crossing time. This requires 16 faces per crossing regardless of the traffic signals. - (_ 5th. Even so, police officers may be needed at many signalled crossings to protect pedestrians from themselves and handle traffic turns. There is no panacea for human nature, ix. citiacn independence, except live soothing syrup of normal ly- chology. 6. DO FIXED OR FLEXIBLE SIGNALS BEST SUIT MAXIMUM CON DITIONS? Sheer necessity has demonstrated the necessity of flexible timing. I am considering the larger problem now and the distress relieved by the flexible progressive system on a long run or by the automatic demand type at some difficult intersection. High density traffic and transportation requires the highest signal capacity and efficiency, and the best are none too good. If we can set tip the high est standard and demonstrate its value, genera! progress will quickly follow. On a long run of heavy traffic street, die flexible progressive is now the only one even moderately approaching these essential requirements. These must be centrally controlled to vary cycle (and speed) according to traffic and weather conditions, and Street and Hig/mtiy Traffic Section 129 each intersection must be timed by itself so as to produce continuous non-stop progressive movement at a pre-determined speed and with least wastage of valuable street time for light cross movements. To install- less efficient types under such conditions inevitably imposes an economic burden upon the community which may become disastrous to public transportation and disrupt established business and land values which require stability above all things for continued development. The same principle is to be applied to a large traffic district of intersecting signal runs, known as the co-ordinated system, which simply means tliat all these separate signal runs are interlocked m time-step so that traffic moves all ways In definite platoons with much the same freedom as it moves along a signalled artery. The initial installation of this coordinated system was made in the Chicago Loop District resulting in immediate increase in transit speeds up to 50 per cent and traffic speeds still more. Pedestrian movement is very heavy there. 7. ARE THE SIMPLE ISOLATED OR SYNCHRONIZED SIGNALS JUSTIFIABLE? For a long heavy traffic thoroughfare, bitter experience nays no. There ere a few coses of equal block lengths idealiy spaced, but generally tltts sys. ka is too inefficient. On a 2-minuie cycle it means that all traffic stops every feet at 12 m-p-h. or 30 limes ail hour, and shorter cycles make matters still setae. This produces so-called "congestion" which is really not congestion at all, twph the expected result of inefficiency. The demand signal of "robot" is ingenious, approaching nearest to human intcttgmrr. especially at a complicated intersection. But a series of demand signals cannot prodocr true progressive movement in the full sense as they simply follow the traffic procession from pressure of demand. They cannot lead the procession Che a flexible progressive. But their great flexibility has further possibilities not yet fnlfjr developed. We are coming, I think, by necessity to signalled express speedways as the only escape from approaching stagnation and to speed up public service, especially coacti and trolley bits. These streets may more appropriately be signalled for speed and safety rather than for maximum volume primarily (the two are different). In the meantime the best possible combination of the two can be used. The additional cost of the flexible progressive feature is so minor above that of die fixed timing; i.e. synchroniaed, or the staggered or alternate systems that there should be no question between the two. A recent system of alternate signals cost 130 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress around $1,000 per crossing, 4-post signals. The flexible progressive feature could be added for $200 or $300 per crossing additional, less if first installed. 8. WHAT DETERMINES THE SUCCESS OF A SIGNAL SYSTEM l It depends entirely upon the design and timing. This is no place for "hit and miss'1 experimenting upon the public. The design should be worked out beforehand, based upon complete traffic analyses by a 5 and 15-mimrtc period, rush boor and mid-day respectively, including all turning movements so that the timing down to seconds may be accurately set, and so that the signals will In fact pass the traffic without interruption or congestion. Each crossing must be studied separately and then co ordinated with the others both for through and cross movements. I have set up the following "bogey" as something to work toward. First, the minimum cycle lergth that will probably handle the traffic at the critical point or throat of a signal run and produce a reasonable speed along the street, which should vary for the central, intermediate and outer Ugh speed rones. Second, the widest possible time band for through non-stop movement, which ought to be around 40 per cent of the cycle or 80 per cent of the GO time at the throat. Third, cross-town signal runs interlocked with the main runs to produce the same results for heavy cross-town streets. Fourth, all surplus cross time, not needed, to be thrown to the mam street to accomodate delayed traffic, cars or buses, on the main streets and aid cut-in traffic from the side streets to get back into tile procession without sfoppiog. Fifth, all signal runs to be signed at the beginning of. eat* speed section, eg. "Speed 20 m.pfi." by a small sign hong under the signal; this speed being the weighted average speed between rush and day hours. Sixth, all main street signal intersec tions to be laned for maximum traffic capacity and parking to be rigidly excluded near-side and for some distance far-side, especially opposite a safety zone. Seventh, minimmn pedestrian interval based on 4.5 feet per second walk, phis clearance period. 9. WILL CORNER PARKING AND LEFT-HAND TURNS INTERFERE? Both must be handled correctly to secure maximum signal efficiency. If a crossing is timed for 2-lane traffic each way, double parking and lax enforcement, especially near intersections, will obviously wreck an otherwise good design. Similarly the controversy over left-hand turns seems to have neglected entirely the fact that the outside turn, as still adhered to in Washington, not only blocks the cross-streets to right hand turns, but also takes 5 or 6 seconds out of the main street through timeband for the get-away. Many so-called "progressive" systems, especially with alternate synchronized signals produce a through time bond of only 9 or 10 seconds so that this delay to through rolling traffic may take up half of the through time. When the center inside turns arc used, this turning traffic is usually out of tile way at the signal change. Progressive designs hold the possibility of doubling or trebling the capacity of the street, doubling traffic speed, increasing transit speed, car/bus, up to 60 or 70 per cent and express bus speeds somewhere approximating traffic speeds. Conditions of course vary but analysis of Washington, New York and Chicago conditions alone show these possibilities. 10. DO ALL INTERSECTIONS ALONG A RUN NEED SIGNALLING? In heavy density districts more signals arc of course necessary, tail e,-en then some minor street can be skipped. Fra- long arterial runs, I think many can be skipped. For some odd-blocks signals place an unnecessary handicap on an otherwise good design. Light cross traffic, short cross streets, dead ends and offsets often need only caution controls. Uniform block lengths may or may not work out, depending upon their length. There are very few ideal block layouts and almost never uni formly balanced traffic. Therefore the ideal to which these simpler types might be equally well adapted is practically unattainable. Varying block lengths are universal and the best design overall may require some skip signals. I believe this is justified even if some rush hour police are required at skip points to control pedestrians. Street aiij Highway Traffic Section 131 It seems to me that our main object should be the best overall design, all factors considered, instead of adherence to some arbitrary rule applied to one part of the problem. The main factor in designing rests upon, a definite ratio--distance (feet) divided by 1.47 m.p.h. equals seconds to run, ie. block spacings 10 per mile at 20 m-pji. speed, require 18 seconds between intersections. This is inescapable. Just as slap-slops are being used advantageously in transit to increase speed, so also skip-signals are equally valuable in adjusting all the complex signal design factors in a street system. With some flexibility in signal location these appropriate speeds can be generally obtained along with non-stop movement 11. BY WHAT AGENCY DO MOST PEOPLE TRAVEL? The main transit systems of our country handle a billion people per month or 33,000,000 per day. Whether by street car, trolley bus or motor coach is unimportant. This is SO per cent more than all the passenger business of the Class 1 railroads of the United States. The 1930 population of our 93 cities over 100,000 is about 36,000,000 people, and that of the main traction centers about 30,000,000 people. The tractions thus move oar entire city population once a day. .. I observe with concern that public transportation seems to be discussed by most traffic men and city planners as a nuisance rather than a great essential utility. This is simply biting off our nose to spite our face. While it is true that in some cities of lax parking enforcement private automobiles handle perhaps half of the rush hour travel, in other large cities the proportion drops to 15, 20 or 2S per cent and in the largest cities where necessity riding occurs, 5 or 10 per cent. This indicates what real parking enforcement means to the majority. It seems time to get a better perspective of our major social needs when we are confronted with traffic controls and signal systems that reduce transit speeds to 4 to 5 m.p.h. The attached Figure I Is an illustration, recorded fuel before and after lights were turned on in Broadway in the rooming. The dips in speed after lights are due to signal waits. Speed drop 19.6 to 11.S5 on the main street. The cross streets fared worse with all traffic stopped two-thirds of the time 12- WHAT TRAFFIC DENSITY REQUIRES SIGNALS? No absolute rule can possibly apply to all times and all conditions. But one can be applied with judg ment and adjustment based upon the facts. I raise this mooted question as I have been misquoted in the following standard I used in the Washington survey; For nth hours "signals will probably be required when the heaviest movement in the direction of main flow readies a maximum rate of 500-1000 per 15-minute hour rate, two lanes, (i.e. 125 to 150 in 15 min,) giving due weight to cross traffic, turns, pedestrians and car-bus movements for the crossing as a whole". For light hours. "When main traffic in any direction falls below about 100 for any of four consecutive 15-minute periods, signals may be shut down to advantage, except only in cases of unusual hazard. STOP signs or amber tights, steady or flashing, mil provide protection". * Any standard requires detailed survey data by 15-minutc intervals at least, better 5-minute intervals. For 15-nunute traffic may be 20 to 30 per cent higher and 5minute traffic 40 to 50 per cent higher than for the full hour. Each crossing to be signalled should be analyzed in the same way. Then and only then can the best design be found, to give best speed, least waste time, shortest cycle, least stoppage and maximum pedestrian protection. It is not as simple a task as many seem to think. 13. FINALLY, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THE PEDESTRIAN? When we reflect that all but 5 to 15 per cent of pedestrians come to town in cars, buses or autos we cannot play favorites in traffic regulations. For the harrassment of being late to work by delayed cars and buses makes them IL- more chances on foot in violating signals. And when two-thirds of the persons crossing a heavy artery violate the signal, protection becomes a travesty. Here is a double opportunity for 132 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress the application of practical psychology. I hope that this Congress will give it intensive study. Detroit reports 45 per cent o Woodward Av. pedestrians violate red signals. As a starter I lay before yon exact information obtained from a study of 60,000 people crossing Upper Broadway, New York, and one of its main cross-town thoroughfares. Figure II shows the results: 1st, the proportion of "Actives", "In active*** and "Slow*", men and women; and 2nd, the time of crossing Broadway (100 fret curb to curb) and the walking speed. "Actives'* represent 84 per cent of the total, ''Inactive*" 14 per cent, and "Slows" about 2 per coat of this representative group. The time required to cross averaged 20.5 seconds or 4.86 feet per second, (3.3 walking speed; "Active" men walked 5.3 f.p.s. and women 4.6 f.p.s.; "Inactive** walked 4.4 f.p.s. (3-0 m-pJi.) ; "Slow*" 3.6 f.p,. (2.4 m.p,h.) Here is a typical problem of wide streets. The average group interval of 20.5 seconds crossing time represents minimum cross interval regardless of other factors. This street has a 20-foot refuge strip down the middle, giving perfect pedestrian protection for all Slows and Inactlves to use half-crossings instead of full crossings. But in spite of this the traffic authorities rejected any signal design that would not provide for full crossing of the slowest walker plus clearance time, Le. at least 35 seconds at every cross street, light or heavy, regardless of the refuge zone. This is a walking speed of only 2.9 f.p.s. (or 1.95 The interval is three-fourths greater than the average, and nearly one-half greater than the time required by "Inactives**. As a result the best possible signal design based upon this crossing interval necessarily wasted an enormous amount of street time to no purpose what ever. Jt is clear that the basic walking speed of 4.5 f.p,s. would be quite reasonable Ixsrc. This is the heart of the problem. Should the signal system be designed for pro tecting the 97 per cent or for tlte 2 per cent who can always fall back to full pro* tectkxt in the refuge zone? If the majority is to control, using half crossings at some points for those who walk slowly, a very efficient signal design for Broadway can be produced on the non-stop flexible progressive plan yielding a large increase of street capacity, trafik-transportatiou, efficiency and greater safety, even with New York's short street spacing north and south. I leave to you the choice between the results of arbitrary rules and what I consider rational high-cfficicncy designs. City planners advocating wide thornugtdares should also be concerned more than ever before. 14. HOW CAN WE APPLY PSYCHOLOGY TO DECREASE VIOLA TIONS? As one horn of the dilemma we have so-called human rights, at the other modern efficiency. Police regulation demands stop; traffic-transportatkm demands movement. I believe the two can be adjusted, for both have the same great objec tives. This solution rests oh the length of cycle and the signal tinting. In New York at this time all main traffic was stopped one minute out of every three, or one-third of the time; cross streets.were stopped two minutes or two-thirds of the time. In Chicago, Michigan Boulevard traffic North of the River stops every 100 seconds or 35 per cent of the time; South of the River about every 150 seconds or 40 per cent of the time, thus producing what I call a "cycle jam" or maximum con gestion every 150 seconds. In Washington one important business street has five different cycles in seven blocks. (This can all be cured by the flexible progressive system. Usually with one Master*). Fortunately, in New York, both long and short intervals were available for this study of psychology. The survey recorded in detail two groups of crossing pedes trians : 1. Those obeying the signals, i.e. crossing only on Green GO. `Washington Signal-Surrey 1929, nude for Washington Traffic CousclL Street ami Highway Traffic Section 133 2. Those violating the Red STOP signal which traffic ami transit has to obey for pedestrian protection. The second reveals what I term the hazard Factor. Figure III shows that in spite of this positive protection the great majority of pedestrians, two-thirds in fact, violated the Red STOP signal. The curves, "per centage violations" are based upon these two signal intervals. But as we know fairly well the zero point and the fact that with longer intervals most everybody would violate the Red, we are fairly certain of the curves within the limits shown. Here is the important point--that as the RED interval is shortened the violations decrease muck faster than the actual reduction in time. This is die psychological key to the signal safety situation, especially on all wide thoroughfares. In the upper curve for a heavy crosstown tlrarooghfare, more people violated the signals all day as the traffic density was less than in the lower curve, for a main high speed artery, where violation was more hazardous (rush hours). But both curves have the same characteristic*. On a given street the percent violation appears to remain fairly constant a. m.-Noon-p. xn. rush. But comparing one street intersection with another on another street is liable to give variable and obscure results because of differing traffic, street widths, transit movements, safety islands, business density, etc. We may now find a measure of the hazard factor by the relative violations per second of Red interval, as shown in Figure IV. This hazard curve b derived from the other. As the cycle is shortened from 2 minutes to one minute and below, the hazard curve drops off rapidly to zero. While the precise results below 40 or 50 seconds should be studied more carefully, it appears that with a 20-second Red the total violations would be perhaps only half that for a 30 second Red and the latter only about one-thux" of that for a 60 second Red, etc. Here is evidently a major problem for research. SUMMARIZING, I think we must liberalize our ideas as to real pedestrian - protection, street design and length of cycle, also our perspective as between the various factors so affecting traffic and transportation. The economic burden of inefficient traffic control, particularly signals, has become too serious to longer ignore, in many cases devastating. American citizens are independent minded, but amenable to reason and cause. The impossibility of regulating them by authority alone is well demonstrated in New York's downtown clothing district and Grand Central regions. Where armies of policemen are relatively powerless, psychology and tech nical designing offer the only hope of remedy and at negligible cost. We spend tens of millions for widening thoroughfares and then kill them by inefficient signals. There are many example* of signals not needed at all installed in response to a whim or agitation. But even these can be perfected. The twin roadway If signalled, as it probably wall be, seems worthy of much greater study. Such major thoroughfares as Michigan Avenue, Chicago; Broad way, Fifth Avenue and Ocean Avenue, New York; Woodward Avenue, Detroit; Meridian and Washington Streets, Indianapolis; 16th Street, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Mass. Avenue, Washington, and Hudson Boulevard, Newark, should give ample opportunity for a study of the future standards of design, particularly Pennsylvania Avenue, Treasury to the Capitol, Washington, 160 feet wide, 107 feet paved curb to curb. Such twin roadways are already to be found--Broadway and Bronx Parkway, New York; Commonwealth Avenue, Boston; St Charles Boule vard, New Orleans; University Parkway, Baltimore; and Pennsylvania Avenue. S. W., Washington. And going further, triple roadways are already to be found on North Charles Street, Baltimore, and Lake Shore Boulevard, North Side, Chicago. This design has the immense advantage of side service streets, just wide enough for the building frontage, leaving the main central roadway free of parking for heavy traffic. 134 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Perhaps 1 could emphasize in no better way the absolute necessity of flexible ccntrol in progressive signal systems and the variation of cycle lengths according to conditions by the results "of observations by the Bureau of Standards. Putting it very generally the co-efficicnt of friction cm good dry concrete or asphalt with 4- wheel brakes is around 75 to 80 per cent of the wheel loads. In ordinary rain this may drop to two-thirds, although a clean wet street may approximate a dry one. But a light rain and dirty street, or bad slippery conditions may reduce this friction to one-half or below, even one-third of the dry street All this means that a <50- second cycle permitting 30 ra-p-h. crest speed should probably be increased to 72 seconds or 25 m.p.h. for poor street conditions. This means an Increase of 20 per cent time, but yielding a wider time-band. , Kush liour conditions alone usually require this spread, so that with central signal control the cycle and road speeds can always be adjusted in a few minutes to meet most any condition. If rush hour parking is cleared our regolarly as it should be, at least on the flow side of the street, giving an extra lane capacity, there of course less need for lengthening the cycle. The final test of it all is the average speed that can be maintained and the percentage of vehicles stopped by signals. Roughly, the cycles ought to be increased in inverse proportion to the square root of tins average speed. An amusing comment on Londoo's first experimenting in traffic lights states that: "These lights at Ludgate Circus and Fleet Street recently caused the worst traffic jam ever witnessed at that busy crossing. Tens of thousands of pedes trians intent on observing the operation of the device crowded the sidewalks and overflowed into the roadways until congestion became almost desperate.** America has moved faster. Last December, my Inquiry in some 20 large cities showed the following; Only three or four using the flexible progressive as a coordinated system, mostly in the central district; four cities had some fixed cycle progressive runs (no central control); eight had ;*kip-signal progressive runs in use or contracted for; five others still used the old synchronous systems. The smaller cities gen erally had this or the alternate staggered system with equal time-split (Red aod Green) regardless of the relative traffic each way. So we have at least a good start. The pity is that the investment--$1^)00,000 or more in large cities, cannot be put to the best use. My last thought is my first: That we must encourage in our cities a broader perspective of relative necessities, the need for better facts, closer technical studies and closer coordination between the various local agencies involved, on the only ten able basis of a civilized community--the greatest good for the greatest number. A. A. Oldfield (Director of Safety, Wisconsin Power & Light Company, Madi son. Wis.): It is unfortunate that we have what Mr. Bibbins calls the "slows"; in other words, the infirm, the aged, and the injured. Iu places like Michigan Avenue and Broadway, it is possible to build -safety islands for pedestrians, but as a general thing there wouldn't be room for them, and therefore the controlling factor would be the 2 per cent who travel 3.6 feet per second. Mr. Brauns: That involves the importance of the street and the density of pedes trian movement, but in New York I saw a little oW lady, crippled unbelievably, walk across about as fast as the ordinary person. Whereas a nurse-maid with the little girl tagging along takes all the time she wants. Wc must have a pedestrian interval, that gives us some idea of tee end of the time, I can't see any reasonableness in keeping a street open up to tee last second for anybody. We must move pedestrians as you "platoon" traffic. Apparatus Is being experimented with in Detroit and elsewhere, by which a moving finger shows the time when it is safe to walk at four and a-half feet per second. Street and Highway Traffic Section 135 People violate it, of course. Another one has a series of little lights which go off one after anotltcr, showing the change period. Every second a light goes out. M. Oldfield: The theories you have set forth may be applicable to Michigan Avenue, but on other streets there are grade crossings of railroads, where the ob struction might be anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. What are you going to do with your signal system then ? Mr. Bibsins : When you come to a grade crossing condition, tee only thing to do is to superimpose upon the normal signal cycle a train-actuated device that will control when a train comes. I took it that you meant a series of railroad tracks in the city, around the switching yard. Mr. :Oldfield How is speeding up traffic by shortening the eyrie going to affect street car traffic which must stop, start, and get over the intersection ? Mjl Bibsiks: The data I have indicates the minimum time beyond which we cannot go because people must cross the street. I can say with reasonable accuracy that whatever benefits traffic will benefit transit. For example, in New York, they staggered the synchronous system of avenues al ternately so as to get a sort of progressive east-west movement. That resulted, I am informed, in an immediate increase in scheduled speed, of 30 per cent. That shows definitely what progression will do to mass transportation. Chaomak Brasstglv: We were to have had a discussion of "Progress Toward Uniform Legislation * by Colonel Barber, but his appearance here today was impos sible. However, he has sent a very able representative in the person of Mr. A. W, Koehler, Secretary- of the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety. A. W. Koshler (Washington D. C.) : Colonel Barber had expected until yester day morning to be here to address this session, ami He was very keenly disappointed at not being able to keep the engagement. - You might be interested in knowing that the occasion which keeps Colonel Barber from you Is an important meeting held in the office of the State Department in Washington, which is tee culmination of an effort of about three years to provide uniformity in traffic among all of the countries of the Western Hemisphere, The Pan-American Traffic Conference is being hcM at this time and Co* Kid Barber was very earnestly requested to be present. Progress Toward Uniform Legislation By A. B. BARBER Director, National Conference on Street and Highway 8afety, Washington, D. C. Gradually, uniformity m traffic laws and regulations is becoming a reality. State and municipal legislative bodies, encouraged by the business and citizen groups most affected, are coming to realize that, in the main tbeir traffic problems calling for rules ami regulations arc not unique and that the value of uniform laws and regula tions, worked out from a nation-wide composite point of view reflecting the researcli and judgment of persons familiar with every aspect of die problem, exceeds the pos sible value of independent rules which may fit the local requirements admirably but which make all out-of-town visitors inadvertent lawbreakers and make their own citizens lawbreakers when they drivelout of town--with the inevitable result of misun derstanding, chaos and accident This has been one of the off years for state legislatures; only nine have been in regular session. It is necessary, therefore, to go back to 1929 to get a true picture of the progress which has been made during the most recent cycle of legislative sessions. In 1929, the state of Delaware set aside a group of laws passed at different times 136 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress which in the aggregate embraced a great deal of the uniform code, but in different sequence and manner of presentation, and substituted the four acts of the uniform code almost verbatim. Delaware was the third state to do this, Pennsylvania and Arizona having done so in 1927. In 1929, New Mexico adopted all but the Uniform Operators* and Chauffeurs' License Act, as Virginia had done in 1920 and Idaho and North Dakota in 1927. South Dakota, following the steps taken by Michigan and Minnesota m 1927. adopted the fourth act, or that regulating traffic on highways. North Carolina had in 1927 adopted the fourth act and also the first or uniform registration act, and Louisiana did the jamc in 1928 __ The foregoing by no means reflects the extent of progress toward uniformity in state legislation. The entire block of North Atlantic states as far south as the Potomac River, with the exception of Maine and Delaware, together with the District of Columbia ami California on the Pacific Coast, already had a drivers' license law with mandatory examination of new drivers at the time the uniform code was drafted in 1926, 14 states had an anti-theft act comparable with act two of the uniform code, while all states had some form of registration law. Furthermore, a number of states which have not adopted any of the acts cl the code have made changes during the past four years toward conformity with the uniform vehicle code. For example, California, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey. Oregon, Washington and Wis consin have made such changes in their laws within the scope of act four; Arkansas, Indiana, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin and South Carolina have done the same wtth respect to licensing operators, their action being the passage of legisla tion requiring that operators be licensed but without the compulsory examination ; and Oregon has done this with respect to the scope of acts one and two. In 1928 the New Jersey legislature made an interesting move toward uniformity by incorporating into state law a large part of the Model Municipal Traffic Ordi* nance completed for the conference last year. Wisconsin followed the same course in 1929 in its new traffic law, and New York did so this year. This procedure was endorsed by the Third National Conference on Street and Highway Safety last May when it approved the revised Act IV, into which had been written nearly all of the Model Municipal Traffic Ordinance, leaving out only certain provisions relating to the authority of the police and their relationship to the city council, local parking regulations and certain miscellaneous provisions deemed not to be of sufficiently widespread application to warrant incorporation m tlic state law. Even though New York and South Carolina were the only two of the nine states whose legislatures met this year from which progress can be reported--New York in adopting these substantial parts of the Model Municipal Traffic Ordinance and South Carolina in making a start toward licensing of drivers by adopting the plan of registration without examinationr-cvldcnce of progress toward uniformity in municipalities is constantly coming to the attention of die Conference office. I am unable to state just how many cities have adopted the Ordinance or ordinances patterned closely after it for the reason that every now and then we learn of some community which adopted the ordinance months ago. and on the other hand in a few cases comparison of ordinances reported to have been based on the Model Or dinance shows such wide differences that the cities can hardly be classed ns having the Ordinance. It was never supposed that all city councils would adopt the Model Ordinance in its entirety. Some having conditions requiring it have done substantially this to their advantage while a few have gone the limit in an unreasoning fashion, as for example the small community which, having no street railway, has included the provision relating to street railways. A large number have omitted such provisions, added otliers. and written in various changes, whether to conform to state laws at variance with the Uniform Code, to meet unusual local conditions, to compromise w ith reactionary influences or for some other purpose. Sheet'mid Highway Tragic Section 137 Subject to these deviations of greater or less moment, we usually class a* having ordinances substantially in keeping with the Model Ordinance among the larger cities: Boston, Providence. Indianapolis, Louisville. .Chicago and San Francisco: and among the smaller cities, tl*e list certainly not being complete. Quincy and Revere, Mass.; Hamilton. Elyria and Findlay, Ohio; Grand Rapids. Mich.; Alton, 111.; Davenport, Fort Dodge, Iowa; Prague, Okla.; Great Falls. Morn.; Berkeley and San Jose, Calif.; Hinton. W. Va.; and Savannah. Gn. This list, at course, docs not include any cities in New Jersey, New York or Wisconsin, all of which have the major part of the Model Ordinance as a Mate law. It also doe* twit take into account the situation in Massachusetts, where the state department of puldie works has a wide authority over local ordinances and i* requiring that in many rcsjccts they conform to the principles embodied in the Model Ordinance. I have also not attempted to list the considerable and growing number of munici palities in which the traffic authorities have voluntarily adopted the Manual of Street Traffic Signs. Signals and Markings developed for the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety by the American Engineering Council and approved at the Third National Conference last May. Uniformity in this direction generally does not require legislative action. Activity toward uniform legislation is under way or in prospect in many quarters. Taking some of the states alphabetically. wdlK.it regard to tlic relative importance of the various activities I may note that plans for a state-wide conference of public authorities arc under way in Alabama and a large amount of conference literature has been supplied on request for distribution. In at least two cities in Colorado active effort to bring about the adoption of tlw Model Ordinance is reported. The Governor of Delaware, not satisfied to stand pat on its action in 1929 in adopting the Uniform Code in the face of the revision made by the third Conference, has au thorised the calling of a meeting to compare the present state law with the Code as revised and recommended changes to the next legislature, - A communication from Boise, Idaho, under date of September 23rd advises that prospects for passage of the Drivers' License Law in [hat State in 1931 are favorable. In Illinois there are prospects of a more determined effort titan in previous years to bring about the adoption of an operators' license law with mandatory examination. In Maryland there are evidence, of a sentiment among public authorities as well as Citizen groups to bring the present lawygto conformity with the Uniform Gode. A telegram from Lincoln, Nebraska, arerew days ago requested copies of the uni form measures recommended by the Conference desired for an important prelegisla tive meeting. ~ It was unanimously voted by the New Hampshire Mayor's Clubs, at a recent meeting, to recommend to the several cities and towns the adoption of the Model Afttnicipal Traffic Ordinance, At the request of Mayor Moreau of Manchester copies of the Model Ordinance and other Conference publications were sent to the Mayors and 223 Chairmen of the Selectmen in each town in the State oi New Hampshire. In Tennessee, steps have been taken toward a state-wide conference of municipal authorities to bring about the adoption of tile Mode] Ordinance. Cities tn West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Montana, and Minnesota, report campaigns to bring about the adoption of the Ordinance Within the past several days we have received word that the Common Council of the city of Fort Wkvne has passed a new traffic ordinance in harmony with the Mode! Ordinance. ' We learned approximately two weeks ago that a codified Municipal Traffic Ordi nance practically identical wtth the Model Ordinance had been introduced in the City Council of Pittsburgh. The national organizations cooperating with the Department of Commerce in or ganizing and financing the National Conference are probably more keenly alive today than ever before, as is the case with many other organizations affected by the traffic problem, to tlic need for cooperation, follnw-up with their local organizations and 138 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress support to the utmost of their ability to every proper movement toward uniformity. Regional traffic mid aviation conferences called by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States were held last week m Philadelphia and Boston to bring repre sentatives of commercial organizations and other interested groups together for dis cussion of these problems. In each case representatives of such organizations, public officials and individuals informed on particular phases of the problem attended and participated in the discussion. Five more of these conferences will be held during November and December in Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Dallas, and Portland, Oregon. The National Safety Council is giving particular attention to the drivers' license law, bringing up to date its earlier publication on the operation of the law and con tinuing research to develop facts not heretofore generally known. The American Automobile Association is stimulating its motor clubs, the American Electric Rail way Association its members, the other national associations their respective local units. The spokesmen for these national organizations, sitting around the table at the recent meeting of the Executive Committee and Governing Board of the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety, are agreed that cooperation in stimulating movements for uniformity will be most likely to accomplish the desired result. The National Association of Finance Companies is concentrating its energies on the anti-theft act Bulletins to go to Finance Companies, individual dealers and legislators, to be followed by die mailing of a copy pf Act II and a strong letter urging cooperation and passage. If the local units live up to this plan--and I believe that in general they will-- there will be opportunity for every person as this room and every person desirous of uniformity m tnriie legislation to do real work toward bringing it about, and I am confident that 1931 will see (he greatest progress yet made toward such uni formity. Chairman Bsuukston : I believe that our legislative and governing bodies through out the United States are coming to appreciate more fully and more seriously the necessity for some definite, specific, uniform legislation toward controlling a situa tion that has come like the locust and is about to engulf os. A representative of the Birmingham City Commission is here. He has become in tensely interested in the subject of uniform legislation, and as a member of die mayors' association of Alabama be has done some very constructive work looking toward the adoption of uniform legislation. I take the liberty of asking him to express briefly the progress that has been made in Alabama. John H. Taylos (Commissioner of Public Safety, Birmingham, Ala.): In 1926, we started the Alabama movement to pass the Uniform Vehicle Code. With the assistance of the Birmingham Safety Council, the National Safety Council, and the Chamber of Commerce, wc bad a meeting in November, at which were present Sid ney J. WiDiims, Director of the Public Safety Division, National Safety Council, and Colonel Barber. We also had a committee from the Alabama Mayors* Associa tion. We adapted the Uniform Vehicle Code; to make it conform to the Alabama constitution but were not able to put it through the legislature. Since then we have put Into the hands oi various civic bodies the four laws comprising tic Uniform Vehicle Code. We have had enrolled In the movement the Alabama Mayors' As sociation, the Alabama Association ol Probate Judges and County Commissioners, the various Chambers of Commerce and civic bodies, and the State Junior Chamber of Commerce. ' It is my plan to put a copy of the Uniform Vehicle Code into the hands of every state senator and every member of the lower house as soon after the November elec tion as it is possible for me to ascertain Ins name and address. We are going to hold a meeting in Montgomery and get nationally known speakers. We want Colo Street and Highway Tragic Section 139 nel Barber, Mr. Williams, and two or three others. We are going to fry to pass the law. We realize that the time lias come in this country when the Uniform Vehicle Code ought to be in effect. We are going to try to pais it iu Alabama as nearly like the original as possible, with some slight changes to make it conform with our state constitution. J. F. H. Wysr (General Manager, Canadian National Safety League. Toronto, Ont.) : I would like to add that interest is spreading, noL only in the United States in connection with uniform traffic control, but all over oar governments in Canada, both federal ami provincial. Mr. Koehler: When Mr. Wyse said that the uniform measures that have been recommended by the Conference have been spreading into Canada, he reminded me that the embassies and legations in Washington are showing much interest in this subject and are requesting copies of the Code to be transmitted to their govern ments. We have sent this Code into England, Holland, France, Australia, ami just recently into Africa, so the tiling is becoming not only a national movement but an international movement I ADJOURNMENT 140 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Personality and Public Accidents Friday Afternoon, October .3, 1930 W. V. BINGHAM, Cbairrajax Personnel Research Federation, New York City The open meeting of the National Safety Council Committee on Personality and Public Accidents, convened with Dr. W. V. Bingham of the Personnel Research Federation, New York City, presiding. Chaikmax Bingham : This is the second open meeting which lias been held by tire Committee on Personality aod Public Accidents. The committee was organized about three years ago because there was growing realization of the seriousness of the problem presented by the human factor as one of the causes of accidents. As long ago as 1926, when the second National conference on Street and Highway Safety was held, an analysis showed that from 70 per cent to 85 per cent of the accidents were primarily traceable to failure of the human factor rather than to weather conditions or the surface of the road or the design of the highway or the condition of the motor vehicle. Safety engineers have long carried on. effective work for the improvement of these physical factors- It remains, nevertheless, that even on well designed high ways, with adequate light, drivers operating cars m good condition sometimes have accidents. The importance of the human factor hardly needed to be emphasized. Our ignorance about it, though, was so vast that even though we have been working on the problem for some time we still feel that we have hardly scratched the surface of a real under standing of all the complex conditions that enter into the problem. Sometimes I think we should change the name of our committee and instead of operating under a highbrowed title like the one wc now have, Personality and Public Accidents, we should use a short, direct term and say that this is the Committee on the Driver. It is a short title but a very broad subject. It was known at the time the committee was organized that drivers are not all alike. They vary tremendously in ability, in health, in eyesight, m skill, in attitude toward other drivers, in respect for tow and in many other regards. It was known from some few statistical studies that a relatively small proportion of the drivers have a relatively large proportion of the accidents. The circumstances there are very much the same as in industrial accidents. You know from the various studies that have been made of large groups of employes in industries, both here and in England, that a lelativdy small proportion Qf the employes arc what we might call accident rarriers or accident-prone workmen, who for one reason or another, have a relatively large proportion of the accidents. Now that presents us with our major problem, at least with our first problem. How can we locate or identify the accident-prone operators? If we can find them, then we can study tlreui and perhaps either cure them or eliminate them. Our second major question, then, becomes: how can we diagnose the difficulties of these accident-prone men, find out in each particular case just what is wrong? The difficulty' may be a lack of specific training on certain points in operation, it may be temperamental or emotional, a certain instability that leads the operator to lose his head and do the wrong thing in a sudden emergency, or the difficulty may be one of innate, low intelligence, or one of health. How can we diagnose these difficulties and put our finger on just wbat is wrong in each particular case? And the third and most important of our three major problems is how, then, can these difficulties be removed and the operators helped to become competent, safe operators of motor vehicles ? Street and Highway Traffic Section 141 These problems, all three of them, emerge not only in connection with the highway safety problem of the private driver, but also in connection with the industrial problem of die chauffeur, the truck driver, the bus operator, the delivery boy, the employe of any concern, whether it is a department store or an oil company or a transportation company, which maintains a fleet of trucks or busses or delivery cars. There is a great difference between the practical aspects of tire problem as it confronts the fleet owner and as it confronts the public administrator or the person concerned with safety cm highways in general, because the fleet owner has immediate control and supervision over his men. He has it also within his power to sdect care fully those who shall operate his vehicles. But in the public accident field, in public vehicle administration, it is very difficult to get control over the drivers. It is not easy to decide just who shall be permitted to drive or to eliminate any large propor tion of those who would like to drive. Now I am not so sure that that is as sorry a situation as it might seem at first glance. My experience leads me to feel that a considerable proportion of the accidentprone drivers are capable of cure, through retraining, instruction, education, discipline, supervision, and bringing public sentiment and public disapproval to bear upon. them. I speak with modesty upon that point because I know there are people with broad industrial experience who disagree with me and whose experience seems to indicate that a large proportion of the accident-prone drivers arc such because of inborn incapacity to drive, slow reaction time, emotional instability, poor eyesight, and other causes which are very difficult to change for the better; so much so, that their position is that about all we ran do with these nccidcnt-pronc people is to keep them from driving. One major problem before our committee, then, is tu get further light on that question, the question as to wl*at proportion of die accident-prone operator* are capable of improvement or cure, and Iiow that improvement and cure can be brought about My reason for believing as I do, that a relatively large proportion of atcVdcr.t' prone men are capable of becoming comjietent, sate operators, is tire experience which the Boston Elevated Railway has had in the past three years in undertaking to locate, diagnose, treat and cure the accident-prone men among their bus operators ami street car motormen. I spoke before the first open meeting of this committee which was held in New York two years ago, on this subject and I mentioned at that time our first studies and efforts in the directkm of helping tirese men to become more competent operators. I mentioned at that time the fact that it seemed necessary, to approach the problem in that particular way because there is a very low labor turnover m that company, and if we had concentrated our attention on the problem of initial selection (even though we had by some miraculous means been able to select only 100 per cent good operators) or the problem of initial training, it wouldn't have made very much of an effect upon thdr high accident costs. And that is the reason why we turned at once to this other line of attack: namely, to locate the accident-prone experienced operators ami not to fire them but rather to see what could be done through specific retraining, better supervision, encouragement, discipline, cooperation with the medical department in improvement of health, and other ways to help these men to become safe operators. Just in a word, the results to date have been that whrreas during the years immediately preceding and including 1927, collision accidents hi Boston had been running on an average of about 650 a month, during the present year, 1930, they are averaging 320 a month. That result has followed upon this particular line of attack with a very small number of men discharged or disqualified, a smaller number than had been tire case in the previous years. That is why I believe that a larger proportion than I once thought are capable of cure. I lave seen it done. This committee has been operating through the activities of several of ks individual members and of others associated with them u> studying these different problems which 1 have outlined to you, in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Evanston, Pittsburgh, 142 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress New York. Boston, and New Haven. We shall have a very informal discussion of what has been done, the problems which have been faced and the difficulties that are ahead of us. Bid first I want to describe three particular cases, illustrating different kinds of accident problems and how they must be met differently. The first of tlicsc was the street car motorman whose record showed that he had more than his share of minor collisions, chiefly with vehicles on the left of the street car. By all means the most common kind of collision is with vehicles going the same direction on the right, but this man had avoided alt that type of accidents. Examination of his eyesight showed no defect in range of vision. A supervisor, however, riding the car. with him and observing bis behavior, discovered that the man was fond of, racing automobiles on his right. When the motorman saw a driver trying to get ahead of his street car he would accelerate and beat him. He was doing it often but he was careful while he was doing it- He Itad no collisions with the drivers that he would race in that particular way, but his attention being all over on the right, he didn't notice what was going on on Us left and tltat was where the accidents happened. In this case the problem was entirely cleared after we got our finger on the par ticular wrong thing lie was doing, and thea it was simply a matter of persuading him to change his habit of racing with the automobiles cm his right, and keep his attention on the whole street. The second case is one which illustrates the fact that sometimes you may get some good psychiatric treatment without resorting to a psychiatrist or psycho-analyst. The supervisor reported that he couldn't find any fault with the sun's use of the brake or the way he notched up his power, or opened and closed the door before hie started the car, or any of those other details that he had observed. But there was one thing that he had noticed and that was this; whenever a pretty girl got on the car he would pull down his coat, straighten his tie, and roil his eyes toward her. He kept this up more or less all the while the pretty girl was on the car. The supervisor tipped off the division superintendent, who called the motorman in and talked it over with him very frankly. The motorman couldn't see any connection between his perfectly nature!, interest in women and his susceptibility to accidents, and he told the other men what a fool the superintendent was to think there was any connection. Whereupon the motormen and conductors picked up the burden. They made life miserable for him for die next two weeks, and they cured him. He now keeps lus -eyes on the street and not on the passengers behind him. The third case is one of a private driver whu voluntarily came to an accident clinic, not because he had had any accidents, but because he bad noticed three or four times that be had gotten into an awfully tight place rather unexpectedly and he was getting a little worried about himself. He was put through a set of diagnostic tests which included, among other tilings, reaction time at the wheel and with the brake, certain visual tests, auditory tests, and so on. Mr. Carroll A. Whitmer of the Dept, of Psychology, Univ. of Pitts burgh, who was conducting the exairynatkm, found that the man had a slow reaction time with his right foot, sometimes even extending as long as six seconds between stimulus and response. He found also that there was a Wind area of about 15 degrees in his right field of vision, ' Mr. Whitmer recommended that he consult a neurologist who in turn found a slight partial paralysis of the right side, traceable, as they eventually discovered, to certain digestive difficulties which were readily cured and his paralysis cleared up. Now isn't that a pretty clear case of the kind of service that as accident clinic can render to drivers generally, and isn't that a fine example of the attitude we all ought to take toward ourselves as drivers; namely, self observation, noticing if there is something wrong, going to specialists to find out Just what it is that is wrong, follow ing through to get that thing cured? I lode forward, ladies and gentlemen, to the time in the remote future--when if we {Kit on a Safe-a-Life campaign for required Street and Highway Traffic Section 143 inspection of the motor vehicles, to be sure that the brakes are right, and the head lights properly adjusted, we shall also have a required examination of the driver to sec whether his steering gear is operating rights to see whether his headlights are bright enough, to see whether his condition is such that he. can put a sticker on the front of his automobile, "Automobile inspected and approved; driver inspected and approved." Now I want to hear from some of those who are here- I wonder if we may have a report of the studies that liave been made at Ohio State University and in Dayton by Dr. Weiss and his associate, Dr. Lauer. I understand neither of those gentlemen is here, but Mr. Shriver of Detroit and Mr, Doefler of Dayton are here and perhaps they can tell us something abemt this work and its results. W. C. Suhive* (Engineer Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mich.) : A public utility in die southern part of Ohio has, for the past three years, been making very careful records of thrir accidents. During two of those years little was done of a corrective nature but the reports were available and accurate. They found that accidents were mounting. The first thing was to inspect the records to determine whether the accidents were scattered through the entire list of drivers or whether they were concentrated in a relatively few. About 8 per cent of the drivers had, during those two years, con tributed a little more titan SO per cent of the accidents. With that -information, they were able to go ahead on a more comprehensive plane to see what could be done with these drivers. The first thing was the establishment of a court of review, not a court of discipline. The court had no powers other than the requirement of the presence of the man who liad the accident and a careful survey of the possible or probable causes, together with what suggestions they might offer to eliminate those accidents in the future. That was tried for about a year and the improvement In the number of accidents per hundred thousand miles was slight. This improvement failed to satisfy. We tlien applied to Dr. Lauer and Dr. Weiss ol Ohio State University for help. They carefully examined the drivers, giving us trouble, and a like number of the good drivers. About a 90 per cent correct analysts of these men was realized from the laboratories. In other words, they would pick nine out of ten of the bad drivers, but whose records were unknown to them. They also fucked out nine out of ten of the good drivers. They ran them through a test for intelligence, a test for emotional stability, for manual operation, reaction time; vision, particularly for so-called tunnel or telescopic vision, and also for depth of perception, and the prone-to-acckknt drivers were shown to be deficient in one or several of these features. A majority of these drivers were not deficient from a physical standpoint The greater portion were deficient in emo tional stability intelligence, and there seemed to be considerable correlation between the two. We unfortunately found drivers with an intelligence level placed somewhere In the neighborhood of eight years. Those men, on the average, seemed to be etnotionally less stable and we were unable to improve them to any great extent. Perhaps we were looking at the lowest end of rtc scale. They surely were the lowest end of the scale of some 400 drivers in this \mblk utility. Disciplining them seemed to do little good. We have a record of those men who were laid off for a period of from eight to eighteen months, and a record of titosc who were laid off for another period ranging from two weeks to a month. We have yet to have a cue m which those men did not come back and continue their accident record with practically the same frequency as before. There has been a rather limited attempt to teach those men the proper habits of driving. For one thing, it teems to hare been a little hard to get the individual driver to demonstrate those factors which probably caused his accidents who the supervisor was riding with him. Anothing thing, probably wc didn't lode for the cause of accidents. At any rate, we had Utile success in reforming bad drivers. 144 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress We found similarity ctf accidents in studying the "record of ope man, who }d nine accidents in three years, and In each case it was another car striking the rear end of his car. Among the things which Dr. Layer discovered about this man whs a great deficiency in depth perception. He would come up to a corner where the light was against him, and at the time He applied his brakes he would have to apply them severely even though he had seen die light fifteen or twenty seconds before. Since he was driving a truck which, on account of its size, obscured to a certain extent the vision of the man driving the car following him, he did not have the opportunity to see the light as quickly and as easily as our driver. Evidently the driver was the cause of accidents which, on the face of them, were not his fault, for no one can have nine rear end collisions In three years and always be on the right side. We had another man whose difficulty was the matter of tunnel vision. His accidents were due to being struck from the side. We didn't discover that until he went tip to the laboratory. However, there seems to be a relatively small percentage of acci dents earned ly physical disabilities. Most of them seem to be caused by either a mental or emotional disability. A bad attitude, I believe, heads the list. t first became interested in these accidents because we wished to determine whether improvements in wliat might be considered the safety factor of the automobile were reflected in fewer accidents for the automobile. Unfortunately, we did not find that A man who had started during the first year of the three years by operating a car which was probably two years old at the time, with two-wheel brakes, poor steering apparatus, high pressure tires, and so forth, was expected to show a drop in his accident record when put on an up-to-date car with four-wheel brakes, better steering apparatus, and better vision afforded by the newer construction of the cab. What seems to have happened Is tliat he merely moved Ids driving factor of safety up to compensate for the factors of safety whkh had been built into the car, and we could see no difference between this mini's operation of the old car and Ids operation of the new car. Chairman- Bixgbaax: What did you do to cut down accidents? Mr. Ssmvzx: We released some 14 men. The decrease in accident frequency during the past six months has been a little better than 40 per cent and that seems to have been accomplished by the removal from driving of 14 men. We didn't merely discharge them but placed them in another occupation In the company which did not require driving. These who could be benefited by that example most certainly.were, because these were not promotions from driving to non-driving jobs. Some of them had to go to work instead of doing a more or less wliite-collared Job. E- P- Goodrich (Consulting Engineer, New York City) : Have yon found that too quick reaction time ha* been the cause of accidents ? Mil Shrtver - I am not competent to answer that, but I can give you Dr. Laueris stand on it. He says that too quick reaction time is worse than too slow. Too often a man reacts quickly but does the wrong tiling, and lbu man who does the right thing slowly is better off than the man who does the wrong thing quickly. We have a man who would probably be classed as one of the best if not the best driver in the organization of 400. whose reaction time is particularly slow. He is the supervise of transportation. He has no accidents. Some of these boys that are in the class having 8, 9, and 10 accidents in three years have a fast reaction time but they don't know what to do about it. In fact, they have often reacted so fast that they didn't reach any decision whatever. It should be automatic, but with boys with an intelligence level around the eight year mark, what they do automatically >s not of very great value. Da. D. L. HKT*tR*c (Dir.. Municipal Psychopathic Laboratory, Evanston, IH.) : Did you say that most of those of low intelligence had a quick reaction time? Mr. Shrive*: I didn't say most; I said too many. We have had no case wliere the cause of the accident was laid to slow reaction time. Chairman BmcnAM: In other case*, five tests of reaction time in comparison Street and lHighway Traffic Section * 145 with tests of intelligence have shown more often than not that people of low intelli gence also have a slow reaction time, but there are marked exceptions. There is one other point that bears more directly on the first question, information come* from five the Techno-Psychological Laboratory of tlie Paris Tramsways, where they have been carrying on investigations for many years, to the effect that irregu larity of reaction Is more serious as an indicator of accident proneness than either excess slowness or quickness. If a person U consistent in Ids reactions, tliat is a much better sign than if he is sometimes quick and sometimes slow. Mr. Goodrich : I* this variation in reaction time ever due to temporary physical disability, such as digestive upsets, or is it inherent ? Chairman Bincham : It is inherent, or it may also be affected sometimes by these temporary physical conditions. F. C. Lyhch (Manager Kansas City Safety Council, Kansas City. Mo.) : Is there any relationship between fatigue and reaction time; that is, is the reaction time of the man who Is fatigued slower than when he just started to work? Chairman Bingham: Whether fatigue affect* the reaction time or not, it cer tainly does seriously affect tlie total coordination of response so that the fatigued person is more apt to do the wrong thing. As to the relationship between fatigue and speed, I am not so certain. Mil Lyhch : In Kansas City in eight year* wt found that in the first seven months of fine year tlie average was 4J> public accidents per month, with no month going above or befow the line, and for the last five it was 8.5, indicating that at the end of July the accidents went suddenly up. There is nothing that has happened con sistently in that community over that eight-year period except the change in dimate. In other cities like San Francisco where they have no change of climate I found their average is the same throughout the year. I took the average of northern cities that have variations in climate as wc do, and I found their averages run similar to ours, running the same the first seven months, when they shoot up and stay up until ' cold weather. I know when 2k* weather comes the industrial accidents increase 400 per cent. That is the average of 45 concerns. They ran along the same kvel throughout the first few months, then jumped up 400 |xr cent and came right back down, indicating, wc thought, that perhaps the management had spoken to the foremen and reestablished the alertness of the workmen, notwithstanding the hot weather. Then we took a big fleet of commercial vehicles and found the accidents there went up along with the industries, hut they didn't come back down as did the industrial accidents. This indicated, wc thought, that supervision did liave a tendency to re establish alertness. Then we studied the effect of a couple of inches in fitc newspapers relating to enforcement, trying to find out some relationship between the alertness of tlie driver and the accidents. We found a definite correlation between accidents and the amount of publici' which the press liad given to enforcement. Then we plotted our general educations .a. ./ publicity against the accidents curve and wc found there was no correlation at all between telling a man how to drive, his responsibility while driving, or radio campaigns about being careful, and the number of accidents. And so wc have almost reached tle conclusion that the most important factor in every accident is not skill, not judgment, not reaction time, but alertness. F. M. Kreml (Director, Accident Prevention Bureau. Evanston, Ilk): Weather has a very direct bearing upon accidents. It* relationship, however, is frequently inverse and bad weather brings a lessening of accidents. This is highly indicative of the very great factor entering into accidents; namely, the frame of mind of the driver, whether or not he is alert. Bad weather naturally makes him alert. Every driver realizes that In a bad snow storm, when vision is obstructed, lie must be careful if he is going to avoid injury to himself and to others. 1$6 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Ms. Shrives: Id that connection, we seem to find that the fellows who are having the accidents, when the weather conditions are such that they should compensate with fewer accidents, still head our accident list, I have been looking- over January and February lists and X can pick out from those two lists approximately 50 per cent of the men who made up the 14 whom we had to do something about. The man who is markedly deficient doesn't compensate (hiring bad weather. It is my contention that you -can't do anything with him. I am rather in sympathy with an analysis of the supervisor of transportation in Dayton who, when asked the cause of a particularly bad accident, said, Two fools met." That covers the situation in a great many cases. Ml Lynch : The consensus of opinion at the Street Railway Section yesterday was that accidents are less liable to happen at the peak than at the off-peak period, indicating that when the men were not faced with the certain enormous responsibility of getting through traffic they became less alert, m at higher speed, and paid, less attention to their operation. Ml :Shrives That doesn't seem to have been the case here. All of the prone-to-accident drivers, at scone time during the past three years, had two accidents in a given thirty-day period; some of them as high as three. That is a striking thing when you consider that the average for the entire group of drivers is one accident in over three years. That is one way in which we are trying to pick them out before they get too bad. If a znan has an accident this week and another one next week, and that is his third accident, that is a 'definite indication, as near as we can find oat, that there is something wrong with the man. Ml K. M. McKinnis (Supervisor of Training, Philadelphia Company, Pitts burgh, Pa.) : Have you found a difference in the reaction time between men and women drivers? Ml Shrive*: The reaction time of women is considerably faster than of men, age for age. Chairman* Binctiam.: There was published in the Personnel Journal an article ly Dr. Vitelcs of the University of Pennsylvania, comparing men and women taxi cab drivers there, that was extremely significant because these drivers were all em ployed by the same company, driving the same equipment which was maintained in the same sort of condition by the same garage repairmen, and they were facing the same hazards of traffic. The women had a very much larger proportion of accidents than the men. That is the one clear-cut study that T knew about which compares men and women drivers under comparable conditions. * The women didn't have as many serious accidents. In other words, it was an indication that the women were more cautious and less competent. G. A. Docllex (Dir. of Acrid. Prev., Columbia Engineering & Management Carp., Dayton. O-): 1 would like to know what suggestion 1 can take back to our executives, to taltace these fellows who are prone to accidents. Chairman Bingham: You will also find some excellent suggestions in the practice and experience of the Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company. In the October number of the Personnel Journal there ii an article describing what they call tbeir accident clink. It is similar in many regards to your traffic court. It is a group made up of representatives of the employment department, the training de partment, the safety department, tlte medical department, the transportation depart ment. all of than coming together and studying the particular case of accident proneoess. deriding what ought to be done about the particular case, working out the plans for retraining or discipline or whatever is needed, and then seeing to it that the recommendations are carried into effect. QcLsnox: Do they have roes within the company who are competent to make psychiatric tests or do they have that done by people outside the company? Chairman Bingham: Both. They maintain within the company a staff of spe cialists and they have one or two that they can call on from the outside also. Street and Highway Traffic Section 147 H. J. SpoftRXR (Pres. Evanston Safety Council, Evanston, III.) : I would like to ask Mr. Sbriver if those 400 drivers on whom they carried out this test were given a physical examination before tlicy were employed or after the test was m^de, and If it was after the test, what was the most common defect that you found ? Ms. Shriver: There was a physical examination before employment, but it was not a thorough examination by any means, especially from the standpoint of eyesight. The defects of eyesight which cause accidents arc not the ordinary defects of eye sight. We found cases of telescopic vision. One man saw only 45 degrees when he should sec 180. That isn't something that is ordinarily tested. The ordinary phy sical examination also doesn't give any consideration to depth of perception or tlte ability to determine the distance between two objects in a given field, and we found one man whose depth perception was exceptionally bad Wc found another type of eye deficiency. You take an object moving at a given rate of speed, and pass it back of a screen. You hare a button ami a light on the screen and attempt with the button to stop the object on the line. Wc found some men who never stopped the thing at all. They couldn't gauge the speed of the vehicle after it was out of their fine of vision. For instance, I look to the right and see a man coming. I look to the left, the way is clear, and I go on. While I am looking to the left I have no idea of how close this man on the right has come, even if he has not changed h speed. The fellow with this type of visual defect, whn he comes to a crowded corner, is sunk. He doesn't know where the other fellows are. He can look in only one direction at a time. Mr. Spqerer: Did these 14 high-accident men have physical defects? Mr. Shriver: Two of them liad visual defects. Hone had ordinary physical de fects. Of course, wc have men driving With one arm, I know of a man who is driving satisfactorily without the use of his right leg. Tile only physical'defects that were found to be correlated with accidents were defects of vision, and then they were not common defects. A man who is near-sighted or far-sighted is not affected. - The best driver we have showed a variation front normal eyesight equal to the worst- Mk. Spqerer : In addition to the physical examination, do you have an examina tion to test his ability to drive? Ml Shriver: The man t* taken out with tbt supervisor or foreman of the trans portation department and he drives for probably a half to three-quarters of an Hour. I don't know how comprehensive a test that is. It hasn't acted as a very good screen. Only men who pass this examination can get into the driving class, but we still get a percentage of these prone-to-aceident men who have passed, the test on a knowledge of the laws and ability to manipulate a car. We found that the manipulative ability of the men who teamed to drive late in life was very low, some of them having to learn as late as age 60. We still have those men in the organization but not driving. Chairman Bingham: I will say- that the experience of other companies has, to my mind, dearly demonstrated the value of an annual physical examination, particularly of the rid men. In one study which we made in connection with the rootormen and bus drivers of tlte Boston Elevated Railway, we found that roughly a third of the accident-prone men Had some sort of physical defect. The most-startling one was three cases of hernia, all of than in the high accident group, none in the tow accident group. How what has hernia got to do with the competence of a street car rnotorman ? I don't know. I only know that it points to the importance of general health as a contributing factor to competence. Hearty all of the ease* allowing a circulatory condition such as high blood pressure were found to be in the high accident rather than in the low accident group. In general, about one-third of those in the high accident .group turned out to have some sort of physical detect that had cropped up in the annual medical examination. Roughly, another third showed defects of personality which cropped up m such ways as finding on their records evidences of insubordination--perhaps they had "sassed" a foreman 148 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress or frankly disobeyed an order. And in the other third, the major factor in the situa tion seemed to be some lack of driving ability. So there are three great classes or causes of accident-proneness: the condition of the physiological organism, that is health; the native aptitude for doing that par ticular sort of work; ami the temperament or emotional condition. Those three big major considerations certainly ought to come into any program of individual study in relation to accidertt-proneness. We would like very much to hear from our friends from Evanston with reference to the work that is in progress there m connection with the traffic conn. Judge Porter, will you tell us something about that? Judge Harry Postu (Police Magistrate. Evanston, 111.): We followed the sug gestion of Chicago in establishing a laboratory in Evanston for the examination of criminals, chiefly felony cases, and found it progressed very welt Then at the sug gestion of Mr. Reeder of the National Safety Council, a resident of our city, we decided to enlarge die scope erf the laboratory to include habitual traffic offenders. One suggestion I would like to make to the Committee is this: In our work out there I feel that we have a rather unusual opportunity, in a city of its size at least, for a survey of this thing because we are trying on an average of 1,000 traffic vio lation cases a month. In those 1.000 tragic violation cases during the period of a month we will find maybe 20 or 25 cases which will be worthy of special note, and which I feci from time to time ought to he the subject,of ooe erf these examinations. I have referred those cases to Dr. Hedberg who is with us today. He has con ducted some of the tests alone. Some of the tests he has conducted with Dr. Meyer Solomon of the Municipal Psychopathic Laboratory and others in conjunction with Dr. J. J. B. Morgan of the Department of Psychology of Northwestern University. The function of a law court does not include the right to requite these tests. Legal ization is necessary i order to give us the right to require them. Io most cases we can induce the defendant to submit to the test, but I fed that as die tests become more frequent we are going to hare trouble and legislation is going to be necessary to give us the right to compel them. Chatimax Bingham: After conviction and before sentence, don't you as judge have the right to secure all the information you can in order to help yens decide just what fort of a sentence to impose? . Judge Pom*: If that question is cotfined to our state alone. I can answer H. The courts erf JUmois have no right, after the verdict of a jury has been entered, to mqnire into ant* circumstances whatsoever that might mitigate or aggravate the punttbsBAK. The juries in Ulmois are judges in fact and they fix the verdict. Da. Hfaacac: We have been carrying on this experiment through the good will erf iir. Kmnt Judge Porter, and several other Safety Owril men, and we have tried to sec if we can*! do something for these cases. Is a very small percentage of the traffic violators will you find that there is a real mental deficiency, bat you would be surprised to see the number of 19, 20, 25 year rfd individuals who have the mind of an 8 or 9 year old bcry. Now we arc up against a real mountain in trying to buck tins thing for the simple reaMju that as Dr. Bingham said, it is not an easy task to tdl the public that John ur Mary camxrf drive a car. Recently the son of a very influential official of our uwn was brougirt in. I went through the test, and in order to get a double check I had another psychiatrist go through it. aid we agreed very dosdy on the verdict of the mortality of that individual. They' said. "Oh, you can't do that That wotdd never go. That is Mr. So-and so's son.** We decided that the only way to stop that boy's driving was tins: 1 said. "Would vou let your girl or boy who has a mentality of eight and a half years go down the street at 35 naJcs an hour?" "Why of coarse I woutMoV Street and Highway Traffic Section 149 "Well/* I said, "That is exactly what happens every time Jimmy drives." I recall other cases* I might ate the case of a doctor friend of mine, a fine eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, a highly educated (nan but an impossibility when it came to driving a car. He hired a little (toy fifteen years old and this Ixjy went with him'for three months, driving the car. Then he thought he could drive it himscU. Now any ordinary individual should know how to drive a Ford at die end of three months. But the doctor got into the car and the first thing 1k knew Ik had gone up four steps into a meat market and through the window. He broke several head lights oil other cars in the garage, so I spoke to the mechanic one day and said, "That looks very serials for tlie doctor. Can't we stop that some way. He is going to kill himself," and tlc garageman replied, "Doctor, he will kill himself before the summer is over if he drives that car." On the Fourth of July he was driving toward a railroad crossing and a train was coming. T!k engineer knew the doctor well. He was coining his ordinary speed but couldn't see tlie car because the road was slightly hidden from his view, but you could see tlie tracks .from the road. The doctor knew the train was coming and he was going down the hill at approximately 12 miles an hour and lie had at least 500 yards in which to stop. That is the story. He deliberately drove In front of the train and four people were killed. He was a brilliant man but he could not drive a car. The sooner we find out that a certain class of people cannot drive a car. tlie better it wilt !> for our percentage of accidents. Chairman Bikguam; Mr. Baker of the National Safety Council staff, working with this Committee, has been turning his attention lately to the actual practice of those states which are giving licenses for driving based on examination, and has him self gone from state to state and taken their examination*. J. S. Baker (Assistant Traffic Engineer. National Safety Council. Chicago) : \Vc undertook the study erf drivers* license examination* to be able to answer tlie ques tions of people in states which do not now license drivers. , The details of the licensing procedure* are tabulated in Public Safety Memo No, *13, and Na 44 gives the method of examination for cadi state visited. These docu ments may be had from the council- We also prepared, from the best practices found in actual n*e, a "model" examina tion which will be published in full in the Xatiomti Safety Xctvi probably before tho transactions of this congress appear in prrit. It is my recommendation that the examiner, at the conclusion of the examination, should not merely tell the applicant that he Has failed: he should let him know why, and in what he should practice to pass. I found only one state where the examiner attempted to guide Hie further training of the applicant. We must think of two things which tests do. The first is to keep off the streets undesirable and incompetent operators. It is the most commonly recognised aspect of the driver's examination, but I do not believe that it is necessarily the most Im portant. The second object of tlie tests is to serve as an educational experience. Drivers who come up for it know that they must meet a certain standard, and they consciously prepare to do it. The people who are actually refused a license by the state, people who are told, "You can't come back for another examination." nr "You can't have a license because yew art deficient," number fewer than ewe in a hundred examined, but the number who become convinced by the examination that tl*c?y cannot drive safely is very much greater, perhaps ten times as great. As an educational experience, being examined is extremely beneficial. Everyone to whom T have talked agrees that it made him study up on the laws and really practice driving. Hence, in designing an examination, wc should think not only erf keeping certain people off the road but of educating those who arc permitted on it. 150 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress :Chairman Bingham The state of Connecticut has perhaps taken this subject of the examination of drivers more seriously than any other, and they are facing the possibility of very considerable improvement of their already good practices through further research on that subject. Miss Etbxl Ushsk (Statistician Department af Motor Vehicles, Connecticut) : For some years Connecticut has had a requirement for examination of all applicants for motor vehicle licenses. This has been bandied in very much the same manner that it statted several years ago. At the same time, there has been carried on a rather extensive piece of research m connection with accidents and their causation, as to the type of operation that cause the accidents, that is the actual driving act that immediately preceded the crash, and various other of the more or less standard studies as to the repeater and that sort of thing. Some years ago we began to realize that while the engineers were doing a splendid piece of work in buiklia* car* better each year, and highway engineers were making the highways safer, the selection of the drivers was not keeping pare with the progress. During the past year the State Department of Motor Vehicles and the Institute of Human Relations, of Yale University, have been cooperating on an experiment. It is not develops! sufficiently for me to give you any definite results. We have given some experimental examinations to several hundred people. Several hundred more are now being taken. We are trying to make that group of several hundred people a cross section of the operators in the state, such as' taxicab drivers, truck drivers, men. women, repeaters in accidents, new applicants, insurance executives, sub-ex ecutives. Clerks, and all the various other type* of operator*. When those are in we hope to poof the answer* and arrive at some question* that will tell us the type of person tlttt is having the accidents. Wc incidentally have to tie up to a cumulative record of all operators who have been licensed In Connecti cut who have performed any misdeed in their operation that ha* come to the attention of the Department since 1918, a Rogue's Gallery of operators^ so to speak, and when we Have that to measure along side those records on the experimental examination wc hope licit we will be able to pick the question that tells us something. The experiment has progressed to the point where we feel we are on the right track. ADJOURNMENT NtNBT&ENTB ANNUAL SAFETY CONGRESS NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL m Traffic School Tuesday Morning Session September 30, 1930 ERNEST P- GOODRICH. Cbsknm Consulting Engineer, New Yurie City Chairman Goodrich : The speaker this morning is a man very appropriately selected because of 6oth teaching experience and professional traffic experience. He was a professor of civil engineering before he was a traffic engineer. He is located in Pittsburgh. Regulation of Parking By LEWIS W. McINTYRB Traffic Engineer, City of Pittsburgh In discussing Parking Regulation, we must recognize that our streets and highways serve two purpose*: 1. They are used by the general public a* line* of communication for pedestrains. and for the transportation of persons and merchandise, and 2. They provide a terminal facility or station for the disembarking and unloading of such persons and merchandise. All attempts to regulate parking represent* an endeavor to set tip an economical balance between these two street use*. Since the need for a terminal facility is dependent upon the volume of moving traffic, and since it i* possible to provide "off-street" terminal facilities, but not nearly so logical to provide "ofi-street* facilities for moving traffic and use present streets as terminals, it should be set up, as a fundamental premise, that streets are intended primarily for moving traffic, and only secondarily as providing places to park. The restriction of parking can be divided into two brood classes, those restriction* which are primarily safety measures, and those restriction* which hare as their prime object the relief of congestion or the facilitating of traffic movement. In approaching the question of parking restrictions, public officials should consider these classes of restriction in the order named, It is generally recognized that die following conclusion* are sound with respect to the first type of restriction: 1. The safety of pedestrian* and vehicles requires a clear view of traffic ap proaching from various directions at street interjections, and obstructions of view by vehicles stopped or parked at such points should be prohibited. 151 152 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress 2. To be effective, street car safety lone* must be used exclusively by pedestrian*. This requires that the lanes of traffic between such rones and adjacent curb* be kept clear oi standing or parked vehicles. . 3. : Fire protection is a public responsibility, and vehicles should not be permitted to park where they will interfere with free access to 6re hydrants and exits from fire stations. 4. Double parking and the stopping of vehicles outside street areas set aside for the purpose often force overtaking vehicles into the street car tracks or into die paths of otfier vehicles. Tins practice is unsafe and inefficient and should be prohibited. Tlcsc and similar restrictions are expressed in the Hoover Model Municipal Traffic Ordinance as follows: _ It shall be unlawful for the driver of a vehicle to stop, stand or park such vehicles in any of tbc following places: - 1. Within an intersection. 2. On a cross-walk. .. 3. Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb, or within 30 feet ot points on the curb immediately opposite the ends of a safety zone. _ 4. Within 25 feet from the intersection of curb Utses, or if none, then wh 15 feet of the intersection of property line*. . 5. Within 30 feet upon the approach to any Gashing beacon, stop sign or traffic control signal tootled at tbc side of the roadway. . 6 Within IS feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station. 7. Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. 8. In front of a private driveway. 9. 'On sidewaftc. . 10. Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction when sacb stop ping, standing or parking would obstruct traffic. ___ 11. On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street. One of the principle objections to parking restrictions is the difficulty of their en forcement- Strict enforcement of the above regulations will give public officials an opportunity of measuring the effectiveness of their enforcement machinery and an opportunity of improving it through the set up of machinery and methods which will eliminate or minimize "tag fixing**. This will be found to be much easier at this Stage irf the development of parking restrictions because there will be a little public opposi tion to the enforcement erf such reasonable measure* as above outlined. Shortty. however, the need for additional traffic lanes to accommodate moving traffic will become evident through the increase of a tendency toward double parking. Double parking is a positive evidence that the demand for curb parking and unloading space is greater than the supply. If angle parking exists, an additional traffic lane for moving traffic may be provided by changing the angle parking to parallel parking, >r possibly at first, by changing the angle of parking. A large car parked at an angle of 45 degrees may extend as much as 16 feet into the street, measured at right angles to the curb. A car parallel to and one foot from the curb extends a maximum of seven feet into die street The difference of nine feet represents a saving of one complete lane for moving traffic at the expense of a reduction in the number erf cars that can !>e parked. . As double parking again becomes evident, the next attack should be made on the long-time packer (the man who is parking his car from the time he arrives in the morning until he leaves at night). One of the earliest methods of increasing tbc rate of parking turn-over and therefore providing aa increase in available parking or terminal space was to limit the total time that a vehicle might be parked continuously in one block. Parking limits of from 30 minutes to one hour arc now common. Re- Traffic School 153 during 2-hour parking to 1-hour parking increases the parking capacity 30 per cent, and to one-half hour parking 7i% per cent. These figures are based upon averages of a number of traffic surveys which show tlie average time vehicles are parked under various restrictions to be as follows: 2 hours--32.9 minutes I ft " --28.S " 1 " -25.1 " h - "is " Changes from one and one-half hoar parking to one hour parking would similarity produce an increase *n capacity of 15.5 per cent, and to uoc-half hour parking of 52.2 per cent, and a elunge from one hour parking to one-half hour parking would produce an increase of 32- per cent capacity. Tlicse percentage changes assume complete obedience to the existing parking re striction and tlie same for the restriction to which a change is proposed. Unfortun ately, no American city has yet developed an enforcement technique which produce* strict and complete obedience to limited time parking regulation*. In spite of thk, however, it is the concensus of opinion that limited tune parking of the proper dura tion is beneficial to merchants and is favored both by them and by those who use automobiles. The following represent answers to two questionnaires submitted (1) to downtown merchants of the City of Pittsburgh, and (2) to members of the Pittsburgh Motor Club. The first represents the merchant view point and the second that of the auto mobile driver. Downtown Merchant Parking Questionnaire 1. In your opinion, what per cent of your business VOLUME comes from persons who come downtown by: Street car, 28,42 Auto, 60J2 Bus, 2.72 Taxi, 3.32 Walk, 5.32 2. Do you think that the number of persons who shop with you has been reduced because of traffic difficulties downtown? Yes, 67 per cent No, 33 per cent 3. Place In the order of their importance, a number after each of the following reasons why you think person* may be prevented from doing business with you: (a) Congestion or delay in moving through downtown streets (partially caused by excessive parking). Placed third by merchants. * (b) Difficulty in finding empty space at curb near your store to get out erf car mi account of curb being blocked by parked airs. Placed first bjr merchants. (c) Insufficient accessible "off-street" parking space. Placed second by merchants. <d) Present parking law* too strict. Placed fourth by merchants. 4. Do you favor for the downtown district (or a major part of it) : Present conditions 10 per cent; present parkb* laws rigidly enforced 25.7 per cent; unlimited parking permitted 157 per cent; no parking 487 per cent 5. Do you think elimination of parking downtown would make walking safer? Yes, 39.S per cent No, 60.5 per cent. Automobile User Parking Questionnaire 1. Do you usually come downtown by: Trolley, 24.6 per cent; Auto, 63.5 per cent; Bus, 4.12 per cent; Taxi, 072 per cent; Walk, 6.42 per cent; Train, 1.72 per cent. 154 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress 2. Do you use your auto to come downtown to: Work, 47.6 per cent; Shop, 52.4 per cent; Frequently, 50 per cent; Hardy, 50 per cent 5. Have you reduced your shopping downtown because of traffic condition* tbere ? Yes, 65.6 per cent; No, 34.4 per cent; Large stores, 61.3 per cent; Small stores, 3&7 per cent. 4. Are your difficulties in shopping downtown at present mostly on account of difficulty of finding empty space at curb to get out of yoer car on account of other parked cars ? ... .Insufficient "off' street" parking space 37.1 per cent Congestion or delay in moving tltrough streets 25.8 per cent. 5. It street parking (stopping for unloading permitted) were eliminated downtown, would you shop there? More, 5Z3 per cent; Less, 37.7 per cent; At large scores, I?j6 per cent; At small stores, 1.9 per cent; Both, 70.9 per cent. 6. Do you think elimination of street parking downtown would make walking safer? Yes, 52.5 per cent; No, 47.5 per cent, 7. Do you favor for the downtown district: Present conditions, 5.1 per cent; One-hour parking rigidly enforced 51.4 per cent Unlimited parking 9.7 per cent; No' parking; 3341 per cent. ; It Hr important, however, that the time limitation be made as the result of a careful study of tlic needs of the district in question. A report of the Domestic Commerce Division of il>c United States Department of Commerce, based on expressions of opinion of 1426 merchants in 841 cities and towns, shows an overwhelming opinion that the average shopping time is 1 hour or less, and a majority of opinion that the shopping time is less than one-half hour. The shorter shopping periods are found to increase as the towns decrease in sire. The longer shopping periods of 1 hour or more are found to occur in the largest cities and are almost ncgligftle m cities of less than 50,000 in population. The number of customers shopping by automobile is apt to be over-estimated by merchants, and a factual study must be made for its accurate determination. In Chicago, only 8 per cent of the total number of persons arriving at a large number of loop stores, office buildings, etc., came by automobile. Of these, only I per cent utilised curb parking. A survey in Pittsburgh made in 1927 shows that only 2J& per cent of the patrons of 48 typical stores parked their cars at die curb. It is true, however, that the volume of business per person secured from automobile passengers is likely to be higher titan that secured from persons using some other medium of transportation in order to shop. The layman is apt to magnify tire importance of parking space and minimize the importance of facilities for free traffic flow. Congestion is, however, caused by in ability of traffic to move on streets of insufficient capacity. * What the layman does not realize is that the passenger autpmobile carries a relatively small per cent of the persons entering congested districts. In 1927, passenger automobiles coming into the downtown district of Pittsburgh constituted 87.1 per cent of the passenger carrying, street using vehicles but carried only 29.2 per cent of the street passengers. In down town Pittsburgh, a street car carries an average of 32 passenger* per car while the average passenger automobile carries an average of only 1.89 per rent passengers per car. These and similar figures indicate that business interests, and indeed, a great majority of our citizens, are best served by providing for freer, faster movement of the mass transportation agencies even at the expense of terminal facilities or parking for passenger automobiles. These considerations lead inevitably to the elimination of all parking during the morning and evening peak hours as the next step necessary to facilitate traffic flow. With this restriction, as well as the limited time restriction, enforcement machinery breaks down to a very large extent and becomes vary ex Traffic School 155 pensive in officer personnel to be reasonably effective. Of the two restrictions, that of "no parking at all" is much more easily enforced than any "limited lime" restriction, and is much more effective in producing fluidity of traffic movement. It should be clearly understood that "no lurking" docs not mean "no loading". As commonly interpreted, even where the no parking restriction is in effect, time for the expeditions loading and unloading of passenger* and merchants is granted. Common interprets* dons limit passenger loading and unloading from two to five minutes and loading and unloading of merchandise to from 20 minutes to a half hour. One of the common criticisms of "limited time parking," or of "totally restricted parking" comes from the individual who has violated the law by just a few minutes hi the case of "restricted time parking/' or who has parked his passenger automobile for only 10 to 15 minutes while making a purchase in the case of "totally restricted parking." Those who voice tliese objections lose sight of the fact that Itad it not been for the restriction, they would not have found it possible to park their car at the curb at all because tlvs curb space would have been filled up by the all-day parker in the limited time zones, or by the limited thne parker in the no parking zones. It is only because a large number of the citizens obey the parking restriction that sufficient curb space is made available for the objector to get near the curb at all. He is taking advantage of the law abiding tendencies of the great majority of our citizens. A measure, which to some degree, bridges the gap between limited time parking and no parking is the use of loading zones and of passenger zones. There may be established, preferably at the end of the block, where, say one hour parking rules are otherwise in effect, short stretches where passenger automobiles may stop for a much shorter time, let us say IQ minute*. This provides a stopping place for unloading Vnd a place wherein the really short time shopper may be accommodated. Similarity, merchandise loading tones may be provided which keep out the parker hut permit unloading of merchandise. It should be clearly borne in mind that these loading and passenger zones do not grant special privileges for the property owner in front a! whose place of business they happen to be located. They art for the use of all and should not exceed 50 per cent of the curb space in the block. If the need for loading space is greater than this, no parking rules should be adopted. To boil my talk down to three things, I should say the first and most important thing is the necessity of having facts instead of opinions. I base that on the thought as indicated in the questionnaires, both of the users and of the merchants, that they frit a large proportion of thrir business was coming from automobile traffic white our actual factual studies have shown almost universally that the contrary is the case, the larger proportion ccaning from mass transportation rather than the automobile. The second thing 1 would like to call your attention to is the fact that the objection to strict parking regulations usually comes from those who are benefited most by those very regulations. In other words, the uian who lias a place of business on a "no parking" street objects very strenuously when a car is tagged because it stands in front of bis door ten or fifteen minutes while the owner of the car is doing business in his store. He fails to realize that the only reason that cur can get into the curb is because of the regulation which has driven the law-abiding driver away, and if the regulation is abandoned or made less rigid he may not have the opportunity of serving that person at all The third thing is that our questionnaire has shown that the merchant and the driver want a place to pull up to the curb and unload, ratlter tiun a place to park. They do not have off-street loading facilities. There is a need for greater use of passenger zones, cleared spaces in each block where unloading can be accomplished. Chairman Goodrich : Have you ever tried in Pittsburgh the elUnuMtion of all parking from seven to nine and four to seven, for example, and leaving the rest of the day without restriction. 156 Nin*U*nth Annual Safety Congress Mb. McIktvke; We have a number of streets on which parking is totally restricted during peak hoars, and limited-time parking is permitted daring the rest of the day. We have pending in Council an ordinance providing for the total restriction of park ing during the peaks and unlimited parking during the rest of the day to break up parking in certain industrial areas where much all-day parking is done to the detri ment of the surrounding neighborhoods. Alwsxman O. A. Pzarson (Minneapolis, Mien.).; We have been using the tripli cate tag system for a year and a half and following through on It to the owner of the car if someone doesn't appear in court within 48 hours of the time the car Is tagged. Cbairma** Goodrich: What percentage of follow-ups do you find necessary? Auoamah Pearson: Less than 25 per cent. R. W. Msau (V. Pres., The Peoples Motorbus Co. of St. Lodi, St. Louis, Mo.) : Is there any city in the United States where you could tag the automobile rather than the driver, and hold the owner responsible ? Auxanoex K. Gage (Assistant Prosecuting Attorney of Wayne County, Detroit, Midi.): Many states, 1 believe, have laws by winch the owner of the car can be liekl responsible in die case of damages. I think the difficulty is that we haven't a means by which we can bold the owner of the ear liable for the derelictions of the driver In matters other than financial responsibility. : Carl L. Olson (Traffic Commissioner, Youngstown, Ohio): We have used the traffic court ticket system and have never found any difficulty with the summons. If they do not appear with the ticket In 24 hours, we issue a summons to the owner and let hhn produce the driver. A. F. Filxjns (Traffic Lieutenant, Peoria, 111.): We have bad a tag system for a number of years. Our judges have been able to bring owners In and to fine them an the traffic court. There are only about 20 per cent of the tags that we don't get any return on, and they are from oat of the city. Captain John L- Maloney (Traffic Bureau Police Department, Springfield, *Mass.): We leave the tag on the car. The chiefs of police in Massachusetts have a working agreement with the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and if the man whose car is tagged doesn't appear in court, we notify the registrar, if the man claims he wasn't driving the car, we ask him who wax. If be says be doesn't know, wc tell him to report to the registrar. We don't have any trouble with tags. We put them out and they come in. H. O. Rounds (Dir. Safety & Traffic, Detroit Automobile Club, Detroit, Mich.) : Many police departments are getting away with "murder.** The question is, are they doing it legally or because they have the power to do it? Mr. Gaos: I have been thinking, as I listened to this discussion, that you can do anything if nobody fights it out with you. Mr. McIntyre: I wonder if we aright lave an expression as to the per cent of the police force that Is working on traffic law enforcement as compared to oilier police duties. Captain Maloney : The traffic law enforcement today takes practically one-half of the time of every police department. Mr. Bex R. Marshall (Ass't SttpL of Police, Pittsburgh); We have about 290 men in the traffic squad that covers this city, both on comers, on motorcycles, and on liorseback. The trouble tore was that we were loafing too long on the parking proposition before we started! to clean it op. ADJOURNMENT Traffic School 157 Wednesday Morning Seaaion October 1, 1930 ERNEST P. GOODRICH. Chairman Consulting Engineer, Mew York City Chairman Goodrich ; We have as our speaker this morning Mr. Burton W. Traffic Signals, When and Where? By BURTON W. MARSH Traffic Eagtaear, Philadelphia, Pa. The warranted applications for traffic control signals might be classified as follows: 1. To relieve congestion and Confusion, involving vehicles only or involving vehicles and pedestrians, 2. To provide continuous movement on main arteries at controlled speed and to group vehicles so as to permit both pedestrian and vehicular cross traffic to enter and cross with a signal. Scone arteries warrant signals at every intersection and some arteries only at certain intersections. 3. To reduce certain typis of accidents, 4. To minimize delays which might be caused by the lack of officer co-ordination in a whole district such as the Chicago "Loop", Those are the warranted applications of traffic control signals, and 1 wish to dis cuss each In turn to Indicate when it Is correct to apply signals. The traffic volume criterion is much used but no definitely accepted standard has been evolved. However, Chicago uses a thousand vehicles an hour for a ten-hour period, but on tlie other hand the state of Massachusetts has adopted a standard of 300 vehicles as an absolute nrimmum for which a signal will be considered. It would probably surprise you to know that 1,000 vehicles per hour 13 per minute on the main street and 4 on the cross street. That n obviously not a high standard and doesn't represent tremendous traffic. If you. are going to Install signals on the basis of volume, .seventeen vehicles a minute is a rather small number, especially when they are divided up, going in op posite directions and therefore using the same right of way at a given time. I shall turn next to accidents as a measure for the need of a signal because the vast percentage of requests which we receive come from the people who think they will reduce hazards. Often the request arises from the hysteria of some elderly lady who can't enjoy her front porch because of screachlng of brakes and near-acci dent*. That Is the major problem munklpalitte* face In squaring away to the prob lem of the trie of signals. 1 wish to point out that bliud application of signals as accident reduction media often results in Increased accidents. For example, a signal is put m a community where it should not be. Then the driver thinks: I used to go down Main Street, but now, since that blankety-blank signal has been installed, I have found a new route. He proceeds to tell his friends and they all follow live new route to avoid the signal. Then the authorities look at their accident records, claim there is a reduction of 7 per cent at that intersection and think they are doing fine. They fail to realize that maybe three ehllrden have been killed on the alternate route. They may have increased the accidents in another neighborhood by 100 per cent, bid the apparent result is a reduction. That Is cx 158 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress tremely important and is something to lath about when you arc fighting against signals which should not go is. Another objection to a signal which is improperly placed is that it represents an economic waste. To the individual who favors intelligent traffic engineering and the police department which is emphasizing traffic work, it represents a robbing of the pocketbook, because where there should be intelligent planning there is a forced scat tering of money in an inefficient way. Unwarranted signals create violations. Although there may be relatively few of them, when they do occur they are apt to be very serious. To emphasize that improper placing of signals may lead to accidents, let me quote figures developed by the National Safety Council. In 40 per cent of 341 cases studied, accident* increased at intersections following sigaal installation. In One case the increase was over 400 per rent. The types of accidents which signals will not correct warrant careful consideration. In other words, when people say that accidents are the reason for requesting a sig nal, you most analyze the accidents at that location and find out if they arc the reason, and that means you must find out the types of accidents that have occurred there. Obviously, an accident in which some one drives into a parked car near the intersection will never be averted by a traffic signal You often find upon Investiga tion that fatal accidents occurred 70 or 80 feet from the intersection, involving some child or pedestrian who was jay walking. Such a hazard may even be increased by a signal became of a tendency to race for the green fight. The next question is how to determine a better method of accident reduction than placing * signal at the intersection. You must be in a position to offer something else, and I believe that one of the great weaknesses of traffic supervision is that we haven't enough eke to offer that seems logical and sufficiently meritorious to warrant trying out. t want to mention several alternatives. 1. The through traffic stop provision which involves no wait It has certain advantages but it must be carefully safeguarded against over-using and, at least in cities, the safety stop signal must be effective day and sight, which means it must be illuminated. 2. Flashing warnings, I believe, will return to favor in five or ten years. They have been very much misused and overused, but they are practical. 3. Marking of lanes to organize movement as it approaches the intersection, mid give more orderly movement. 4. Marking crosswalks and establishing safety zones. 5- Eliminating or regulating turns. In some places the turns are found to be a very important element in accidents. 6. The eliminating of parking, especially in the vicinity of intersections, will often help very materially to reduce the. hazard and improve conditions. 7. One-way regulations for fsimplifying movement and reducing accidents. In addition, there are mmuncrabie physical changes, some of which I will mention briefly. J. Throat widening may be undertaken to give the proper number of lanes, so that left-turning vehicles are in a specific lane and right-turning in another. 2. Cutting back the curb increases the turning radius so that you don't make the vehicle go out into the middle of the opposing street when ft makes a right turn. 3. The cutting down of shrubbery, fences and walls. 4. Grade flattening. 5. Curve straightening. 6. Street lighting also is very important 7. Street-car stop changes may often be used to improve conditions tremendously Traffic School 159 at intersections, especially with the introduction of safety zones. Skip stops for street cars can be introduced to advantage to decrease congestion. g. Taxicabs and bus stop locations can often be changed to advantage. y. In many cases the use of police is the proper answer, and, in some locations, for school child protection, toe junior safety patrols are proper. 10. We also have speed control by motorcycle wen which, if properly carried out, often reduces accidents and gives a facility of movement which will make the artery attractive without the need of expensive regulation. Whatever remedy is applied at an intersection there should be a check-up later to find out what it has accomplished. If the remedy was applied to reduce accidents, there should be a comparison of the record for say 12 months before the remedy was applied, with the record for the 12-month period after application of the remedy to find out whether the accidents have been reduced. Let us say that somebody goes back there from this meeting with the thought that a more intelligent application of signals should be made, and they want to do something about it. What could they do? What would be the steps in going about this? One of the first things to be done is to win back to the mam arteries the traffic which they should be carrying and which they pan carry if you da those things which make them attractive to that traffic. Among those things are the co-ordination of signals to get the greatest possible free movement at a controlled and predeter mined speed, the institution of certain pavement markings, and the installation of safety zones. I am very much opposed to both the pendant type and the high mounted mast-arm type. They may be all r%bt tor special conditions such as moving a left-ttuming lane separately, but in general the eyc-lovel signal on the right-hand comer is the type to be preferred. One of the most important things to be done is to institute a study method instead of a "by-guess* method, Even if there Is no traffic engineer, even if there la no city engineer who can give any time to it, there are available methods of making counts and of intelligently securing data ao that the chief of police himself or his lieutenant or even a patrolman can tackle this problem with facts and not with Next I want to talk about flexible progressive signal systems. If you do not buy a flexible progressive system, you are going to pay for It anyhow so why not buy it and get the value out of it? That may sound paradoxical but tt is not Other sys tems are going to cost us much more than the cost of toe better ones, both in de lays and in the bad attitude which they create. The conflict of pedestrian and vehicle is very serious and significant. We have intersections which are to be subjected to pedestrian use and vehicle use- If we are going to continue both we are going to have certain conflicts which, however, we may avoid to a degree or totally by certain measures. We can get rid of the trouble by segregation. I believe we will see certain points where escalator-served under-passes, or similar methods are justified. If you do that, it might be fair to put up a fence on toe sidewalk so pedestrians could not cross in any other way than by the under-pasa. " We can also segregate the pedestrians by time; that is, give one part of the cycle of time in signal operation to the pedestrian only. That may be desirable at some points, but with the modern trend toward short cycles, other things are involved. In the first place, if you give the pedestrian time to start across the street, you must (to play square with him) also give him time to finish crossing the street. In other words, if you tell me to start when a blue light shows It is unfair to me as a pedes trian to let me get a third of the way across and then permit cross traffic to start at heavily-traveled intersections, the provision of a reasonably long exclusive pedes- 160 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress trim starting Interval plus a reasonable pedestrian clearance Interval would require so great a percentage of the cycle that serious vehicular congestions would result; hence this time-segregation method may be found impractical. Some people believe we should allow the pedestrian to scurry across the best be can with the normal signal cycle, in which the green light is followed with ft short yellow light* the purpose of which must be, from the length of time we give it, to allow the vehicles which have entered or practically entered on the green light, ft chance to get across. That is two or three seconds. What does that do to the pedestrian? Instead of reaching the apposite side be hods himself part way across the street when crow traffic starts. The fair procedure, if pedestrians have started during an interval in which they are permitted to proceed, is to provide at the end of this interval; a reasonable time for pedestrians to reach a place of safety. This brings up the cycle winch, without: providing an exclusive pedestrian interval, informs the pedestrian when, during the "GO" interval, there is do longer time to start to cross. If it takes ten seconds to reach the opposite curb, warn the pedestrian, ten seconds before cross traffic is to start, that there is iso longer time to get across. That may be done in several ways. Pittsburgh does this: the green light comes on for a certain length of time and then the great and yellow combination shows. It is a warning to pedestrians that from then on they have not time to complete the journey across the intersection, and foe length of foe green-yellow, plus the yellow that follows, is sufficient for the pedestrian to complete the crossing tf he started on the green light Turning vehicles are another Mg trouble, and that, to my mind, may be attacked in one of two or three ways* First* you can eliminate the turn- Second, you may very properly have an officer at a heavy turning point to alternate turning vehicle movements and pedestrian crossings. There has been much talk about the hours of operation of signals. It depends very much upon, the district, the traffic requirements, the kind of signal operating, and so on. A traffic actuated signal should operate continuously if properly set up. The only reason you turn a signal off is because it involves unnecessary delays, and if you get the control without the delays, why turn it off ? It is not desirable to operate signal systems with fixed cycle lengths all the time. In downtown districts there would seem to be nothing to warrant their operating after foe theatre traffic had gone home. However, if you are going to turn off the stop and go signals at isolated intersections, it is very well to Use a flashing operation to tel! the person foot this is a comer which is more than usually busy or dangerous or both. I hope we shall see legislative enactment* that will enable us to use flashing red on the cross street to mean a safety stop with foe same legislative significance as the through-traffic stop regulation you may have at adjacent Inter sections along the artery. Then you would use the flashing red to signify the same thing as the stop sign and it would be so understood. To pick out three points which I should think most helpful I would select these: 1. Unintelligent application of traffic signals often increases accidents. 2. Never install a traffic signal without securing full data as to traffic volume, speeds, accident analyses, physical lay-out, (including parking) visibility, stops, and so forth; base what you do upon intelligently analyzed facts mid not upon even your own opinion. 3. Using minimum standards, worst-aceident-intersection lists, and other ex pedients, so that you are pushing a coordinated, intelligent plan for the use of signals and allied equipment, rather than being forced to use all of your energy in answering the haphazard requests for signals at scores of relatively unimportant intersections. Traffic School 161 Chxijulan Gooosjch : How many years of accident experience do you think it ts necessary to have to decide whether or not a signal is warranted? Ml Maksa : It would be desirable to have two or three years' accident experience, but certainly one year is of some help. It turns out frequently that foe distribution <& accidents in any one year gives an entirely wrong impression. Chairman Goodrich : If you were called into a community to decide where 15 or 20 signals should be installed, and you determined that all they needed was some stop signs but certain members of the council wanted to install the signals anyway, what would you do ? Mil MAfesa: I should appeal to foe intelligence of the group and sltow tlKin the reason back of ray decision. J would use some statistical data and l wouldn't be afraid to use other cities as examples, showing that bad results would occur if they did install signals that shouldn't be Installed, and if 1 had to go to some of the leading citizens and point out the facts to them, I would do 0. If 1 were finally forced into the petition of having to put them in, I would insist that they consider most seriously the vehicle-actuated types. ADJOURNMENT 162 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Thursday Morning Session October 2, 1930 ERNEST P. GOODRICH, Ctudnnsa Consulting Engineer, New York City :Chairman Goodrich This morning we are to discuss a real safety subject, "What Shall We Do About Accident Records T* The presentation will be by a man who hat done some very interesting things m developing the analyses of accident records, and he will tell us something about direct applications of those things that were discussed in the Street and Highway Section on Tuesday. Mr. Simpson, Re search Engineer for the American Electric Railway Association, New York City was previously in Detroit as traffic engineer, and he has also been traffic engineer for Essex County, New Jersey. What Shall We Do About Accident Records? By HAWLEY S. SIMPSON Research Engineer, American Electric Bailway Asaodation, New York City 1 am sure there is no need to stress the seriousness of the accident phase of the traffic situation fa this discussion. Neither should there be any attempt to minimize it. The loss of more than 31,000 lives in our streets last year is fa the nature of a major national calamity. There was a time, at the end of 1926, when it might have been possible to view the situation with sortie little beefing of equanimity. AMhotish auto mobile fatalities and the fatality rate were steadily rising, the number of deafta fa proportion to motor vehicle registrations was decreasing. But this latter condition has reversed mid for three consecutive years, traffic deaths in relation to both population and automobile registration have been higher than in the preceding year. To meet these conditions, there lias been a general attempt by almost every police department to obtain basic accident facts through the use of some system of accident reporting. That designed hy the National Safety Council and approved by the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety and the International Association of Chiefs of Police is the best known and most widely used. It is catted die Standard Accident Reporting System. However, activities of the kind which we are to discuss are not limited to this particular type of reporting. 1 suppose accident records were first kept so that police department officials might have the information necessary to institute punitive proceedings if a violation of the traffic rules had been committed. This application of traffic accident records is becoming increasingly an important and effective tool fa the hands of the traffic executive, and was referred to by Mr. Goodrich in die Tuesday morning session as "Personnel" work. - The data necessary to this activity are comparatively limited and do not enable the police official to comprehend the whole situation. Accordingly, more detailed information regarding die conditions surrounding the occurrence of the accident is required. When this is tabulated and analyzed it becomes possible to compile the general accident summary or report for the whole community. This activity has been of great value in promoting "Education" of street users, also mentioned by Mr. Goodrich. These are the more common uses to which accident records are put, but experience has demonstrated that neither the fear of punishment nor the knowledge of dangerous practices ha* been sufficient Another angle of attack then comes to mind. Perhaps Traffic School Jfit JPig* I $twt map of accidents in a section of a hypothetical city skewing various tyP** of intersections which must be considered m filing according to locations. ------ -- turm*cu wcic ajamy ai unit, am miter, external conditions over which the motorist and/or pedestrian had no control may have been instrumental ia causing the accidents. The investigxtioo of these factors and the sijjgwtMn of remedies has been called "Preventive Pbmmnf" by Mr. Goodrich. Of then all, this last has been least explored and though still in it* formative stage, it has already proved valuable to the traffic man. Some of the items which fall within the purview of this activity and which may be 164 Nineteenth Amina! Safety Congress profitably investigated fallow. They may be roughly divided into two classes. Those having to do with the physical charactor ol the city are called "City Planning''. while those which deal primarily with the control and regulation of the traffic are termed "Traffic Planning". Preventive Planning CITY PLANNING Street Design Pavement Design Intersection Design Obstructions to Vision a. Removable b. Permanent Topography TRAFFIC PLANNING Traffic Signals Traffic Signs Traffic Markings General Traffic Regulations Traffic Officer Assignment Stop Street Plan Pedestrian Safety Zones Parking Practices Before proceeding further, the fundamental difference in the character of the three activities ought to be noted. Personnel deals with individuals. Education deals with groups of persons. But Preventive Planning deals with hnmimalc things; pavements, regulations and signals. , We cannot reason with them as we can with persons. Neither is much to be learned by collecting mass data Sot large areas as is done in preparing educational programs. The information needed for oar purpose must be detailed and specific. It must refer to individual intersections, small groups of intersections, isolated points between intersections or single streets. Each of these locations is analogous to a doctor's patient. The accident cards for any one point are comparable to a doctor's record of a person's ailments. A physician's diagiwsis is largely influenced by the patient's past record and susceptibility to certain diseases. Similarly, the accident analyst's recommendation for improvement is based upon full information as to what has gone before at the point in question. _ To promote a better understanding of the practical work leading up to Preventive Planning we are about to set up an accident recording system for a small portion of an imaginary city called Metropolis, shown on foe map before us. 131 accidents have been reported in this section of the city in the first six months of 1930 and have been recorded on the standard accident cards of the National Safety Council. They are here before us and we are to file them so that they will be of the most value. The National Safety Council has investigated the generally used systems of filing and has decided that the method known ss "Filing by Location" be recommended. Accident cards filed in this manner are always ready for use in analysis and are equally available for other purposes. _ Only a filing cabinet to take 4x6 inch cards and a supply of index cards in two colors, perhaps buff and salmon, me required. The buff cards with left-hand tabs are called "primary index cards". Those with rigid-hand tabs are called "secondary index cards". The salmon-colored cards (always right-hand tabs) are "warning cards". In beginning the file, index cards should be made up as needed and since accidents have occurred at only fifteen of the twenty intersection! in the section of our city under study, we need only to prepare index and warning cards for these locations. The index cards are placed in the file in alphabetical order and the first street, alphabetically, of those at which the aoddent occurs, becomes the primary street and the other the secondary street If an accident occurs at the intersection of two or more streets, the first two street names alphabetically me nsed for filing and a warning card is inserted for the other street or streets oc the secondary side of the file in those locations where it might be possible to nns-fite a card. To facilitate the pre^ paration of the index cards, we have listed the intersections alphabetically in accordance with this method, indicating the required primary, secondary sad warn ing cards. Traffic School 165 Index Cards Required for Filing Intersection Accidents by Locations hr City of Metropolis Primary Card ALPHA AVE. Secondary Card Front St & Wells Bl. Kelly St River RA Second St BETA AVE, Fifth St Fourth St River Rd. Second St. & Wells Bl. DELTA AVE. Fourth St. A Wells BL River Rd, A Second St FIFTH ST. Gamma Arc. Wells BL Warnmff Card Wells Bl. (See Front St.) Wells BL (See Second St) Second St (See River RA) Wells BL (See Fourth St) FOURTH ST. FRONT ST. Vail St Gamma Ave. A River RA GAMMA AVE. KELLY ST. RIVER RD. SECOND ST. Wells BL Well. Bl. (See DELTA AVE) River RA (See Gamma Ave.) Wells BL (See ALPHA AVE.) River RA (See FRONT ST.) Vail St (See ALPHA AVE.) Second St. (See DELTA AVE.) Wells BL (See BETA AVE.) In order that the reference notes cm tin warning card may he easily understood, the legeqfl cm the primary card is always in capitals, while that on the secondary is in lower case. For example, an accident may occur at the intersection of Alpha Avenue, Front Street and Wells Boulevard. It is reported as having occurred at Alpha Avenue and Wells Boulevard. Alpha is of course the primary street and Wells Boulevard apparently the secondary street, but when attempting to file the card the clerk notes warning card marked "Wells BL" (See Front Street) and proceeds to file the card properly under ALPHA---Front The same accident might n&ve bcfti reported from Front Street and Well* Boulevard. These are apparently the primary and secondary streets respectively, but in filingv a warning; card appears reading "Wells Bl. (See ALPHA ST.)". The card is then properly filed under ALPHA--Front Reports of accidents occurring; between intersections can profitably be kept in another file with a primary index card for each street on which an accident has occurred, alphabetically arranged. Secondary index cards to indicate house numbers such as 100, 200, 500 or 1,000 may be used if the number of between-intersectwwt accidents warrants. Perhaps the best way in which to begin to use the information on the cards is to prepare an accident "spot map". Spot maps may be of many kinds, simple or elaborate, but every department should have at least one map showing the location of all fatal, injury and non-injury accidents. For each accident reported, a pin of distinctive color, indicative of the severity of the accident is inserted in the 166 Nineteenth Annuel Safety Congress approximate location at which it occurs. Thus it is possible to pick out the danger points which the department may wish to subject to its investigation. The spot map before us has been prepared from the accident cards in the hie. One fatal, 32 injury, and 98 non-injury accidents have been reported in the first six months of 1930. They are fairly well scattered over the map, although two of the intersections show exceptionally bad accident records. That of Welts Boulevard, Front Street, and Alpha Avenue has experienced 15 accidents, while the intersection of River Road with Delta Avenue and Sccood Street shows 22 accidents. More than a quarter of all the accidents reported occurred at these two intersections, although there are ten times as many other places where accidents could happen. It is typical to find a large portion of the accidents concentrated tn a relatively few locations. Here, then, is a phenomenon which interests us and here is where we ought to begin our analysis, which should lead to recommendations designed to relieve these situations. This is the work which has been designated "Preventive Planning.* While our time is too limited to discuss all the investigations which it is possible to make at even these two intersections, we shall describe the preparation of a "collision diagram". This is the easiest way in which the complicated information contained on the accident cards can be boiled down to show a composite picture of everything that has occurred at an intersection. The collision diagram is merely a line drawing which shows graphically the more important incidents connected with the individual accidents, grouped together for easy visual examination. Not afl the information which-may be essential to the pre paration of a collision diagram is obtained from the card*. In addition, we must have a complete knowledge of all the physical facts about the intersection. These include: 1. Location of traffic signals. '* 2. Location of stop street and other warning signs. 3. Parking regulation*. 4. Street and pavement widths. 5. Curb radii. 6 Location of trees, shrubs, hedges and other obstructions to vision. 7. Location of nearby buildings. 8. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow. 9. General topography of the intersection. When the diagram has been prepared showing these features, the essential data from the accident cards are superimposed. The chart should show the direction of move ment of the vehicles and pedestrians involved, the approximate location at which the collision took place, the severity of the accident, the time and date on which tt occurred and often other information such as vehicle speeds, condition of pavement, light conditions, and simitar matters. This has been done for the accident at the intersection of River Road, Delta Avenue and Second Street. It is assumed that River Road is the heavier traffic street and it will be noted that the majority of the accidents involved vehicles moving southeasterly on River Road. The angle at which this traffic meets that bound west on Second Street, produces a dangerous condition. If this traffic could be diverted to meet Second Street at or near a right angle and compelled to stop before entering Second Street, this source of hazard should be almost entirely eliminated. This can be done by the erection of a stop street sign on River Rood north of Second Street and probably also on Delta Avenue, smith of Second Street together with the Installa tion of a safety island such as is shown on the chart marked "AM. A second potential hazard exists for pedestrians moving north across River Road east of the intersection. Two pedestrian accidents have occurred here, doubtless chargeable to tbe fact that traffic Is approaching from two directions. This hazard will partially be eliminated by the construction of the safety zone "A*, although if the pedestrian travel across the intersection is heavy, a second safety acme shown on the diagram marked MB" would be desirable. Traffic School 167 Tiff. 2--CoiHsian diagram of intersection in hypothetical city showing localion 'f safety senes recommended to alleviate accident sitnatUn, The ordinary two period traffic signal would not be expected to effect much of an . improvement, if any. Vehicles moving southeasterly on River Road and north of Delta Avenue would receive the "Go" signal simultaneously and their paths would intersect within the intersection, so that tl*c possibilities of collision would not be mudi if any less than before the signal was installed. If we assume that the improvement of the character mentioned above has been made, there should be some method of determining whether the results are satisfactory. It is of no value to prepare an analysis and recommend and make changes unless it is possible to discover their effect upon tlte accident record. Unfortunately this is a trial and error method and we must wait months, at times, to discover if any improvement has been produced. This means that a second and similar analysis must be made after the change 1ms been in effect for some time. Often this will furnish a clue to the final touch which will as nearly solve the problem as possible; often it will show that the remedy has not been found, and other studies must be made; while in still other cases, the Improvement will be so satisfactory that nothing else need be dune. 168 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress Pratmbijr tbe beat way to keep informed as to the exact shuatiou at all time* it to keep a ooctimiing record of the physical and other towage* wfakh bare been made as tbe result of reroffroendatiooi of the department as wdl aa other changes ia the character of the satersectiou which are not tbe outcome of may pertknfor study. Three iactede changes ia: 1. Txaftctifnk. 2. General traffic iffditim, 3- Ibtkiif regutetioa. , 4, IS smart widto mA/m daracter. '* 5. Curb radii. b. Otewrartwaa ae raica 7. The eaaiet any a which tins mformatioa can be recorded ia upon the hot of tbe tfatortary index cards. These should be prepared wito two rnTm--,, one for the date and ewe for remarks Under `Date" is placed the dale ryn whkh any of these changes is made with a description under the coturnn entitled ^Reamks*. These, then, are tools of toe traffic analyst, only briefly described here. It has o( coarse been impossible to exhaust all toe powbiKtei of toe sdbjsct, bet as one becomes more familiar with toe work; the routine detail will terrene simpler and many other uses of accsdeat data will he found. Some typical txamfiki follow. A study of school dnld accidents in each public stood or playground district will often be productive of good results. It may lead to the assignment of traffic officers to key intersections during certain hours, to concentration of educational activities tn area* where the accident record is unfavorable, or it tony even be used as a basis for recommendation* as to the relocation of existing, or the establishment of new pUygpouad*. . : ; : . .. A accident analysis shock! always precede traffic signal installation to determine whether the signal* can be expected to reduce accidents or not- Often it will be found that the eoHtsiotvs are of a type that might not be prevented but rather encour aged by the use of signals, as mentioned in our discussion of toe collision diagram. A study of accidents along a single heavy traffic street unit often furnish valuable evidence a* to whether the "through street" regulation would be effective in reducing accidents. An analysis should always be made of toe results accomplished after the establishment of a `through street**.* The same line of reasoning applies to the despatching of motorcycle officers and the accident spot map will show those streets chi which patrols ought to operate. If this plan is followed, much energy may be raved as motorcycle men can be concentrated on the more hazardous streets rather than routed indiscriminately. Accident records are of value in determining obstructions to view winch Increase the accident toll. Peculiarly, not all obstructions seem to have this effect An analy sis of the accident record where there are apparent obstructions will assist in cor recting the worst of the conditions, either by removal if possible, or through the installation of indicatory signs, warning, of an extra hazard if tbe obstruction is of a fxuusiKDt character. Parking regulations, toe evtabtitoment of pedestrian safety zones, changes in pave ment design. Rzrfadttg and width*. adjiuCmcnfi of curb radii and other related arthri tic* are all witlun toe te*d of Preventive Ftooreug and subject to the scrutiny of the accident analyst. Three iljamaiato which breads* tor scope to iotiude this field will undoubtedly find it to Vr a tooMt pfliren re tear other activities. Tbe surface has oely been scratched. A wtete new inbiiim and toe WiriwnrpK h bring opened up The man who epccieSrom m r wegtir so find tout two services will become exccetfingly valuable to toe oMAois red w* to--* foito X* Traffic School 169 R. W. Mcaoc ( V. Pres, The Peoples Uotorinn Co- St. Louis, Mo.) : By putting in a safety island cm Rhrr Road isn't he affecting the traffic that will continue south m Deha Avenue? - Mil SiKkos : Yes, absolutely. be* the effect would he to decrease the speed of toe vehicle as it crosses rather than giving it the opportunity of crossing at a high rate of speed. E H. Bitttk (Chief of Police, Dahrth. Mho.) : Do yon have a warning sign? Ml Hawict Sncrsox: Yes, toe safety zone ts lighted. Lights do better than signs. CneasSJkM Googucs: Have you ever deliberately in*talk'd a rough pavement to prevent medians? Ml Sucrsox: I never hare and am never going to. In ooe of the southern states they triad to reduce accidents by malting a man follow a circuitous path approaching a grade crossing. They found that more people were killed upon the .area which they were supposed to go around than were formerly killed at the grade crossing. H. F. ILUXE* (Engineer, Milwaukee Safety Commission, Milwaukee, Wis.); Was that island actually installed? Mil Simpson : This is a hypothetical case, but it is based on toe experience I had at Holden Avenue and West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. The island there wasn't of this type. This way would have been better. Ml luanet: It $eems to me that traffic signals are very much more desirable than putting reverse curves into streets. M*. SncvsoH: In this case I believe that the reverse curve is tlie only solution because drivers are required to reduce the 5peed of the intersecting vehicle, I think the cause of accidents is high speed plus the acute angle of incident, resulting to a large collision area. It is a question, of course, but 1 am confident that if you have the accident records which show you most have a reduction of speed, something of this sort will be more acceptable than a traffic signal. A traffic signal installed at this point would have to be a three-period timer, and the traffic on each of toe three streets would have to move on a different cycle to order to avoid conflict. Chairman Goodrich : That is true. I am just thinking that a change In toe city plan at this point would obviate the whole thing. It shows the fundamental connection between city planning and traffic planning. You tn*y detour the vehicles off the other street before they get to toe intersection. Mr. GaCe: Why not place st circle there? Mr. Simpson: I will agree with you, and I will even go a little further and say that I think a grade separation would be still better, I did not put a circle in because the street ts 40 feet in width, not large enough for a traffic circle, and consequently we would have to obtain property to build a circle. Chairman CooesucH: May I amplify the point about the planning of the com munity, someth ig which can at least be introduced into the outlying sections. Each diagoaat sbotdd be located so it goes between the right angle intersections, so that not more than two streets cross at any point. Just shift the diagonal thoroughfare so it goes rfirriDg.fi tbe center of toe block. That is a very obvious and easy Solution of toe problem. U cannot be done where tom is a built up area, but advantage should be eaten of tons idea wherever you have an opportunity to replan or to lay down new ptem D. M. (Amatoat Traffic Eagottr, Pittsburgh, Pa.) ; Since a number of pi ihWci-- acridwee we perhaps from toe diagonal street turning left into the street toward toe flag, wwridsT it te tetter to tern the pedestrians over to the other street red tows tel toww owes? Ml Sosrww I are** waffi yom. Mr. Jlc.Vtfl. The reason I didn't suggest that %t vr Iwsu vary nmttem tote yam caa do a great deal with the pedestrian. ADJOCrWOTEMT 170 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Friday Morning Session October 3,1930 ERNEST P. GOODRICH, CHrirmaa Consulting Engineer, New York City Chaikuas Gooauca: We hare had sessions given to the discussion ol parking, traffic signals, and accident records, but they would be of very little value unless it were possible to sell those things from the advertising point of view to the com munity, Arousing and maintaining public interest in traffic is the way to do that. I present Dr. Hiller McOintocic and he needs no further words from me. Arousing and Maintaining Public Interest in Traffic By DR. MILLER McCLINTOCK Director. Erskhic Bureau for Street Traffic Research, Harvard University The public official who is charged with traffic improvement has one important support. That support is both an advantage and a disadvantage. I speak of the in tense interest which the public has in all matters pertaining to street traffic. It is not an artificial interest. It was not stimulated by publicity or propaganda of any kind. In the first place, traffic is dynamic It is something that is growing rapidly. People arc interested in things that move. In the second place, every traffic accident and every traffic death is a human dramatic incident in itself. Thus there is constant agitation of the public mind on matters of traffic. Which makes them want activity on the part of public officials, and instead of finding themselves in the position of stimulating interest and attention cm the part of your public, most public officials are embarrassed by rather too much interest and attention. Along with the interest and attention which you find in traffic matters, you also find a feeling on the part of many citizens that they arc technically qualified to offer a solution for any or at least many of the problems which are Involved in safety and lt>c proper use of the streets and highways. So the public official who would carry out his duties properly has of neccv&ity to protect himself, as it were, from a too intense, disorganized and self-opinionated public support. Titus the problem of gaining proper support for public action in traffic relief is a matter of organizing public opinion rather than stimulating it. How can this he done best and most effectively? I believe that it Is quite impossible nowadays for any public official to make substantial progress in assuming leadership for im provement in traffic matters unless he knows what he is talking about. The official today must have a distinctly scientific attitude, because the public has become more informed about traffic^ matters. If one of your prominent merchants takes a trip to New York City, you way be assured that when he returns he will inevitably tel) you how traffic is regulated in New York City. Indeed, if lie goes to any other community, he is likely to interview traffic officials there mid come lack with a long story for the home press. 'Hits interest on the part of citizens necessitates that the public official, to maintain leadership in traffic matters, must himself be informed by traffic studies and surveys which would be justifiable even though the conclusions were obvious before the studies were undertaken. I say the studies would still be justifiable because, by factual data properly presented to back up your conclusions, you can get public support which you cannot get when there is merely a clash of opinions. I want to emphasize this point particularly because ideas are often diametrically opposed as to what is the best solution for any particular traffic problem. Any Traffic School 171 public official who talks on a problem, where his opinion is opposed to that of the people to whom he is talking, and has. nothing more to say than, "I know st will work," is in a very difficult position. Just as soon as you can throw into that discus* sion the slightest amount of sound, factual information, then you have neutralized the bitterness in the argument and you have given an objective basis rather than a personal basis for making the decision. So I should say the first job any official has in organizing support is to get k on a factual basis. In every community there are certain citizens who, because of their prominence, arc natural civic leaders. These leaders vary according to the phase of municipal administration considered. Thus, for example, groups of leaders to deal with public education, child welfare, public recreation, paries, or with matters of traffic, would in each case be a somewhat different group of persons, but in every city there are men who are the natural leaders in the community in connection with traffic matters. It is highly desirable that the public official carefully analyze Ids public and know who these men are. He ought to have them know him in order that they may be assured that he has honesty and intelligence. Furthermore, it may be desirable, that these leaders be formally organized. An excellent example of that is io die Better Traffic Committee of Pittsburgh, wfakh is organized on the principle of bringing together In a formal group, officially appointed, the principal leaders. I want to issue a warning to any public official who has in mind the formation of a supporting traffic committee or commission. There seems to be a tendency among public officials and others to eliminate from such commissions those persons who have so-called selfish interests. I have no use whatsoever for any individual who does not have selfish interests, because such a person is a fit subject for retirement to the rocking chair in the back parlor. It is only men who have selfish interests who have enough vigor and dynamic force to be of any value in giving support to public officials or anyone else to carry out any program demanding energy and ability. In oilier words, don't get a lot of benign, retired capitalists as members of a traffic committee if you are forming one. Get rather the hard-boiled operating heads of the business concerns in the city who are vitally affected by traffic changes. Get twenty dr twenty-five of them, ready to fight with one another or with toe rest of the world if necessary at the slightest opportunity. Throw into that group of men some factual information tliat is sound and proijcrly analyzed, with conclusions that are dear, and with the irnpUcatious upon business obvious, and you are going to get just as bard fighting support for an intelligent program of traffic relief as you would get liard fighting opposition if your program were not proper. It is unnecessary for me to speak in detail of the media for public education which the public official has at his command. You are more familiar with those to many instances than I am, but it is necessary that the man who is dealing with traffic matters shirk no opportunity to make known his ideas, his plans, and his reasons to the public. Never decline any honest invitation to make a public speech. Whether it be some body's Sunday School class or the Rotary Club or whatever live occasion may be. In that way you are expressing your ideas, and if you are hottest and can impress people that you are, you will find that you are making a great many friends, which is one of the joys of the job, and furthermore that you are understood and getting support which otherwise would be quite impossible. ` Next to direct public speaking and appearances of the kind I liave mentioned, then* is the radio which has come to be so valuable an agency in reaching tlie public. Again, as in public speaking the public official should lose no opportunity to give cordial statements to the press, and particularly if he is starting upon any new and important task, to call the representatives of the press into his office, and sit down and talk with them. 172 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Tlte field of traffic is a new one. It demands In many ways a new technique. It certainly has placed upon the shoulders of public officials very heavy responsibilities which have, in many cases, brought them Into a peculiarly intimate contact with the public. Successful traffic administration is one-tenth technique and nine-tenths soCunhdapirumbalicn reGlaotoiomnus.cn(:AppIlawusaen)t to supplement what Dr. McClimock said with reference to our relations with the press. The bringing in of the reporters long be fore you are ready to let something break, giving them an idea of what it is and why you are doing it and the intricacies of the scheme, and talking to them about the problem which their chief has perhaps put up to them to get an answer to that day, is one of the best ways of protecting yourself against adverse criticism which I have been able to discover. With the exception of one case, in twenty years of traffic experience I have never been deceived. They have always promisor cm my request, to respect my decision as to when the news could be published, and in many instances we have been able to reverse the preconceived opinions of the newspapers. Rxvsurn P. Hofvman (Manager, St. Louis Safety Council, St. Louis, Mo.); Often through misunderstanding or absolute ignorance of the subject at hand on the part of the editors, adverse criticisms may appear in their papers, whereas if they are kept constantly informed I believe that will prove to be one of the big things in Fcoarrryininstganacloe,ngsotmhies mwoonrkth. s ago we got an inkling through a reporter for a par ticular paper that an editorial was coming out against something which w* had ha the back of our heads and which had gotten out as <tutt the reverse oi what we proposed to do. So I went over to the editorial writer and just sat down and with out mentioning what we had already found out, proceeded to give him a little sketch oi what ibis thing was. When the edition came out, instead of having ati adverse editorial, it was quite a bouquet It just shows that if these men have the {acts and understand the purpose, that often it will redound to the benefit of those trying to Lperoomnaortde Othremwesoorkd. (Ass't. to V. Pres, dr Gent Mgr* Bell Telephone Co. of Penn* Philadelphia): We have organized a traffic committee in Philadelphia. It is just beginning to get tinder way. I happen to be chairman of the Educational Committee ofIthaalstoCwoomrkmeisdsisoonm. e seventeen or eighteen years as a newspaper man and I want to endorse what Dr. McClintock has said, from the standpoint of one who has had ex perience in Chicago, Washington and elsewhere. There is another suggestion I might give you. The man who will come into your office is the newspaper man who is covering that beat, and he is probably covering all of city hall or certain offices in it, and it is his job to drift around and pick up, not only the front page news, but anything that is worth writing an interesting paragraph about. I have always found as a reporter some official who baa a nose for news, so that when things were .slack aqd I didn't have much to wr&e, I could drop in to see him, say, **Giye me a little yarn/' and he would have some interesting fact to tell me, maybe some statistical fact that could be humanized and gfreo life. Since I have been out of the newspaper business 1 have been with a large public utility corporation, handling publicity, and I have always found ft fmttfal to have some little thing on tap to tell the reporters when they dropped in. j. C Vincent (Elec. Engr., City Engineering Dep't, Minneapolis, Mum.): We have one newspaper in our town which consistently misquotes any information that we give them. How would you handle that situation ? Da. McClintock : I think very often it is principally a matter of carelessness. but sometimes it is malice, which is even more difficult. The best way to give yourself the fullest possible protection under those circiaas- stances Is to prepare in definite form die article that yon have lor release. The Traffic School 173 written story has an advantage in all matters of importance. Make not only as many copies as there are members of the press, but be careful to keep a file copy for your self, particularly if a matter of important policy Is being dealt with, so that you have ait actual record. J. G. Van Zandt (Consulting Engineer, United States Engineer's Office, Los Angeles, Cal.) : It was my observation that the citizens committee was in dire lack of facts. I was very much impressed by what the speakers said this monm* m regard to the necessity of setting scientific facts before this committee and letting factual information be a basis for their operations. It seems to me that this National Council could very well prepare some kind of a pamphlet for citizens committees, which they would look upon as authority. We lave the Hoover Conference, of course. We have a lot of various information which it is somewhat difficult to bring together, and it seems to me that a small pamphlet of some kind, Issued authoritatively from this Congress, would be a very valuable thing for these committees. Chamiam Goodrich : How many members are there on your committee in Los Angeles? Ml Van Zandt: About 110 altogether. It is divided up into section* and there are about 30 members in the section I belong to. R. C Bmiarcff (Dir., Safety Division, Police Dep'u Film, Mich.): I would like to add one word about my experience with the trajffi committee. The key man to the organisation is the secretary. Get the right fellow on that job and you will have a successful committee. If you ask business men to devote more time than they feel they can spare from their business, you are not going to make a success of it I have also discovered that if you work dose enough with reporters you will find certain days that yew will get a lot further with your publicity. I wouldn't think of giving them a story when the World's Series is going on if I expected very much spacer ' . W. Brown (Ass't Sup't of Police, Washington* D. C.) : We have just started a traffic survey in Washington. On the committee WC have representatives of the traffic department, police department, schools, and the trade and civk organizations. 17 persons in alL We fed that a committee larger than that wouldn't function properly. We decided the best thing to do was to organise certain members of the Committee who would release facts to the press as we went along m our investigation, and I think that is the best policy any community could pursue. We also get certain help from the radio. I feel that publicity Is a great factor in our work and it goes a long way toward the education oi the public. Chairman :Goodrich Id Hew York City they have a regular period during which police news of all kinds, generally very uninteresting, however, is broadcast. The suggestion made by Mr. Brown from Washington is an excellent one, to have a well equipped man, from an oratorical point of view, do this work and give the interesting features as well as the strayed persons mid dogs. Buxton W. Marsh (Traffic Engineer, Philadelphia, Fa.): We have six sub committees ; one on accidents, one on education, one on engineering, one on legisla tion and enforcement one on street use (which Includes parking, `loading, and all of those uses of the street which right now are taking so much of the attention of those engaged in traffic work), and cute on off-street terminal facilities, which is perhaps a complementary committee to the one dealing with improvement of efficiency of street ttse, although *t has other important functions. I was very much interested to learn from Mr. Uoyd A. Blanchard, Executive Secretary of the Governor's Committee on Street and Highway Safety of Boston, Massachusetts, that in Massachusetts a bill has been enacted by the state Legislature enabling cities and towns to appropriate funds ter traffic education work, this bring 174 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress it specific acknowledgment by the Mate legislators tint this is a very much oeeded field of endeavor. The city of Pittsburgh has, I believe, been unusually successful in its educational work and has jumped tip the funds appropriated by the city for properly informing the public from J believe $3,000 at the start to about $20,000 now, and I believe Mr. McIntyre expects to get more this year. That it rather significant. ADJOURNMENT NINETEENTB ANNUAL SAFETY CONGRESS NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL o Statistics Section Officers 1930-31 General Chairman--D*. T. F. Mukphv, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D. C. Vice-Chaintuut--E. W, Ko% Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., New York City. Vice-Chairt*an--D. Julius H. Famkls*, Bureau of Railway Economics, Wash ington, D. C. ; Secretary--K, L., Fob-Wey, National Safety Council, Chicago, 111 Retiring Officers General Chairman--Da. Louis I. Dvstnr, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Vice-Chairman--Du. T. p. Mu*mY. Bureau of Census, Washington, D. C Vice . Chairman--Phujt D. Hoyt, New York City Polk* Department Secretary--R, L. FouJcey, National Safety Council. Chairman, Committee on Motor Vehicles--Lion Asonowitz, New York State Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Chairman, Committee on Other Public Accounts--L. A. DeBlojs, Consulting Engineer, New .York City. Chairwte*, Committee on Home Accidents--E. S. Fallow, Travelers Insurance Company, Hartford, Coon. Chairman, Committee on Child Accidents--M. B. Elsox, District No. 18, Gilbert, Mum. Chairman, Program Committee---R. F. EdwasoS, Prudential Insurance Company, Newark, N. J. Chairman* Membership Committee-- W. W. Matthews, Pennsylvania State Department of Highways, Harrisburg, Pa. Chairman, Committee on Statistical Practice--E. W. Kopr. Metropolitan Life Imtmmce Company. Member of Large--H. C, State Bureau Public Roads, Providence, R. I. Tuesday Afternoon Session September 30, 1930 DR. LOUIS L* DUBLIN, Chairman Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York City The first session of the Statistics Section of the Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress converted with Dr. Louis I. Dublin, Metropolitan IJfc Insurance Company. New York City, presiding. *Chaiaman Dublin It was believed by the committee arranging the program that we were ripe for a discussion on costs. In no other way could tin? enormity, the grossness of the accident problem be brought home to the country than by 175 176 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress counting the costs m life and costa in dollars and other costs involved in this motor vehicle accident situation. So, we brought together a group of speakers each par* ttcular'y well informed on one of the aspects of cost The first of the discussions will be by Mr. S&ppen Lewis on the "Direct Costs of Motor Vehicle Accidents.*' Direct Costs of Motor Vehicle Accidents By SHIPPEN LEWIS Director of Committee to Study Cocopeuation for Automobile Accidents, Philadelphia, Pa. Tbc data which I am about to give you have been gathered by the Committee to Study Compensation for Automobile Accidents. This committee is a voluntary* association of 16 men, all but two of whom are lawyers or judges. It is working with the Council for Research in the Social Sciences of Columbia University and with the Yale School of Law, to learn die facts with respect to compensation for motor vehicle accidents and to suggest remedies for snch evils as present systems may be found to contain. In various states commissions have studied this subject and have reported as to the effects of different systems cm the number of accidents and on the amounts of insurance premiums. But so far as I know, no serious attempt has been made to ascertain how injured persons have fared with respect to compensation, under any system, except for a limited study of fatal accident* made by the Coounoowealth Club of San Francisco a few yean ago. Our committee believes that the proWeni cannot be properly solved unless such facts are pbtassed. Accordingly We have hstd personally investigated about 8,000 cases of motor vehicle injuries in nine different TABLE 1 Compensation Status: Philadelphia AU mo except "N Injury" Fault Bald 48* 42 Unpaid 41* 40 Pending u* 18 TABLE 2 Low Gronp* V, CompeTMtion: FhHailelphi* Compensated Tcaponrin Medical Loss Group $0 1--30 40--99 109--199 200--299 300--749 750 and over Humber of Case* 50 241 107 47 26 22 5 Amt. of wage. medical and property lo*s $ 1X135 5.512 8,482 8,197 6720 10745 9707 Amount of Compensation *3729 14.903 13,956 9.401 5761 9,386 3739 % oi 1-oaei Covered 341% 270 164 115 75 87 32 Pending, unpaid Sc unknown as to compensation 498 552 $50,598 ,, 61,225 *59.475 116% TT Statistics Section 177 TABLE 3 Lm* Cover*,. Droop*: Mancie C**e*: Mot Petal or Permanent i! 1 <3 3i ! h pJil % * IS 3*3 Los* fully covered Loss partly covered Loss not compensated at all 18% 20 62 13% 23 64 61% 39 140% 52 100% 100* 100% localities. One of these localities is San Francisco and the neighboring country, where the work has been done for us by the Commonwealth Club. In cadi case the investigator has tried to leant from the injured person or from a responsible member of his family, bow badly he was hurt, how long he was laid up. what com pensation he got, who paid him, and hovr soon he got it, together with a good deal of other information which is germane to our genera! subject. Irt each locality the cases were selected from public and institutional records in such a way as to form a fair sample of all cases of personal injury. You will realise of course that the information so obtained cannot be entirely accurate, but 1 believe that in general it can be relied on, because id a large number of cases the overstatements and the understatements will tend to balance each other. Even granting some inaccuracy the results yield data which cannot be obtained otherwise and offer a reasonably sound basis for judgment. You will 'so realize that such an investigation cannot attack the problem of negligence. v / few cases would it be possible to fix the blame for the accident. Hence the figures which I am going to give you do not reflect what Injured per* sons should have got, but simply what their losses were and what they did get. From oar Philadelphia study which covers 2,000 cases, of which over 1,600 arc of some seriousness, we have derived certain statistics which will interest you. I shall not give you many figures, because no man can enjoy or understand a mass of figures orally presented by another. In speaking 1 shall use round figures. In the printed proceedings of the meeting tables with more exact figures will be in* sorted. ` Voluntary Insurance First of all we ask, "How often do injured persons receive compensation?" Taking all the injury cases together, we find that from six months to a year after the respective accidents there were out of every tear cases, five jiaki, four unpaid Mid one peatbog. In 200 fatal cases the ratios were four, four, and two. (Table I). But a more Important question h not bow many are compensated, but how far are injured persons compensated for all losses--wages, medical expense and property loss. There are 500 cases of temporary disability m which this comparison can be made In these cases the losses have been divided into groups according to amounts, and for each group we have the total loss and the total compensation. This shows that the losses up to $200 are overpaid, while those above $200 are underpaid. If the money were divided according to leases, all cases now paid would be fully paid sad something would be left over. This of course docs not deal with the 50 per 178 Nineteenth Annual Safety\ Congrtis TABLE 4 Status ot Compensation: FMlaAelpki* and Boatou, All Cane* Except Ho Injury Philadelphia--All Cases Boston--All Cases Philadelphia--Insured Cases a is 1 X 1,637 1,004 745 ** l 1 41% 25 12 *8 si I! *a 11% 23 13 2 * * 48% S2 75 cent ol temporary cases in which there bas been no compensation or in which com pensation is pending, which cases carry just about their share of the losses. (Table 2). From a study made in Muncic, Indiana, wc have figured tins matter of loss cover age in another way. We took all the cases except tht fatal and permanent injurycases, and found that the total compensation was ee-fourth of the total loss--wage, medical and property. Out of every ten cases, two were fully pud (So fact overpaid), two were partly paid, and six received nothing. The total losses were divided among the unpaid, pending and paid cases la about the same proportions. (Table 3). When wc tome to fatal cases, the wage loss cannot be exactly calculated. But we have taken a group of 23 Philadelphia employed ihen who were kilted arid who left dependent widows or children, and have calculated what they would have got under the Mew York workmen's compensation law. We find that they actually received something less than 8 per cent of .What workmen's compensation would have given them. This is not the total group of such persons studied, but it is the total group with respect to which the comparison can be made. Voluntary and Compulsory Insurance Compared Now turn to a comparison between Philadelphia, where voluntary insurance exists and Boston, where compulsory insurance is in effect. The first thing that strikes us is that the proportion of paid cases arc about the tame--half of the cases in each city. But Boston shows a smaller proportion of unpaid cases and a larger propor tion of pending cases, which may be due to a different attitude of the insurance companies, or to a difference in the way the investigators decided on the status of the cases. Table 4 also affords a comparison of Boston, where all cars are pre sumably injured, with Insured cases only in Philadelphia, and shows the chance of receiving compensation in these selected Philadelphia eases to be one-half again as good as in Boston. Whether compulsion or some other factor is responsible for the Boston results cannot be determined at this time. But when wc take the eases of temporary disability and compare the coverage of looses in Philadelphia with the coverage in Boston, we find a very great difference. Taking both paid and unpaid cases together, we find that in Philadelphia only the small loss groups are overpaid, while in Boston all group* of losses are overpaid, except the highest group of $750 and over, for which there are not enough cases to give a good sample. In fact, hi Boston the total compensation paid in cases of temporary disability would, if distributed according (a losses, pay all losses and a half as much again. (Table 5). It is surprising to find that losses in Boston for 500 cases are almost equal to losses in Philadelphia for 1,000 cases; and that durations of disability run much Statistics Section 179 TABLE 5 Coverage of Low Accoctfing to Lon Croupe: Philadelphia and Bolton Compensated and Uncompensated Temporaries Comparable Cases--Philadelphia Comparable Cases--Boston Total Losses--Philadelphia Total Compensation--Philadelphia Total Losses--Boston Total Compensation--Boston Philadelphia 950 543 $ 92,807 59,475 88,928 127,764 Button Wage plus Medical Loss Groups $0 1--39 40--99 100--199 200--299 300--749 750 and civet i s 1f n i *1 5& : 157 128% 419 141 184 81 98 51 46 41 88 49 8 26 950 64% 5 6 a 1 *. 39 169130 97 40 50 18 543 . | *1 *1 740% 314 191 150 131 124 79 144% higher in Boston than in Philadelphia. Perhaps the victims of accident* in Boston suy in bed until the insurance company doctors push them out, while in Philadelphia they have less reason and inclination for illness; or perhaps there is some other reason not yet plain to me. "Compuitory Compensation" You have heard discussions a* to the feasibility of a plan for motor vehicle acci dents anak^ous to workmen's compensation. Such a plan is usually spoken of as compulsory compensation. We have made some calculations to sec how compensa tion based on such a scheme would compare with what injured persons now get, using the New York workmen's compensation law as a basis. Taking only the temporary disability cases and dividing them into groups accord ing to amounts of loss, we find that for every loss group above $100 compulsory compensation would give the injured more than the Philadelphia system, but that for every group it would not give as much as the Massachusetts system. In Boston those who are lucky enough to be paid are paid far more than their actual losses. (Table 6). Indeed the overpayment is 10 great that If the money were spread over all the claims, both those who now get paid and those who now get nothing would be paid in full with plenty to spare. Of course this extra money is paid for pain and suffering and to avoid the doubtful issues of litigation. In a compulsory compensation plan, part of this extra money would go to pay those who now gat nothing. I liare already mentioned the comparison in fatal eases of compensation received with compulsory compensation. It shows for 23 Philadelphia case* of employed 180 Nineteenth Annmi Safety Congress table# Lom Ociiie Now ud Under Ccmg^nfy CnwigniMtirw: Bo***. and Phila delphia Compmaafd and XfmcampammtB Ti^pnrinn PWaitlthio Boston Wage plus Medical Loss Groups & histSo 3*1 41 'll alt aSm 'll #11 $ 0-39 40-99 100--199 200--299 300--749 750 and urer 82% 65 67 71 69 47 141* 81 SI 41 49 26 M7* 95 as Cl 71 48 314% 191 150 131 124 79 men leaving widows and children, that the compcgatioB vcm received is less than 8 per cent of what would he paid on a woffcnxsfc i.umyiniifiixi Ink Permanent Injuring In dealing with temporary injuries, the money fee* cn be feted by adding to gether wage loss, medkal loss and property bn*- Eta in fetal canes some standard cf loss can be adopted by analogy lo the workmen's rc--faarrtif taws. This could also be done in cases of permanent total injury. but the nfffer of these investigated ts so small that no figures can be gives for fen. In considering the coverage of loss by campcimliou, permanent partial injuries present a serious problem, because it often difficult to dastaoguisla a permanent partial injury from a temporary injury, and because it is even more difficult to fix the amount of loss for such a pennaaeo* injury. I am not prepared to make any statement with respect to these, except that onr data make it seem probable that the compensation in such cases is not sufficient in Boston, Philadelphia or Muocic, to pay the actual immediate wage loss plus medical loss, without including; any future losses because of impaired ability. If anyone is tempted to draw eoocJtrrioos from these figures, let him remember that they are very far from complete. The majority of our committee'* studies, which arc both rural and city, are still to be beard from, and there will be many changes and additions to tl*c figures before they can be accepted as tlie basts of conclusions. ' ;Chaiuak Dublin Mr. Lewis in his discussion of the fatal cases said that there was no ready metltod of evaluating the loss in such instances, and said further that his Committee arbitrarily hit upon the scheme of considering three years wages as a rough measure of the loss sustained in such rases. This group erf fatal cases and the losses involved in them have received a good deal of attention in the laboratory in which Dr. Lotka is engaged. He has for a good many years concerned hirnscH with this problem of evaluating the loss in cases where the accident resulted in a fatality. I know that you will be very much interested in hearing him tell you of tlx> method that was evolved and some of the results that followed from that method. The paper by Dr, Lotka of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company stqipkmem* rather interestingly this first paper by Mr. Lewis. Statistics Section 181 Money Lenses to Dependents of Persons Killed in Automobile Accidents By DR ALFRED J LOTKA Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York City In any individual instance of a fatal automobile accident it is usually possible to information regarding tlie age, annual earnings, family status, etc, of the per son killed, and from these to form a more or less definite estimate cf the presumptive money loss suffered by his actual or potential dependents. I *ay the "presumptive" money Iocs, because there is necessarily an dement of uncertainty introduced into the estimate by the fact that the prerise number of years during which the victim would have continued to earn and contribute to the support of hb dependents is unknown, and all we can do, all we are expected to do, is to base our estimate on his presump tive after-life time (that {$, the average length of time that a person of die age of the victim continues to five from that age forward) aixl on the money that he would earn in the course erf these years. Without going into technical details we may say that this is essentially the priitcfple underlying the calculation of die money loss to the dependents of a victim of an accident. In the case of a. specific Individual who has a definite earning capacity read ily determined m dollars and cents. Statistically, however, we are interested not in the case of one particular individual, but in tiie national situation coninonting us In the constantly increasing death toll from automobile accidents. When we seek to obtain even a rough estimate of the of these victims we are confronted with numerous diffi culties, The first and most obvious Is that we have no information regarding the oaimfng capacity of the persons thus lolled. We shaU have to be satisfied with an estimate based on an average figure. Then there is on* class of persons whose earn ings are very inadequately represented by any scale of wages or salaries, namely the women in the population. Wany of these maintain a home, a service to their family and to society for which they receive no definite compensation in dollars and cents, and on which, therefore, it is impossible to fix any definite money value. Other problems arise with regard to dependency. We may assume with small error that every married man has at least one dependent. In the case of widowers we hare, statistically, no information regarding the proportion of these who have minor children or other dependents. Similar remarks apply in the case of divorced persons. Still greater uncertainty exists with regard to tingle persons killed in automobile accidents. For these include persons of mature years who support parents or other relatives; they also include young persons, many oi whom would later have acquired dependents, when their parents or other relatives became incapaci tated. This kind of dependency is quite different in character from that of wife or children upon the father of the family, and, if it can be dealt with at all. requires special methods, applicable to individual cases, but hardly in a statistical way to a general body erf population. A difficulty cf another kind is introduced by the differ entiation of our population according to race, which commonly beings with it a cor responding differentiation in earnings and in mortality. With these difficulties In mind, let us approach more particularly the specific prob lem of losses to actual dependents of married white males. The number of deaths among these, between the ages of fifteen and seventy, in the United States in the year 192/ was 7750.* Table I shows these 7750 deaths classified according to tiie age of the victim, and exhibit* the corresponding preseat worth, at four and a half percent discount, of the net future earnings of these victims, computed on the supposition as ritip *"MW* of ***"*&* *We*ts U Ibe same 182 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress S888SSSgSSfS Ultlliillll 8 S' S 5 It 35 8~ sa I! II S S_ S8 55 s se -O I ilf ill SB IJ QI 34 s t I | I sCJ, s.**. 55 i ff o' *<0 n> VI S 2 1Q 35 ss aa g 5 8 2 I I t 5E1IS il sasss S I *98#8 11 3S 5 aa a ss m N jNA oM vM> 3 &S S *T bU includes nilN H d sad strettear u d d e ttt ioToW nf cfiflhfoft ritk latoreottlc*. Statistics Section 183 tht their annual earnings correspond about to the average for males in the general population erf the United States. It is necessary for me to enter into details here regarding the method of computation, as this has been very fully set forth in the book The Money Value of a Man** which Mr. Dublin and I recently published through The Ronald Press. Extensive tables of the value of a wage-carner at dif ferent ages and under different circumstances {earning capacity etc.) are given there 184 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress in an appendix. On the basis of those figures, the aggregate annual loss to the depend ents of married white males killed m automobile accidents' in the last three years for which complete data are available, namely, 192S. 1926, 1927, was thus found to be ninety-one, ninety-nine, and one hundred and eleven million dollars, respectively. It is significant tbit the increase from year to year in this figure was eight millions from 1925 to 19% and twelve millions from 1926 to 1927. This comparison is here restricted to the three years mentioned, because toe classification of deaths from automobile and railway accidents was modified in 1925, so that figures for prior years are not strictly comparable. The change that was made is that railway and street car accidents in 1925 and later yean were classified to show separately deaths in collisions with automobiles. This is a most welcome change in the classification, seeing that in 1927 deaths by coilisioc with automobiles constituted no less than onefifth of the deaths of white males m "radway accidents** and one-third of the deaths in "street car accidents.'' It is evidently quite proper to include deaths hi such acci dents as these among the toll extracted by the automobile and I have, accordingly, included these figures. So much for that part of our problem that is capable of treatment in definite terms. The aggregate loss which we have found for married white males unquestionably represents the major part of the economic losses to dependents through deaths in automobile accidents. Many more males become victims of automobile accidents, than females. . This is only oce particular example of. the fact that the male of the species is exposed, in the course of the ordinary working day. to greater industrial risks than the female. A glance at any of our busy thoroughfares daring working itours will immediately convince anyone, without need of any statistics, of toe great preponderance of men m tote* areas of exposure to the risk of automobile fatality. Statistics for 1927 actually show a total of 14,540 deaths front this cause among white males, as against 5,165 among white females, in the Death Registration States as of 1920. Thus, from tin- standpoint of numbers alone, the loss of life among males is not far from three times that among females. As to the economic loss by the death of females, in the present order of society the money earnings of males are oo an average considerably higher than those of females. To make an actual estimate of the economic value of women presents great difficulties, oaring to the fact that so many of them perform their services to society without tangible compensation in dol lars and cent*. In addition to tin* difficult hero of the money value of fatalities among women, there remains alio to be considered the case of minors and young persons having as yet no family. To count up the loss which they would represent to a hypothetical future family would be futile, since the death of the victim removes the possibility of this hypothetical family becoming actual But there is a definite practical issue involved when we consider that some of these young persons are at the time of their deaths, and others would later become, the means of support of aged parents. In any individual case in which the requisite data are known, an estimate can be made, by suitable actuarial methods, of the present worth of toe contribution of such persons, now or at some deferred date, to their aged parents, tor example. The case is obviously very different from that of toe married man who contributes the bulk of his earnings to his family, during the period of minority of his children and during the lifetime of bis wife. In the absence of sufficient statistical data regard ing dependence, present or future, of older persons upon juniors, it is Impossible to give a numerical estimate of the sums of money here involved. We must rest satis fied with pointing out that this item exists, and that it roust be saperadded to the estimate we have found for the loss to dependents of married men. Perhaps, taking all things together, we shall not be far wrong in estimating that the total loss through the deaths of persons of both sexes, of white and of colored races, and of all ages, may well be one-half as much again as that computed for white married males alone. For the year 1927 this total would accordingly have amounted to something of the order of one hundred and fifty mBIsoo dollar*. DEATHS FROM AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS Statistics Section i.vk li55 Ssr* 186 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Statistics Section 187 1 have purposely concentrated, in this paper, on the money losses to dependents, Ixreause we can here apeak m definite term*. When the head of a family is removed by death, a vexy definite financial emergency arises, , with which it is possible to deal in concrete figures. But 7 cannot close without giving at least some thought to another aspect of the problem that forces itself upon our attention Iti the caw of fatal injury to a minor child. Although the loss of future earnings here represents a problematic item (since die eventual beneficiaries of those future earnings are hypothetical), the cost side of tile account is a more concrete item. A certain amount of mosey has been spent by tlw parents of the child, and we may wish to know the total amount of this expenditure, on these youthful victims of the automobile. An estimate of the cost of bringing up a Child, itemized for each year of life up to the *f* eighteen, has been given by us in the book already mentioned. The Money Value of a Man, page 39. Applying the figures there given* to the deaths of white children nineteen years old and under in automobile accidents we find for the year 1927 a total expenditure of $29,000,000. With inclusion of negroes the total would un doubtedly pass the figure of $30,000,000. Chairhax Duplin: Are there any questions? I feel very strongly that in his paper. Dr. Lotka has opened up a very fertile field for discussion. R. L, Fcrnet (National Safety Council, Chicago); I wooder if Dr. I.odea has compared his total estimated toss with the result that would be 'arrived at by simply using $5,000 per fatal case. Dx. Lotka: Yes, 1 have made that comparison. The total number of death* is somewhere around 25/100. If you multiply it, you get $125,000,000. In this con nection I have seen a figure of $$501000,000. In order to arrive at that figure, you would have to take a great many more dollars than $5,000 for each individual. I think you would have to take a figure that would be quite unreasonable. Mr, Forney : The figure of $850,000,000 covers not only low of life but other fosses as well, whkh will be discussed by others on this program. 1 was interested to see how the loss of life estimate would compare with the rather arbitrary method of $5,000 per life. It seems that you have about $25,000,000 more in that particular year than would have been determined by using $5,000. I wonder if Mr. Lewis has made any estimate at all for items to connection with motor vehicle accidents such as medical costs, hospital costs, etc. Mr. Lewis i The figures I quoted for fafal accidents included only the funeral cents sod the presumed wage losses. In the cate of temporary disabilities, the cost covered wage losses, hospital expense and property loss. ` As a supplement to what Dr. Lotka has said, you will be interested. I think, in this figure. For fatal accidents to employed persons in Philadelphia, where there were widows or children, we computed for each one what he would have received under workmen'* compensation and compared that with what he actually did get hi compensation, and found that what was actually received was something less than six per Cent of what workmen's compensation would have paid. And Dr. Lotka's figure* nm a good deal higher than workmen's compensation. Chairman Dimun: It occurs to me to add a word with regard to the women involved in these fatal accidents. Dr. Lotka and I in preparing our work on `"The Money* Value of a Man" cut across our difficulties by assuming that the average woman is economically about half as efficient as the man of the same age. There would be justification lot another procedure, and that is, to assume that the value of a woman, even if she isn't earning a penny in the usual sense would be to calculate her earnings as the amount nkessary to replace Her in the liouschold. If you begin to do that, you run Into real values. If wc put into the household a paid worker of average efficiency, die amount of money necessary to obtain her serr- *1. e. lee. eh, page 39. Tabk II, pain-- 2, plu* interest at *14 p**cn* per mm. The frRiirvA art modified to cerrrseend ta tk 52,000 aaxumam armuai carofoRi class. 1&8 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress ice* would, under present wage levels, run into a considerable sum of money- You can see for yourself that it would be pretty close to $1,000 a year, aw] $1,000 a year is $20 a week. It is more than half the average wage of an adult mate, tinder present wage levels. I am inclined to think tljat uu that basts alone, die rough figure of a ftalf would have to be increased. For that reason. I am Inclined to think Uut Dr. Lotka's esti mate of yi5Q.000.000 far adults, both sexes, is a minhoum. Then. I wouW further remind you that the earnings figure in a good many in stance* nms a good deal above the $2,000 he has used. He was compelled by the ncce*sftit* of the case to give you a round figure, to assume a rather low figure and rough figure as the average earning* of men kilted. We don't know what the true figure is. If a classification were made of earnings. I think you would find that a considerable portion of persons who were kilted belonged to the higher wage levels. As vkot as you go into the large earners, the amounts of lews involved there is very targe indeed. Without attempting to hit upon a figure, 1 think one would be justified in saving that the figure of $150,000,000 is more likely a minimum figure than an average figure. ' Da. Ixitk v: h occurred to me after writing the paper that the persons killed m autoaitrfwte accidents are not average persons. I brought that point to die attention of Mr. Lewis, He tells me that the average earnings among the persons whom they investigated were somewhere around $37.00 or $40.00 a week. Mk. l-evct*; A considerable majority of employed people were earning less than $37.50 a week, and the number of persons with really large earnings was so small a* to be almost negligible. It was quite striking that the accidents seemed to happen almost entirely io families of either moderate or really poor circumstances. Perliap* their cxjtostxfe to risk is greater. ,VJji. Fo*tM<y : Was there anything that would tend to eliminate from the groups you studied the people in.higher wage levels? Mk. Lewis: X'o. because we were careful to get all sections of the city, all times of the year, and lo take the cases from the police records without any distinction at all. Ms. FottXKV : Did you do anything at all to determine whether the earning classi fication of your group differs materially from lltc general wage classification for the population a* a whole? Mr, Lewis t I liaven't done that yet, not scientifically. I know what the earnings were of all the people that were hurt. Most of those people were earning less than $37.50 a week. Ciiaikmak Dublin: We will proceed with the third item, which takes m into disability costs of these same motor .vehicle accidents. That subject will be dealt with by Mr. Harold Gordon erf the Health and Accident Underwriters Conference of Chicago. Disability Costs of Automobile Accidents By HAROLD R GORDON Executive Secretary, the Health and Accident Underwriters Conference, Chicago, 111, Dr. E. W. Burgess, Professor ot Sociology at the University of Chicago, has pointed out that one of the economic effects on the American people of j)c Increased use' of the automobile has been a decrease in the demand among men for shoes, but an increase in the production of trousers. Periwps the auto was directly responsible for the popularity of two-trouser suits. But this effect of the automobile is not as serious as the increasing accident hazard it has created, and the non-fatal auto ac- Slatistics Section 189 extent ba ptaerd a heavy financial burden on our shoulders as well as causing uuurfd suffering and pain. The subject "Disability Costs of Automobile Accidents* will be considered in this paper as relating only to the actual loss of time caused by injuries due to the automeddle. No consideration or calculation will be made of the other `'by-product' costs, such as doctor bills, hospitalization, nursing services, and costs of X-rays, electrical treatment, drugs, etc. The automobile personal accident is distinctly a public accident and chiefly because of that fact the reporting and tabulating of non-fatal automobile accidents has not been accomplished with any degree of accuracy or completeness. Fact* concerning; fatal automobile accidents, however, are quite well known and dependable data has been compiled for a number of years covering this subject but the lack of similar data concerning non-fatal automobile accidents has been apparent to every one wins has endeavored to make a study of this type of public accident. Statistics compiled by personal accident insurance companies may be the means of revealing certain baste facts concerning rwn-fatal automobile accidents and if a care ful analysis made of the exposure covering such experience it can be related to die automobile accident disability incurred by the genera] public and comparatively reliable estimates obtained. The development and growth of personal accident insur ance in the past decade or two has been such that statistics front this source are fairly dependable to indicate trends of non-fatal accidents. The exposure presented by persons insured under personal accident policies would to quite a Urge extent be identical with the exposure of the 45,000,000 persons listed by the Bureau of Census as gamfnljy employed--that is, working for wages, salaries, cur money profits.; This figure does not include housewives. Personal accident insurace indemnifies a person against the loss of Income when disabled by reason of acci dental injury and consequently because the indemnity is dependent upon a loss of income, such insurance is restricted to only Uwfe persons whose ages permit the earing of tcKcwne--approximat^ily the ages of 18 to 65 and 70. Necessarily most women (lidksewives particularly) are not included in the msur- aaor experience as likewise thoy would not be included In the group of 45.000,000 person rfao are listed as those gainfully employed in the United States. Neither Twig children nor those at the older ages be included in these groups. In addkiim. insurance companics are permitted a certain selection so that risks phywcaBy impaired and those in hazardous occupations are not insured although I whaab dmdk whether the omission erf these would affect any determination of disaNBqr Aar to automobile accidents. Therefore, the average person representative of Ac gre^ of tSjSOWJOO wage earners In the United States would be somewhat typical of dto svirapi risk exposed under personal accident Insurance. Ftoto Warixtes compiled by a number of personal accident insurance companies, it is toaad tot* Sppmianately 20 per cent of the number of claims for all types of accident dnMKiy tor 4we to pot&c automobile accident*. These are accidents caused while rifitor to ---imsbiTu. m collision with other automobiles and miaceftaoeoas objects, awd aft padswren accidents involving the automobile. Such automobile accidents in curred Mk repairing or adjusting the motor and all occupational accidents in auto factories or garages are omitted. This percentage is an average based upon toAwcrtof arcuputioaj as wet] as professional and business occupations--either of which gpawp* are quite different factors in determining the ratio of automobile acodewto to aJl irriksn. The ratio is also on a country wide basts and would vary if urban ladkiu were separated from rural districts. TW fMrctlia of disability (loss of time) incurred by automobile accidents to disaNfey mcuerM by all accidents Is slightly higher, being approximately 24 per centStone At percentage of automobile accidents a higher severity rate for atftomo- Mr acodemts thorn for general accidents U indicated. As stated previously, this data -- , ^ f^Jation between the number of automobile accidents to all accidents and 190 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress the amount of disability incurred it a croas-sectian of all occupations and the occapuiion U an important factor in all accident experience. If a comparison Is crude between the professional and business men and industrial, workers, the percentage of automobile accidents to all accidents will be found to be much higher among the former than anwag'the latter. '' \ I have tabulated the experience of over 15,000 disabling accidents with automobile accidents listed separately and divided the experience into two groups according to occupation. The first group called the "professional and business men group1* in* eludes such occupations as bankers, lawyers, doctors, alt office workers, and all pro* fessional and business men. In this group the percentage of automobile accidents, to all accidents is over 26 per cent and the ratio of disability caused by automobile - accidents to all disability is 32 per cent. . In the next group which Is called the "industrial group" and includes such oc cupations as bakers, drivers, machinists, plumbers,' carpenters, ' farmer*, painters, miners, and laborers, the ratio of automobile accidents to all accidents only 14J> par cent and the automobile accident disability incurred to all disability Is only 17 pet cent -i` Distribution, of Accident claims and Disability by Occupational Groups. Automobile Accident* Separately, ' Number of Claims Nus^ of Day* of Total Disability total AJ1 Meidtsts Aria Ptt Cent of V : ` All Auto AecWkot* Claims .Ferment Auto . .-Awto Disability'*' . 15,897 3,153 * 19.8 310,033 73.366 23.6 Piofc.iion.1 business men, and office workers --(bankers, lawyers, doctors, executives, of fice worker*, etc.) ,, Industrial occupations --(bakers, drivers, mach inists, plumbers, carpen* ter*, far mer*, painters. miner*, laborer*, etc.) 7,325 8,572 1,914 26.1 1,239 1 14.5 138,374 44,297 32.0 171,659 29.069 16.9 . ------- ------ These facts, however, do not recan that the professional or business man -incurs a greater amount of disability from automobUc accidents than industrial workers. The accident disability rate for all accidents In the second group (industrial workers) is considerably higher than for the other group. It does show that compared to all accidents the ratio of automobile accidents Is much higher among professional and executive occupation* than among industrial occupations. From the experience of insurance companies, it has been determined that each person over a period of one year incurs about two days of disability* caused by accidental injuries of all types. $tadstics frpn> the same source for automobile accidents separately show about forty-eight hundredth* (,43) of a day of disability "IncJod** botfe t**l partial rttb** at a temporary or ctacKUr. Total dicabUhr may be defused a disability revatuag free* accidental injury caarisg ttot pewqg to be usable to nf*t in any of the duties peitateing to hU ocauptUeiL Partial alaaUutar is defined asntodreisbabuitlitsyottoaslulltdhutgtietsrapmamaclcriidaegnt*a9l iWnejuorycceuspuatsioinn*- thTewpocrdioany*teabt epaurettiaWl edtboaf-eoteikryfohnauvaegbeeoesr calculated as the equiralc&t of one' day of total disability. * . . - * . * " Statistics Section 191 per person per year. These figures if they are to be transposed to experience far the general public should be adjusted by increasing them 25 per cent to compensate for the selection afforded insurance companies'* and because of the fact that in many oases there is a limit of time for which indemnity b payable under insurance policies. Applying this arbitrary increase of 25 per cent the "all accident** rate would be two and one-half (2.5) days per person per year for the 45.000,000 per sons >n the United States gainfully employed and a rate of six-tenths (.6) a day would be obtained in the Kune group for automobile accident disability. This would mean that the income producers in the United States lose approximately 27,000,000 days each year as a result of disability caused by automobile accidents and at an average drily wage of $4.00 tins economic loss would amount to $108,00(1000. . Please bear In trend that this loss does not Include the other incidentals which -every iaearoe producer or wage earner must pay such as doctor bills,. hospital bills, and ether roediori treatment. - The automobile Is a severe weapon or instrument of injury in that the severity iwtes of auto accidents are mueh higher than fbr other kinds of accidents. We have referred to the fact that while only 20 per cent of the number of accidents are due to the automobile* yet 24 per cent of sM accident disaUSty is caused by the same means. This indicates that auto accidents produce more severe disability than .other accidents. . Insurance statistics show approximately 20 days as the length of the average acci dent churn bat the average duration of an automobile accident claim is approximately 24 days. In other words, the severity of the automobile accident is one-fifth greater tfaaa for aU accidents. - AH of the figures I have given thus far have been based upon personal accident in- wnata statistic* with an adjustment made to relate such experience to the 45,000,000 people employed gainfully m the United States. Let us now attempt to transpose lids experience koto estimates for the United States as a whole. Obviously, we will have to mat e some adjustment for the women, children, and old persons who are not in- chided among those listed as gainfully employed. From all availsMe information there is a higher disability rate for accidents caused by the automobile at the younger ages and the older ages than at those ages during which persons are income pro ducers. The frequency rate of automobile accidents is high among children and the severity rate is much greater at the older ages than at any other time of life. If we are to include children aod the old people, toe disability rate for auto accidents w&I haw to be increased considerably. However, we stftl have the group of women to consider a**d this group is made tip largely of housewives. From rather meager but very reliable statistics produced by two of the large Industrial personal accident insurance companies, the rather surprising fact was revealed that the automobile accident rate among housewives Is leu than one-hair of that for male wage tamers. .According to inronuice statistic*, housewives are exceptionally good risks as far as 'automobile accidents are concerned compared to men. * I believe that this lower auto disability rate for women because of the large size of such a group would compensate or offset the increased rate for children and old per son* and that therefore we could apply approximately the rate of ooe-half a day of accident disability per person per year due to automobile injuries to the U, S. as a whole. In other words, applying the same auto accident disability rate to the popu lation-as a whole as would apply to the group of 45.000,000 persons who are gainfully employed, we would have an estimate of 61,000,000 days of lost rime in the United States each year earned by noo-fatal auto accidents, I rea&cc of course that this coochuion open to criticism but I beKcve I am safe in saying that the actual disability rate for auto injuries not far from that figure. 192 Nineteenth Annua! Safety Congress Mo. Fgsxev : 2 beard Mr. Gordon quote a figure of $308,000,000. Do I under* stand that he was unwilling to go as far as Dr. Lotka and extern! that estimate to include women aixl children? Mil GoaooX: That does not include children at all, and only includes those women who are gainfully employed. L. A. DzSuots (Xew York City): If 2 understood the last speaker correctly, be stated that the frequency of accidents was less in the industrial employee classes than in the professional and business classes. I also understand Air. Shipman Lewis' Philadelphia experience shows a prevalence of cases among tin; industrial employee. Is that correct ? Mjl Goabox ; As far as I can determine, the number of cases are about the same in both classes. However, this is the difference: In the upper class, the professional and businessman, few a number of years, had a very tow frequency rate for all acci dents. It has been higher in the lower classes. In other words, the plumber and the carpenter have to pay more for accident insurance than the banker or the lawyer, because hts exposure i* more hazardous. ' Within she past ten years, automobile accidents have increased all along the line, and the proportion of automobik accidents in the higher class is moth greater than the proportion in the lower class. The upper class does nett haw as many acridems tft a general character as the lower class. Chairman Xh'BLtx; There can be only one answer to.this question, for. after all, the proportion et those in the industrial class is so much larger than the other class that if one were to neglect altogether that group you have in mind, the professional and business group, the problem would still bulk in the other group, because they constitute about 80 per cent of the population. i ir Before we have the fourth paper in this symposium, is there anyone here who would like to discus* a phase of the problem that has been referred to by the previous speakers but with no attempt at an evaluation of the losses involved, and that ts the question of medical costs? Mr. Goroox: T>r. Dublin, 1 didn't want to tackle that question, because it is rather vague and hard to get at. T talked to three physicians (these were general practitioners 1 to ascertain bow many accident cases they attended out of all the calls they made. One physician said one out of ten. I asked the other two, and they said that was about right. If we take the estimate of one out of ten cases that are neatly accident cases, we may Hod out in some way the proportion of the automobile acci dent casef. We know from insurance experience that twenty per cent of all accident cases are automobile accident claims. I would hesitate to use one out of five, because the doctor in making the call for an accident due to the severity of the automobile accident would probably go more often. And so. if we use one out of four accident claims as a basis for the number of calls that the doctor would make, that would make ooe out of forty of His calls an automobile accident call. This is equivalent to two and one-balf per cent. Assuming that the same percentage would apply to other medical costs, and using the figure of- two and one-quarter billion dollars given by Dr. Lctka and yourself as the cost of medical treatment we would arrive at a figure approximating $50,000, 000 as an estimate of the cost of medical attention, which would include hospital***- tiov doctor fees, doctor bill*, drugs, etc. Chairman Dcwuv: Gentlemen, we are beginning to get into real money, when we begin to pot <r the table all of the items that go into this uwitter of automobile accidents. And we haven't yet scratched the surtaot on the score of physical loss, that l*. loss n terms of wrecked machines and property damage due to collision. Mr. Tayiuk < Xcvr Yock) . I wonder if Mr. Lewis has taken into consideration m figuring the Boston payments the fact that in Ma&sadiusetts they have a compul sory automobile insurance law. Would that have any bearing cm the excessive pay menu that are made m Massachusetts? My experience has been that it has Statistics Section 193 considerable bearing because of the fact that a large number of very snail cases are settled by the insurance company; and we have also found that the rates up in Massachusetts during the past three years have consistently increased. Mr. Lawis: The reason, Mr. Chairman, that we made a study in Boston was became they hare compulsory insurance. We warded to see what happened. I think there are two explanations of the great increase in Boston. One is that every person that is strode knows about the plan and every jury knows that there is an insurance company carrying the risk. Another thing rather curious b that the durations of dbabUrty are considerably higher in Boston titan they are in Philadelphia. I though* at first that we might find that everybody in Boston stayed in bed just long enough to get a good settlement. In Philadelphia, about one-fifth of all the cases were cases in which the injury didn't last more than a day, while in Boston the percentage was something like five per cent, as against twenty. I thought I would find the extra fifteen per cent shoved up into the class iroroedisttiy above, where they could get out of bed as soon as they got the money. Instead of that, it is spread over the deration of the disability. Mr. Forkey : Mr. Whitney of the National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Under writers has Mr. Hough's paper, which he will read. Property Damage Coats of Motor Vehicle Accidents By C. J. HAUGH National Burma of Carnally and Sorely Dafemitm, New York City Before embarking upon a discussion of the details involved in arriving at an estimate of the total coat of property damage arising out of motor vehicle accidents, it is essential that a definition of property damage coats be arrived at I have interpreted Ass phrase to mean the total cost of property damage resulting from motor vehicle accidents for which the owners or operators of the motor vehicle* are legally liable but excluding damage to the motor vehicle or other property of th owner whose vehicle caused the damage. With this interpretation of my subject it is possible to develop an estimate based upon the property damage liability sta tistics of insurance companies writing that line of insurance. Hie most nceent period for which the experience of all insurance companies is available Cor ax least all of those whose experience is available for any retort period) is calendar year 1929. In that year the total written premiums for property damage liability insurance for all companies combined amounted to $97,590,406- These total premiums are distributed among the several types of carriers for this tine of insurance as follows: Fire and Marine Companies.................. Companies Specialities ut Automobile Insurance.............. Mutual Companies .................. Reciprocals and Lloyds ................................. Stock Casualty Companies.................... 3.9 per cent 87 " ** 14.8 " " 57 ** M 66.9 *' ** T--o-t-a-l.................................................................a........... 11W0>0W.0|IpCerVcCeNnIt Unfortunately, there are not available for all of these classes of carrier* the ex posures represented by the premiums written. However, there are available exposure* of tiie stock casulty companies members of the National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters, which group of oompzcue* writes. the bulk of the bvafaCM written by stock casualty companies. _ To develop a proper estimate It is essential that wc determine as closely as portihk the proportion of total motor vehicle* which are insured tor property damage liability. 194 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress In order to accomplish this the total written premium for ail companies must be converted to aa earned premium basis since, a .portion ol the premiums written is nor fully earned but represents. advance premiums for coverage extending beyood 1929. . This adjustment has beep made by applying to the total written premiums for all companies combined the ratio c the carried to written premiums as reported; in the New York Casualty Experience Exhibit for calendar year 1929, which exhibit^ includes the experience of alt stock casualty companies transacting this form -of; insurance in New York State. The factor developed in this way is .963 which, when-, applied to the written premium of $97,590,406 produces an earned premium- of. $93,979*561. " The average rate countrywide for stock casualty companies amounts to approxi` malely $14 for a year. If we assume the average rate of all other carriers to be the same, we can tba develop from the earned premium for all companies combined' x figure which represents the number of car years of exposure. The use. of this average rate of $14 for all companies is predicated upon the assumption that all companies use the same rales as (itc stock casualty companies aud that the distribution of business by territories and type of car for all companies is the same as that for stock companies only. By dividing die total earned premium of $93,979,563- by the assumed average rate of $14 we develop a total insured exposure of 6,712,826. This expoenre represent* tbe number of car years, a oar. year in turn representing one automobile insured for twelve months. ' The total motor vehicle registration in the United States ior tile year 3929 is given as 26501,443. THU figure, however, is on'a different basis than the exposure which we have jmt developed. Tins difference arises out of the fact that our exposure as developed from the experience of insurance companies is on a car year basis while the registration does not reflect the element erf time but merely the number of vehicle* registered during .the course of the year. It has been possible to develop for New York State a factor to convert the total registration to a car year basis as there are available reports of registration* by month. It was assumed that on the average the registrations in each month were made in the middle of that month, and on this basis it was then possible to determine the number of car years by applying factors of 23/24 to the January registrations,' 21/24 to February registrations. 19/24 to March registrations, etc. The ratio of the total registration developed for New York State on this basis to the total actual registration is 546. Inasmuch as registrations by month are not available for all states, it was necessary to assume that the factor developed from the New York State registrations is repre sentative of countrywide conditions, an assumption whkh may or may not be reason ably accurate. By applying this factor of .846 to the total rmintryvride registration of 26.501,443 we obtain a registration expressed in terms of car years of 22,420,221. However, it should be pointed out that there is a lack of uniformity among the several states with respect to the method of reporting registrations. For example, in some states when ow nership of a motor vehicle is-transferred fram-orte individual to another that transfer is counted as an additional registration with-the result that that particular vehicle enters into the total registration as two vehicles. In some states dealers arc issued quantities o! plates all bearing the same registration number and it is possible under these circumstances, for ten or more cars to enter the registration as a single cat.* The net effect' Of these and other peculiarities of the registration statistics is to Increase the previously developed registration of 22,420,221. The necessary cor rection is a matter <f judgment, but a conservative adjustment, in roy opinion, would i* jo take 90 per cent of the 22,420.221 or 20,178.199. The ratio of the total exposure developed from insurance companies* experience of 6.712526 to the total countrywide motor vehicle registration adjusted ir* a car year basis and amounting to 20.178,199 equals .333. -- Statistics Section 195 The total incurred losses developed freon the experience of Insurance companies - imounts to 41,581,495. By. dividing this total incurred lota of 41,581,495 by the fore* " going ratio of *333 we develop a total cost cotaitrywidt of $124,869,354. This amount may be Uken as the estimated property damage cost of motor vehicle - reodcata for the entire country only if it be assumed that the proportion of uninsured motor vehicles remains the same throughout all territories in the United States, aad if it be further assumed that the actual hazard of the uninsured business is the raise as that of the insured business. These two assumptions we know to be in error, favt the di&cnlty lies m determining: the extent of the error. For example, we know that In the targer cities where the accident frequency is greater the proportion of motor vehicles carrying property damage liability insurance is greater than In the rural territories where the accident frequency Is much lower. Likewise, a greater proportion of commercial vehicles are insured am! this type of car is more hazardous than private passenger cars of which a smaller proportion are insured. At this tune I am not in a position to determine with any reasonable degree of accuracy the adjustment required to recognize these facts. However, 1 do venture the opinion that the total property damage costs of motor vehicle accidents as previously defined ts approximately $100,000,000. I have made up attempt to quote any average cost per car for the entire country for the reason that such a figure is extremely misleading and serves no useful purpose. I would caution you against attempting to make use of any averages developed from tins estimate. Costs vary widely by type of motor vehicle and within each type by classification. Equally wide variations are found by territory. The figtsre of $100,000,000 is submitted as an estimate arrived at on the basis of a series of assumptions which involve a considerable amount of judgment and is at beat a veryrough approximation. If the phrase "properly damage costs'* a to be interpreted broadly so as to include the costs of damage to the motor vehicle or other property of the owner whose vehicle caused the damage, the problem becomes snore involved. The best available data for attempting to estimate the additional amount resulting from the mclustott of such costs are the tosses incurred by the companies writing collision insurance. However {here are a variety of forms of collision Insurance written, tn addition to the so-called "full coverage*4 form under which the insurance company assume* the total amount of loss there are a number of "deductible" forms under which the as sured assumes his own loss to the "deductible** amount. There is no need hers of delving into the details of the variety of "deductible** forms of coverage nor of the other forms of collision coverage and I have referred to them merely to point out the difficulties of attempting to determine the total countrywide ''collision*' losses. Under the "deductible** forms of coverage tl losses reported by Ihe ffisurance com panies include only the losses incurred by the company so that no record Is available of the amount of loss** where the loss is less than the* "deductible" amount. Further difficulties arise tn connection with other forms of collition coverage--and on top of all this we find that a very small proportion of the automobiles carry collision insurance in any form. So many assumptions would have to be made to develop the total cost of this class of losses that any figure which might be developed would be of doubtful value. It can be said safely that the additional cost would exceed the' figure of $100,0004)00 previously developed but I am not prepared to venture an Ofunkm as to how much to excess of $100,000,000 It might be. Chairman Duiuk; Thank you very much, Mr. Whitney. Are there any ques tions? Mr. Gotu (Indemnity Insurance Company, Philadelphia, Pa.): Just as another indication, I believe the collision premium rate is approximately four times the prop erty damage tate. I believe, on this basts, that the losses would be at least three tunes as great for collisions as for property damage in the narrow sense- 196 Xmctecntk Annual Safely Congress Cuammax Dvmlis: We may now put together some of the item* (hat U>e several speakers have thrown out as minimum estimates of the losses involved- In the case of fatalities, Doctor Lotka estimated a loss of about $150,000,000. In connection with disability costs, that *, time lost from work, Mr. Gordon whs willing to hazard the guess of a little over $100,000 and for medical costs $50,000,000. Then, finally, this figure of Mr. Haugh's on property damage running into perhaps $20QJXXXOOO or $300,000,000. indicating the ghastly totals which are involved in these mfllkm acci dents that occur ii the United States every year. Da. T, F. Murphy (Chief Statistfcarj for Vital Statistics. Bureau of the Census, Washington. D, C-): I should thmk that-if a synopsis of these papers could be gotten together and published in the form of a symposium by the National Safety Council, it would be the most striking: thing we couW put out along the lines of public safety. And let me add that 1 think Mr. Gordon was very conservative in his estimate on the cost of medical care. In ray judgment another twenty five or fifty million could be added to it, without any exaggeration at ADJOURNMENT NINETEENTH ANNUAL SAFETY CONGRESS NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL Education Division Tuesday Morning Session September 30, 1930 BEN GRAHAM, Chairman Acting Superintendent of Schools, Pittsburgh, Pa. The first session of the Education Division of the Nineteenth Annual Safety Con gress convened With Mr. Ben Graham, acting 3upcrimendfift of Schools. Pittsburgh, presiding. Chairmax Grauau: I recall that in 1930 safety education first came into the public schools; l attended the Congress of that year. I heard the head of the Training School at St. Lours, Dr. Paine, describe what was being done m his school. Fr. -u rlwit time I think you have noticed the strong development of safety education ill schools all over the country. We have been frvrumatc ra having at the head of our work Dr. R. M. Sherrard, who has carried it wt We welcome the two sections of the Safety Congress and wish for you a pleasant and profitable session. Over in Akron they are doing excellent work in safety education and since the reports of accidents must clear through the office of the Assistant Superintendent of Schools, it was thought fitting to have K. H. Hrwine. the Assistant Superintendent there, speak to us this morning on the subject. ``Can Wc Measure the Result of Safety Teaching?'* I have pleasure m introducing Mr. R. H. Erwine! Can We Measure the Results of Safety Teaching? By R. H. BRWINE Afljaunt Superintendent of School,, Akron, O. Before attempting to answer this <juestk> it will be profitable to review the introduction and development of safety education in the public schools. It is especially desirable in dealing with this subject to recognize the many agencies and activities through which children today learn the ways anti means of safety. It was only a few years ago that President Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce, wrote to school officials calling attention to the necessity of including safety instruc tion m the curriculum. Forcefully, he stated that accidents are primarily the result of ignorance: that success of the safety movement is dependent upon education. At that tfcaoe 30 percent of all amomobile accidents happened to children of school ng* and under. This meant that approximately six thousand children were killed every year by automobiles- 197 198 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress School executive* were prompt in responding to this suggestion. Committees were appointed to formulate specific procedures and methods of introducing safety instruction- It cannot be denied that within the rash* of education there was some reluctance to accept any new responsibility. The post war period brought the necessity of giving instruction in health, in temperance, and in thrift Where was the time to be found for additional special instruction in an already over-loaded curriculum ? After all, in the opinion of many, was not safety instruction a matter to be properly taken care of la the home? The friends of the safety movement countered with the statement that tinder prevailing conditions H was not only neces sary but desirable that the schools should make a united attack. The progressive attitude among school men at that time is indicated by the state* ment of Superintendent Thomas W. Gosling: 4Tf concentration on thinking ou a subject and the inculcation of certain habits have.an effect upon life procedures, there can be no doubt that a safety campaign in the schools is very much worth while. Continuous education may reduce the later social and industrial losses which bring measureless suffering to many homes.4* In similar veto, it was pointed out that hazards aye all about us. It will never be possible U> remove all of them. Only by stressing the right type of thinking on the subject of human safely can we Hope to bring shout a reducing in the appalling josses by accident When once the matter was under serious consideration school executives realized that the situation was so serious that safety teaching, had a definite claim to a place in the curriculum. Furthermore, the subject had considerable possibilities of educational value as it related itself to citizenship. It would offer an additional means of relating education to life. To be effective, it must he dependent upon knowledge, proper habit formations and right attitudes and ideate- In this latter relationship it became a branch Of moral or character instruction. In tills connec tion it could not be approached as a superficial process. White: devices and technique would be valuable, these -would be inadequate except as a means of establishing right habits of thinking on safety problems. As a result of this inquiry we have reason to feel that an effective program is being worked out. In the primary school this caffs for emphasis in developing right habits of nativity while in the junior and senior high schools it stresses service and respect for personality. With the organization of junior safety councils, the development of the safety scout and junior traffic patrols, with the introduction of classes in swimming, seamanship, safety, life-saving, first aid, child care, home nursing, personal and public health, a tremendous impetus has been given to this movement. Realizing that many things are taught indirectly, emphasis was placed within the class room upon the development of poise, pretence, alertness, judgment, physical stamina, and tbe ready articulation of mind and body. Physical training is malting a noteworthy contribution ia these procedures. The result of all this activity on the part of teachers, supple .tied by public officials and semi-public groups, has bpen that twentieth century children are today more traffic wise than that elders. . In 1925 there were 20,000 accidental deaths among children of school age and under. With no safety teaching is tbe schools, the fatality rate at that time was one accidental death per year for every 2,000 children of school age^ and under. It is interesting to observe that is New York City where safety programs have been in operation, between 1925 and 1929 there was a decrease of 19 per cent in accidental deaths of children under die age of fifteen. During this same interval there was an increase of 5 percent in fatalities among persons over fifteen yean of age. If we turn to Louisville, Kentucky where a splendid program of safety education has been carried on in the public and private sriiook of the city, we observe that in the interval of 1923 to 1929 the number of deaths of children killed by motor cats declined front 35 to 12. In this same period ffie population of Louisville increased 44,000 and the number of motor vehicles lidueation Division 199 registered also showed a large increase. In a report covering accidental deaths in tbe United States between 1922 and 1928 the number of fatalities among children under fifteen years of age remained practically stationary- In the same period there was an Increase of 32 percent in the number of -accidental deaths of persons over fifteen years of age. If the fatalities among children had increased during this interval at the same rate as with adults there would Have been 6,000 children killed to 1928 who are probably living today. These statistics have been confirmed by a number of excellent reports issued by the National Safety Council. With this as a preliminary statement of the development of safety education in tbe schools the question arises--can we measure the results of this teaching ? Can we subject it to the same objective examination as we liave other subjects in the curriculum? In attempting to answer this question I cin not see at (he present time any inherent difficulties here that do not exist in other fields of educational measurement. At the beginning of the present testing movement Thorndike directed attention to certain fundamental considerations: "Whatever exists at all, exists in some amount. Anything that exists in amount, can be measured/' To this we add the observation of McMufty "To tbe extent that any goal in education is intangible, it is worthless." Do not these apply to safety teaching? McCall has emphatically Stated that the worth Of methods and materials in the elass room will be unknown until their effects are measured. Why should not safety teaching and learning yield to those testing drills aad technique* which have been employed in measuring other parts of the curriculum? Id this connection it is interesting to note that the Na tional Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters has recently published The National Tests in Safety Education. These have been prepared and standardised by Dr. Herbert J. Stack, Supervisor of Safety 'Education for New York City. Since Dr, Stack it to participate on this program this morning, I sun leaving the further development of this subject to him. . In exarotog this topic from another angle, it appears possible to form valid con clusions as to the effectiveness of safety teaching and learning if we carefully observe and tabulate the habits and attitudes of children. Here, however, the labora tory will yield far more satisfactory results than can be obtained in any other way. This promises an interesting field for future -research. Another method of measurement and one which should arouse the interest of all school officials Tics in toe field of student accident reporting. Two yean ago, forms were prepared by the National Safety Council. These have recently been revised to form a comparatively simple and yet reliable means of* studying the results of safety teaching in any community. Fortunately, they do not limit consideration to fatalities atone. Non-fatal injuries frequently mean intense suffering for children. Heavy expense for medical and hospital service which falls upon the home, and toe loss of instruction opportunity for toe school. In Akron we Have great faith in student accident reporting a* a mcum of measur ing the effectiveness of safety instruction. School principal* are expected to file a written report on &H accidents to children which involve medical or surgical attention and absence from school. This is dare regardless of where the accident occurs. Each report calls for the following information: <a) The place where the accident occurcd. fb) Details of toe accident. (c) How the case was handled. (d) Probable length of time the child will be absent from school. A special report form has been prepared for local use which meets all the require ments of toe National Safety Council. These reports sent to tbe administrative office as soon as the principals learn the details of accidents have made it possible from time to time to correct conditions 200 Nineteenth Annua! Safety Congress and practices which, unknown to school officials; have contributed to the injury of cfiitdreo. They supply information as to what care and attention injured children are receiving. This bat a direct bearing upon tbdr early return to sdtool activitiesThe reports enable school officials to locate specific weaknesses m the safety pro gram and to begin corrective measures. Above all they assist the teaching staff as well as the central office to see bow safety instruction prepares or fails to prepare children to meet a crisis. It is one thing to show satisfactory knowledge of safety principles upon an objective test and quite another to act along safety lines when confronted with sudden hazards. This forces the conclusion that perhaps the analysis of accident statistic* will prove the most effective means of measuring the effective ness of safety teachlag. Where superintendents show a vital interest in these data, principals and teacher* are disposed to work for an increasingly effective safety program. It is to be hoped that the Student Accident Reporting System prepared by the' National Safety Council will find wide recognition and use among the school* of the country, I warn to tdl you just a little about a device we have worked out in toe city ia which I work, with toe idea of measuring the effectiveness of our teaching and locat ing our difficulties. I have asked the chairman to have passed out to you a sheet from the acridhut report system which we happen to use. If you wilt survey tide you will realms at * a modification of the Child Accident Reporting System issued by toe Nation! Satiety Council. We have taken some liberties with this matter trf accident reporting anti I think it give* us a fairly reliable approach to measuring our safety dualiw. fiat it is a success. We feel that the matter of accidents happening widua aud without toe itowh. which affect attendance of children, a matter f such tayertact tout rrifiijpdb are required to file in the Superintendent** office a report of every stack accititto that occurs, requiring medical or surgical attention and one day's absence from school In my opinion these blanks furnished by tin* division of the National Satiety Council are very much worth while. They can be used without a great deal of toflficuftfyt they can bring to the attention of the principal, the Superintendent and toe yMM vital statistics relative to hazards In the community, and they can store you team insight as to where yoa can buttress your safety teaching, Ctjaiuman Gkahah : One of the tilings I tike best about this speaker b h* emphasis on reporting accidents not only within the school or the limits of sdauti property, but m the street or the home. I think this is a fine feature of toe week being done in the Akron schools, deserving the commendation of all We shall now have discussion, led by Mr. Abran D. Battey. Discussion of Mr. Krwine's Paper By ALVIN D. BATTSY Auittutt Statistician, National Safety Council, Chicago, HL Mr. Erw/ne has described to us some of the methods that can be med to develop in school children habits- that make for safety--both at work and at ptay. S aw sure all of us have obtained some suggestions that will improve or emhmqm our school safety activities. Tills work of safety education w ifriatfy dMksdC be cause it is not enough to drill children until they can give toe correct, aad ia many eastf obvious, answers to questions concerning accident prevention. A high pro portion of all accidents result from situations where there not vatu'Eft time to select a correct answer and follow instruction*. To be effective a dhAft safety knowledge must be so thoroughly a part of his personality that he win react atmost * Education Division m automatically in a safe way to every dangerous circumstance. It is^lii* aspect of tbe problem that gives especial interest to Mr. Envtnc's talk. Mr. Erwine has also pointed out the many advantages of recording and classifying student accidents. It is difficult to over emphasize the importance of obtaining ac curate data on this subject, for little is known about it except in a general way. I believe tittle can be accomplished in safety education as long as we fail to make clear to pupils that certain hazards are of major and others of minor significance. It is characteristic of child psychology that general instructions or general warnings make tittle impression. We mint be specific, but ottr statements must come from experience, not from guesses. And the only way to secure this information is to record accidents and to suramar. ~ tor significant details according to a stand ardized method. The details of the method employed are of secondary importance, but they must be given careful consideration if serious omissions are to be avoided. Some of you are now using the recording system designed by toe Statistical Bureau of the Na tional Safety Council. To those who are using a different system or who have not yet installed one 1 wish to urge a careful consideration of toe Bureau's forms. They have been In use only- two years* but have been accepted by schools and school sys tems with a total enrollment of more than 350,000. When the question of revisions came up this summer only two small changes were suggested. If, after studying the foctra, you have any differences of opinion regarding their construction, 1 shall appreciate the opportunity of discussing them with you. Now, let me summarize the student .accident statistics for the but school year for those schools reporting their accident experience to the National Safety Council. During the year 19 pupils out of every thousand were injured by accident. Four teen per cost of toe accidents occurred in school buildings and 20 per cent on school grounds. Another 10 per cent came while the pupils were on their way to or from school. These are toe accidents in which every educator Is immediately interested- Thirty two per cent happened at home, and 24 per cent in {daces other than the icbaol or toe borne- These are not "school'* accidents, but they certainly are of equal mpertmv to every one-working in the safety education field, tor their task i a tram itiMrea to be careful at all times and in all places. To them there can b am mmtmar of shifting to parents the responsibility far pointing out the luuards dhwrariiOwL . Twang ajasa to the school buildings accident record we see that more than onekaff mi Am* which could be classified occurred in gymnasiums, and that the fre- qaaacy wa bfgfcot m the junior high school years. Next in importance comes class sowto wadh a* event distribution throughout the grades and high school, hut wkli a *Maf 4a* hide-- that for gymnasiums. Aeddbami injury on the school grounds comes twice as frequently from organized Mhlrrin m from playground apparatus, although the one school ground death re- pectod rial from the coHapse of a circle swing. There were nearly twice as many iajwrks iram baseball ax from football, but. this is in part a function of the longer teascm for baseball. ' Home axhfcntt are classified according to type rather than location or activity, winds gives a different although equally clear picture. Falls account for nearly 70 per cent of the total, with the frequency almost equal in all grades from the kindergarten through the eighth- Injury from bums, seaMs, or explosions and (root cot* or scratch?.* were equally freqheot. but neither type accounted for otic- third as many as did falls. . During the school year Si deaths were reported. Twenty four of these came from motor vehicle accidents. Eleven more were home accident deaths--two (ram falls, two from burns, scalds, or explosions, one from cuts or scratches, and six unc^ssifiedL Only one death resulted from a school accident, the one mentioned above as a circle swing accident. 202 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress This summary of student accidents covers schools with an average enrollment of 275,000. This year, we hope, at least twice as many schools will send reports to the Council so that our record will be even more complete and representative than it was last year. Effective action for accident prevention, as for any other human endeavor, mast be based on accurate knowledge of the problem. C&AifutAK G*ahau: Dr. Herbert J. Stack, who is Supervisor erf Quid Safety in New York and Lecturer in Safety Education at Teachers College, will continue the discussion from this point Measuring the Results of Safety Education By OR. HERBERT J. STACK Supervisor of CitiM Safety, National Bureau of Castulty and Surety Under writer*. New York: Citr. ' X can see three methods of measuring the results of safety education. First-Measurement through an analysis of accident record*. Second--Measurement by the use of tests of information sad attitudes built up by the method of objective testa. Third--'Measurement of teat scales or inventories of childrens' ftahft*. The first measure of the results of safety odumticc and safety measure* come* frofri a statistical study of the Dumber of children killed. We know for example dot m the last three years wh2e there has been an increase of nearly 25 per cent to the number of adults killed ia motor vriucla accideists. an incrcase of S per caA m pre* school children killed by the same cause, that there has been actually a 19 per cent decrease in fatalities of children of school age.* Furthermore we know that In New York City ia the last five years, while there has been a 5 per cent increase in street and highway accidents to person* over 15 years of age, there has been a 19 per cent decrease for children under 15 and an even more marked decrease for children of school age. Our most recent analysis of Police Department records for the last three years showed that while adult fatalities increased 34 per cent, those oi pre-school children. 15 per cent, fatalities to children of school age actually showed a 23 per cent decrease. These and other erode facts that may be gleaned from statistical data indicate that our child safety program is proving Its value in many communities. The change in the number of fatalities over a period of years give us a fair measure of the success of a safety program although I bdieve personally that the total child accidents"--fatal and non-fatal*--give ns a more valid measure of the result of cur safety activities than fatalities alone. Tiffs is particularly true when a small city or school system is surveyed. The superintendent or safety council manager may become disheartened over his safety programs when he finds a marked increase in fatalities in a single year. But the fatality h an extreme case and after *11 the total accidents. become a truer measure of the success of the campaign. For this reason it is quite necessary for a city to tue some kind of an accident reporting system to get at the facts about student accidents. Now. there is one word of caution that needs to be gives is connection with this. When we observe a certain phenomenon such as the reduction of child accidents nvc immediately go looking- for cause*. The playground enthusiasts trill say that K ha* been increased facilities for playgrounds. The police wQ! say it is doe to bapnrrewtm of traffic condition*. The 6re department will insist that H cornea as a. result of improved fire prevention. The schools will say that it is due to the school program. But as a matter erf fact such reductions are a result of all of these pro *Dat from the KatfemaJ Safely CouiKrtt. Education Division 203 grams. We couW without difficulty find * high poritm correlation be*m*n several Btmerical variables such as number of boys m safety pstroU, attendance on P**^" grounds, number ol forms o! traffic control oe the one hand and nonctoi road accidents on the other. The best attitude for m to take is to eooelode that many different agencies are helping reduce child accidents- We find in many otic* that there has been an increase hi fatalities to adafts and at the same tfane a decrease fee children of school age. Of all the variable* that aright improve safety anxbtxma there are only two that are not commem to both adults and children. These two are improved playground facilities and the school safety programs. We roost, therefore, conclude that the influence of these two factors must be marked. But as educators and safety directors you are probably very much interested in the other phases of the measurement of the results of safety programs, I refer to the use of objective tests of safety information and safety habits. Just a* fundamental school sabjects---reading, writing and arithmetic--can be measured by achievement tests so h is possible to measure achievement in safety. Some time ago I prepared the National Safety Test, Alpha, fear the purpose of toting the safety knowledge and attitudes of pupds. This test was made up of 80 jfaWTf following an analysis of textbooks and courses of study. It is designed fro tbe seccodary schools but may be tacd in intermediate grade* and las a reliability of J4, Administered to over 4,000 pupils m approximately sixty schools hi the uaicay tentative means were established as follows s- Grade Mean Grade Mean 7 SOil 10 64.5 8 59.6 11 674) 9 624) 12 75.0 Superior adults 88.0 The principal value in the test lies hi its use fur diagnostic purposes--'fro finding out what poptts know and do not know about safety. Soma general conclusions could be given in regard to the findings in tiffs testing. 1. The judgment type of questions while less objective seems to be of greatest value m determining pupils* real knowledge. In life situations involving safety as a role there is no one around to say, "Now take one of these chokes. Which is the best solution?" 2L This test does not measure what pupils would actually do in We situations, but oob what they think they would do. X There is a positive correlation between intelligence and high scores cm the test. Yet we are not as yet convinced that there U -close relationship between high intelligence and freedom from accidents. 4. Where there has been special stress placed on safety in a school we find high kmdeoamn iesdco. res. Kansas City pupils, tor example, appear to be unusually writ I believe that teachers and supervisors can afford to use safety tests in many ways, 1st Fro testing achievement following the use of motion pictures, slides or any particular safety lessors. 2nd. Fro diagnostic purposes at the beginning of the school year. . 3rd. For testing achievement at any time during the school year. - l warn to say a word about teste of habits. How can we determine the remits of safety instruction as measured in terms of improved safety habits? The work of Hartshoroe and May,* in their tests of traits ami that of Watson** hare paved the way for us in devising a measurement of habits. It I* quite po*sible for us to measure safety habits of children in similar ways. There is not time to go into detail as to tiffs, but here are a few suggestion* for those of you who arc interested in attempting such studies. "HwtDiora* end U*. Studies in Deceit. ' *f"**"" B"" f >*<=**. T~ctr. 20+ Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress First: We can make counts of street crossing violations oS children before *d Seacfotenrd:saWfeetyciannstreusctatibolnishhapsarbaelleenl gainvdenc. ontrol groups of kindergarten or lower grade pupils and by the use of trained observers make count* of crossing habits for a period of one week. This may be followed by different types of instruction in the experimental groups and no special instruction in the control group. There is a good field for a special research here. Third: We can allow pupils to rate themselves on safety score cards before aad after special campaigns. (While thus sometimes tends toward dishonesty, nevertheless many successful studies of this kind have been reported.) Fourth: Through the use of traffic officers or safety patrols for a day we may take samplings of pupil vhdatiocts or bad safety habits and after special tastrortCon follow this with another count (Although the reliability ol such counts may be questioned by the inadequacy of the sampling, nevertheless it one way ol getting evidenced Fifth: We may get a sampling of principals' and teachers' judgment as to changes that have been observed in safety habits of children. -This is the least valid method but may have some weight. At least it is the method we use TherSeO aorfetenm.any opportuni.ties for measurement m the field of safety. An analysis of accident record cards and other statistical data should give us helpful information The use of objective tots of information and attitudes will help us find out wbetiier or not safety instruction is getting across. The measurement of safety habit* by a sampling of the actual practices of individual children or groups is entirety possible. But ttere is plenty of room for further experimental studies. Faixok of St Louis has been working for over a year on picture test* for elementary school duJdrea. 1 know of two researches that are going on this year on the effect* of different types of instruction on habHs. We in the field of safety should be ever alert to these measurement movements because they not only will help us justify can 'program but also will assist u* in improving the quality of the various types of instruction we are to use. Cvuwuak Murray : Mr. Whitney has asked to say a word or two at this point. Alkekt W. VViiitnry (National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters. New York City): We in the Education Division have been as much astonished at tl*e statistic* that Messrs. Erwme, ftattey and Stack have reported to you a* you have been. AVe hare been sure that safety education was worth while but we were not prepared for Its showing tip in statistical form with such apparent condttsjreness. I may say, furthermore, that the results from all other sources that ure know of confirm the figures that have teen quoted today. To what degree these results are doe to education and to what extent they reflect the greater adaptability of children to new condition*, we do not know, although figures that w have compiled on cities of OTer 100.000 population show that the group of cities Jlaving the best safety education work m the schools have by far the test statistical record as regards child fatalities. .In any case, however, there is unquestionably in this field a great educational opportunity. We cannot afford not to cultivate a field which is capable of showing such remarkable results. Further evidence of the value of the work with children came out in a traffic meeting yesterday where it was stated tlurt traffic accidents to children In Philadelphia went up 15 per cent in the year following the abandonment os the sdwol boy patrols 'n fthaamt ccitoyn.vinced that this statistical shewing will bring in a hew era m the safety education movement. 1 do not see how the schools can fail to regard it as a very, very important thing, to be given serious consideration. CtiMftMAX Graham? So far as the public schools sure concerned. I think there Education Division 205 is a growing spirit in favor of safety education: there is a "show us the way and we will do our pan" spirit on the part of school men over the country. Those result* could not hare been obtained if no method had teen set up. The remainder of the program deals with the methods by which results have been achieved, possibly through extra-curricular activities; there is t*o one better fitted to speak on that matter than Dr. McKown. Teaching Safety Through Activities By HARRY C. McKOWN Department of Secondary Education, University of Pittsburgh It) the development of educational theory there are two main periods, tire first of which the period of "learn about." All of us are familiar with it and Us emphasis upon memorizing facts, creeds, commandment*, quotations, etc., which were, on tire whole, probably of little value beyond serving as definite material m which we could be examined for honor or promotion. Let me go back to my little old course in physiology--a course designed originally, I suspect, for physicians and embalmers. I believe there is only one thing I learned in the course that was at all beneficial. I learned about the bones of the body and can sit down now and locate the phalanges, the patella, the cranium, the cerebellum and the os rnnommatum, I can do it but I have never been called upon to do it, of course. Busy work 5 But 1 remember two picture* m the book; on the left page was a picture of a hunchback, in terrible shape* "With the legend underneath "See what coffee did to him!" On the opposite page was a picture of a great, big, magnificent outstanding man (from the ears down, at least) and underneath was written "He did not drink coffee," That is about the only thing I got out of physiology that to my mind itad any value at all and 1 doubt, seriously, it* value. Whose fault was it ? I am awfully pessimistic about your forma! course iri safety education. I say it with the utmost respect for those who are directly interested m it and who know more about it thaxi f. 1 am pessimistic about your campaigns, slogans, exhibits, quotations, your codes and creeds, (I know you are too, to a certain extent.) I am awfully pessimistic about those things. Why? Because they emphasize too much the learning about, ami too tittle the actual practicing of desired actions. Suppose X should offer to teach you to drive a truck. 1 say, "Here are the things you most learn. Push this, pull that, step on the other, etc. Now drive away." Other things being equal, with the help of Providence you might go off down the street: but I would certainly not think of saying. "There is my car; drive it." If die only thing a child gets out of safety education is a bundle of facts hr can recite to his teacher or visitors. I don't believe we have taught him a thing. You don't have to agree. We are recognizing our lack of success in teaciting the youngster to be a good citizen by educating him <u pass examinations cm what a good citizen is. 1 have quit trying to be good, but 1 have not quit trying to do good. I wish we would stop talking about being good citizen*. I wish we would talk about doing good citi zens. if you understand me. . Our first period in educational theory was a period In which we emphasized "learn about." In the present period we are emphasizing "do." "act" and "practice." The present wave of enthusiasm for the so-called extra-curricular activities is due to this interest in practice. You are familiar with traffic mod fire patrols, inspection groups, fire squads, auditorium and assembly presentations and other actual and natural settings for the establishment of functioning habits. You are all familiar with the clean-up campaign. In some ways it i* fine, in some ways it is awfully cheap. We see in these campaigns bate-, of paper, junk and rags 206 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress out along the sides of streets awaiting collection sod I was m one school where they took out all the chairs to make room for the johkl If the purpose of this campaign is to teach safety, perhaps you can .tstify k, fact if it is done for financial reasons, it is cheap. ; In getting off a train once at a town in which I was scheduled to speak at the high school, I fell in with some youngsters 1 suspected were going to school. Some of them carried tin cans in their bands, some were dragging "tans" of them, others had necklaces, still others, basket* of them. I asked the young man with whom I was walking what it meant, and he replied, "Walt till we get to school and I will explain." In front of the school there was a slack of tin cans as High as this ceiling; probably many of them coming from perfectly legitimate resting places. He said, "Everyone took a vow to bring in at least one a day." The advertising value was probably more important than any other consideration, lit one school the same rat waHsasvleainyosuevuesnetedetnhdeif"feTrreianlt otifmFei*r!e"? Many playlets are written by the youngsters themselves. Others more or less well known are "Fire--Traitor," "Broken Glass--- Murderer,- "Fagcant of Misery," "Rescue o( Safety,** "Sir Safety mod the Knaves.'* "Voyage of the S. S. Good Health," "King Good Health," "Flies in Paradise," eto, --all these appeal to the tittle kid* and the auditorium period can be wed to good advXaknntaogwe hoefreth. ree schools that had fly catching campaigns in the spring. In ope school was a box containing a swiltion of flies; every youngster "swore an oath" to bring one to school every day. Mathematicians figured how many were in the boa: each day and through the papers suid pasters there was publicity. I was interested, later, in learning two things,/*In the first place, what did yon do with those flies? InTlihvee spercinoncdippallacwer,owtehamteofthita?t"he declared a holiday the last period oo Friday and the school staged a mock funeral procession down the main street to the tune of the "Dead March" from "Saul" played by the band. The flies were carried on a small wagon. After Che funeral orations hdd in the square the flies were returned to the school where some gasoline was poured over them and an "executioner" touched a match to then). The band then played ``There'll Be a Hoi Time in the Old Town Tonight." 1*11 bet kitirng a few million flies did not dtnt the fly population of the city. In answer to my second question the principal mated that os Wednesday he sent students to all the hardware stores In town to buy ffy swatters and screen wire and there was not a fly swatter or an inch of screen wire to be found. I think this was the real test--folks buying up screen wire and fly swatters. Instrument* of protection, What we arc emphasizing is that t)*e youngster will have to participate, rather than listen to you lecture on safety, or learn little nothings about it You all saw the recent cover on the Saturday Evening Post--the youngster writing on the board "I was tardy** seven hundred and fifty tunes--the same sort of thing was working a hundred problems if he throws a spit-ball or an enuer, thereby penalizing him by requiring him to do something He should be interested in doing, (t Hope safety education escapes this foolishness.) We have been talking about physical safety. Let me creation, very briefly, one or two other kind* of safety in which we should be interested. The first is emotional safety. The child comes to school for the first time and he doesn't know what it's all about If he come* to, junior high school from the elementary school, he comes from a school in which he was at the top to a school in which be is at the bottom; from a school In which he was important and well acquainted to a school In which ` he is insignificant and unknown. 1 would .like to have him come happy, glad to come. There are one or two things that may be done. I would like to have something arranged for him before he come*. A school near bean* bed a "grade school day* and Invited the parents and children from the osillying school*. In the morning Education Division 207 regular classes were held. At noon all ate the lunches they had brought with teem and the school furnished coffee and tee cream. A short formal program and game* and stunts were scheduled for the afternoon. I'll bet these youngsters looked forward to coming to that school with pleasure. I would like to have the youngster know we are glad to have him and to be glad he is in my scl*ool, ' I was visiting one of my students a while back and sat In the back of the room listening to a typical borne room program. The president remarked teat a "new Individual** was present aod asked, "We will all be glad to hear from him, won't we?" They all answered, `Yes 1" She then turned to a boy in the front row and said, "Willie Smith baa just come from Boston. Wouldn't you like to hear from him?" Of course, they would. Well, he got up and talked about Boston. When he sat down somebody said, "Madam President, none of us has been in Boston, we would like to ask questions. May-we?" You know what the questions were, and at the end of a few minutes the boy sat down thoroughly assimilated. You remember how we used to assimilate new pupils in the old days. Now Willie goes home and tells Mamma and Papa how happy he is. and how glad the boys and girls are to have him in school, and some day when the school needs a new wing, some new devices cm the playgrounds, some more teachers or salaries, it will get them because it has stip~ porters and support. Emotional safety may be built upon wise me of school clubs, assembly, nxmc, athletics and dramatics. ' In the last place in lust a word let me mention financial safety. Recently I have been riding this hobby. Every school has a program of saving but very few have a real program of thrift. I believe thoroughly in saving but this is only a small phase of thrift. Other phases are giving, spending and investing. All ol us buy, mostly as amateurs, white we are "soM" by professionals, we keep alive cheap methods of financing worthy actrvrtie* and we invest most tminteHigentfy. By having the young sters give, spend and invest a hypothetical amount each term and teen compare god discuss their scheckiks, we could give some very actual practice in financial safety. 1. have tried to emphasize the establishment of habits, not only the learning of lessons. You cannot succeed in safety education or anything else without intelligence, ideals and habits. You cannot leave out any one ol these and be successful. Any safety education must be based cm intelligence and basic knowledges worthy ideals, and desirable habits. ChairsrA?r Graham: Dr. McKown is always entertaining and interesting.- At this point Miss Stevenson wants to make an announcement. Chazrmav Graham: I hare pleasure in presenting next the- Senior Supervisor of Health and Physical Education, State Board of Education, Hartford, Dr. Charles J. ffrahatskal Promoting Safety Education in the Schools of Connecticut . . ,,; , Br CHARLES J. PROHA3KA. M. D. Director Ph,il Education and Health, ' , , - - .... Connecticut State Board of Education .'Assuming teq; attitude of Humboldt that "what you would have in society, first put into your-public -schools", we set about to emphasize certain aspects of the school curriculum. Tn-roodern education we have come to recognize tee importance of three relatively new -developments, viz., those of character education, health, and safety training and Instruction. Unlike so much of the prescribed work hi the schools, these subjects must be lived in order that they may be learned; they roust permeate the entire curriculum, the. entire life of tee school. The state of Connecticut has been unusually fortunate la having for ten years, in 208 Nineteenth Annual. Safety Congress Dr. Albert B. Meredith, a Commbsiuner of Education who recognized ten yours ago, and has guided since, a constantly changing educational program based upon modem needs- To quote him m part from a paper before the Fourteenth Annual Safety Congress in Cleveland, in 1925: "A study of the average present day elementary Softool curriculum reveals the fact that it contain* very little which U designed to teach children their relations to modem society. The program Is also relatively barren of instruction with regard to the advantages or disadvantages of our social and industrial organization. The reason for this is not hard to find. Formerly the schools were not charged with the respon sibility of general preparation for life. . . .** All this has dunged in recent years. Life has become enormously complex and many new hazards have come into existence which did not appear in an earlier form of social organization. The home can no longer unaided prepare the child for active participation in trades and industry, or for effective adjustment to the social life of his community. The school has accord ingly been cafled upon to increase very greatly the range of its activities and we are now at the point where school authorities are besieged with all sorts of proposals, thus making new demands upon die course of study, and upon this public institution-" It was through the untiring efforts and' sympathetic, leadership of Dr. Meredith tint a course of study its health and safety training Mid instruction was made an integral pan of the program of instruction in the public schools of Connecticut. The legal minimum time requirement for health and safety instruction is thirty minutes a week; die course of study, however, emphasizes the necessity of teaching health and safety at every opportunity that arises during the day in connection with other subjects and activities. On the whole, the course of study, together with other efforts to promote health and safety as am integral part of the school program, has taken hold hi the schools throughout the state. A year's study and observation of the need and accomplish ments Is safety education revealed some interesting facts to us in the state depart ment. We gathered a great deal of information from our regular visits to schools; statistics furnished by the State Motor- Vehicle- Department broadened our scope in highway and street safety; parts of a survey conducted by die bureau cf character education research put us in touch with some outstanding programs and projects in safety education; returns from a questionnaire sent to county and local parents and teacher organizations gave us a better picture of conditions, good and bad, as they actually exist sn those communities reporting, RealiciMg the importance of a complete and progressive program in safety education, and the wealth of safety information and materials available to teachers and schools, a state-wide safety education campaign was launched in April, 1930, by tin: State Board of Education. . It was {tit that the campaign at this time should emphasize accident hazards con fronting children during the spring and summer months, and that a similar stop be takea late m the fall to emphasise the io<csHtd winter accident hazards indoor and out of doors. . Accordingly, the state beard of education voted to endorse a safety education cam paign, and **to emphasize through the proper administrative channels the safety aspect of the health and safety education program, and to secure the cooperation of die several societies and groups mast interested in this work, to the end not only that the program be emphasized, but as a practical outcome that special emphasw be laid on accident hazards confronting children during the spring and summer months with a view toward prevention of and protection from such accidents.** A vote was also trawfd to adopt a slogan, "Promote Positive Safety Education--Make safe for every ^ In Connecticut--the Home, the Schools, the Streets, Recreation and Play." Retiring also that parents as wcM as -teachers are major dements in the ajtuatSona to which children respond in the schools, our efforts were that directed to parents m Use home as well as teachers in the schools. Interest and cooperation were evident Education Division 209 for. at the annual meeting of the Connecticut Congress of Parents sad Teachers, a resolution was passed to endorse the action of the state board of education. For tine balance of tlte school year our efforts were directed toward making evenschool administrator, school teacher, parent and child ''safety minded.** All mall sept out bore a seal showing the safety slogan; every opportunity was grasped to convey the significance of an all-round program of safety education. In promoting the campaign, free use was made of the splendid materials furnished by the National Safety Council; street and highway safety was promoted in cooper ation with the Connectioi! 't**+ Motor Vehicle Department; the Junior Red Cross, and American Red Cross - t J and life saving courses were promoted; teachers' institutes, student assemblies, safety clubs, etc., were addressed; many pictures and devices were displayed. Thanks are due the many organizations who have con tributed much helpful material throughout tlte campaign. This marks only a beginning. The response on the part of school administrators and teachers was most gratifying. They have convinced tts that they are ready and have been waiting for an opportunity to give safety education its proper place in general education. Requests for materials were overwhelming and many invitations to assist in organizing programs of safety education were received. We feel that the soil has been cultivated and now the seed can be sown. The first rtep has been takcn. a ftjrther anatysis ctf safety work will be made; with ithe cooperation of the state motor vehicle department and with other divisions of field service in education, we hope to enrich existing programs; in the four state normal schools we have already developed a health and safety conscience in oar teachers to be. We in Connecticut are convinced that a state department of education can pave the way m an education program that will reduce the number of accidents among its school children, and make their life and play activities safe as well as wiwiesome. Chairman Graham: I now call o Miss Emma A, Schad, Supervisor. Inter mediate Grades, Baltimore Public SdtooU. New Developments in Safety Education By MISS EMMA A. SCHAD Supervisor, Intermediate Grade*. PubBe Schools, Baltimore, Md. There has been in Baltimore a decrease in tlte number of fatal accidents occuring to Children of school age. This decrease can be attributed to the vigorous Safety Education program of the Baltimore Safety Council and the Baltimore Public Schools. Safety education, having as its primary objective the development ol safe in dividual and group habits and safety-mindedness, should be a part of every curricular and extra-curricular activity m the school- Baltimore, realizing the immediate need for tins emphasis upon safety habits and attitudes, lias taken a definite step in the right direction. In order to carry out the program of safety education as a special rather than a general subject, it has been decided to furnish every teacher with a tnooograph which wilt show the situations and materials in each subject through which she can contribute to safe habits aid .afety-mindedness. If we conceive the various school subjects as important in equipping the child tor vocational, civic, and recreational activities, a clear comprehension of the relation of safety to economic and industrial welfare is necessary. The problem is not how much knowledge of arithmetic, history, and geography the pupils acquire, but how the subject matter of arithmetic, history, and geography will affect the behavior of the child in his work and play. 210 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress A representative committee appointed by Dr. Wegfeln. Superintendent of Public Instruction, is now working on the problem of a safety course of study or mono graph for the elementary grades. The committee consist* of the Superirtfendent of Public Instruction who H directly responsible for the committee's findings and who, becau sc of his great belief in safety education, has inspired this committee to put forth its very best efforts; a supervisor, especially assigned to safety education, who ii chairman of the committee and who confers with the superintendent between general-meetings of the committee; a supervisor from each division of the school orgattibation. primary, intermediate, and secondary; several principals and vice' principals; and last, but most important of all. classroom teachers, who have evinced an interest in safety education by some outstanding piece of related work. Natur ally, the greater part of the material will be contributed by these teachers who have and are trying out methods and materials to determine then- relative value. * One part of the committee is studying due various school subjects to determine the safety knowledge, habits, and attitudes that naturally grow out of topics and activities. Only enough Illustrative units will be used to show the teachers of Balti more how much opportunity there is for unifying safety education with the school day's work. It is through drawing out these threads of safety edoodoe from every subject and activity m the curriculum, that teachers will experience "safety** at coordinating, safety knowledge, habits, and attitudes in the life of the child. Through this experience; they' will be able to develop in children "safety-tnindedBest"' and safe pao. - , Another group of the committee has gone through the readers, the geographies, the histories and the health and science readers listed on the annual requisition lists of the Baltimore Public Schools and has listed with annotated page references every story or bit of material that bears directly or indirectly on safety. Another group is working on the routine activities of the school day; dismissals, fire drills, recess periods. We do not wish to standardize these to the extent.that every school will be expected to conform to one method. The committee hopes to get the best practices used in each type of school building and suggest from these three or more procedures as the most desirable and most efikknt from the standpoint of time and safety. ` ' Ko course of study would be complete without a section devoted to the two or ganizations that stimulate and foster safety interest in the school, the junior safety council and the safety patroL They are being studied intensively, especially hi those schools where they have already beet-tried out successfully and where they have been a vital influence in enforcing safety habits and creating and sustaining desir able safety attitudes. We hope also to get much help from the book that has just been written by one who from her valuable experience in the field of safety will be able to make a much kx>kedfor 'and longed-for contribution to workers in - safety education. Miss Idabclle Stevenson, executive secretary of the Education Division, N, 5. C. is the author of the book now being published. Dr, Weglein has not only asked .for the organization of a patrol and council with in each school but so great i* his,interest that he has instituted the student accident reporting system in every school in the city, elementary and secondary. This work- will be carried on in connection with the Baltimore Safety Council. An intensive study will be made at the end of the school year of the accidents.'occurring to every boy and girl of school age; We sliatl then be able to determine the nature of our own local accidents and plan the work accordingly. - The Safety Course of Study Committee has no desire to formulate a conventional course of vtudy, nor any intention of asking for a definite time allotment for safety ' education. - - Safety education is not a subject that can be pigeon-holed. It is too vitalizing and too much a part of life. The committee is planning to give to the teachers a monograph that will embody the safety philosophy of Whitney; that will show Education Division 211 where In the work of the school, safety education will be naturally emphasized and give complete units of work that have been experimentally determined as contributing to safe habits and safety-mtndedncs*; that will give many suggestions for a con tinuous school safety program; that will give suggestions and illustrations for the establishing and sustaining of worthwhile safety organizations within the school. The committee in preparing this monograph has made study of the principles of curriculum construction agreed upon by authorities in this field and is endeavoring to apply these prindpfes to the best of its ability. - CbAtXMAi* Gxaiiam ; We have here with us Mbs Blanche Fuqua. Supervisor of Kindergarten and Primary Grades, of the Terre Haute Public Schools. ' New Developments in Safety Education By BLANCHE FUQUA Sqcniw, Kindergwtcti and Primary Grade* PobSe School*. Tt* Haote. 14 I shall mention briefly three significant principles which are characteristic of the viewpoint in the teaching of Safety in logutta schools, and shall tell of the ranks of the pobheation of a bulletin on safety. Principle I.--The foundation of any instruction is its most important part; so, ftbtn the beginning of the child's school experience he has some line of safety work offered so that Ideals of safety will be established. Each speaker yesterday emphasized the effects of safety practices and safety teaching on the problems of the factory, of transportation, of traffic, etc. Everyone interested in the building of*our educational structure agrees on its one failing, that is, the difference between the problems of real life and the problems met in the academic school. The solution of tins failing lies in the observance, of Principle II. The problems of rati fife rotist be met ut the school. .. The new types of curricula which we are developing attempt to do this. More and more opportunities for experiencing are included. Among the experiences are those having to do with helping children choose tlieir adventures wisely and with helping them carry these adventure* through intelligently. Experience seems to be of such a nature as so effect change* in the organmn not merely add to it Through experiencing attitudes are changed and permanent habits may be developed. The State Activity Bulletin, Part III, contains units of work re lating safety activities to the Language Arts. This material was developed in one of the Terre Haste Schools, and since it is the result of actual teaching where pupil participation is emphasized, the problems are on the level of pupil interests and experiences. It Is proving to be a great help to the teacher who wants to make the work meet fife needs. Principle III.*--The organization of our instruction around unifying items of content shooId displace rise hodge-podge teaching which we have bad. This or ganization oi safety snstructkm will help supply the knowledges and good judgment which arc needed so that the child knows what to do when emergencies arise for which no habit has been established. . The program of the State Executive Committee Included the publication of an Activities Bulletin oo Safety Education developed according to the three principles given. It has been to the hands of the teachers one semester, so no measures have been made of the effect upon ideals of safety, habits of safety, or good judgment which it maty have developed. One step in improvement resulting irona this Safety Bulletin, and other forces, U the classification of schools and tb issuing of these standards to be net If a conunisstoe is to be given. These standards are in ac cordance with the law and the interpretations of the Board and are tentatively 212 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congees* approved by the State Board of Education. Standard I ha* to do with the teaching staff as to appointment, licensing, etc. Standard II has to do with supervision and iwlmiuistratiou of the schools, I veil] mention one item--**Tbe safety and health of tlie pupils should be properly safeguarded by the selection of careful and dependable bu drivers and careful supervision of children enroirtc to schooL Are any children transported to school? If so, are careful dependable bos drivers employed? Are pupils given instruction concerning safety in travel to and from school: Number of ; ccitieiWs occuring last year while children arc enroot*?'' _t The following instructions are developed to guide the examiner in determining the standard of the school : "Score I. Excellent bus drivers selected upon basis of cnkietKy and dependability and carefulness. Student patrol system in the City, definite supervision of pupils i Heavy traffic, rostruetktt concerning conduct of pupils traveling to and from school---wo accidents.'* "Score II, Good, careful, de pendable bus driver*, careful supervision of pupil* crossing street*, safety instruc tion--few accidents." In Indiana Education News, Volume Number I. sent by the State Department, September 20, 1930, the Department of Public Instruction recommended the organiza tion of school patrols. "Many school corporations of Indiana are making definite efforts looking toward proper provision for safeguarding the smaller children. Such efforts are very commendable. Every school corporation in Indiana should do its utmost to insure the safety of the children while they are in its care. The Depart ment of Public Instruction recommends the organisation of school patrols in all corporations wlwre considerable numbers of children are required to cross busy Hreels or roads. Teachers should also give Safety instruction to the children. Town ship school corporations shall demand that all drivers absolutely obey all safety regulations and law.^ The question of "Ho* shall we bttfd right attitude* toward safety education measure* in our State4* is solved by this one item which is used bt measuring each rural or one room, city elementary or high school in the State. The State lias accepted its responsibility for a program of safety teaching and wants to plan its school procedure from the kindergarten through all the grades c*n the basis oi educative activity and worthwhile interests, so that the greatest citizenship value may result. ADJOURNMENT Education Division 213 Wednesday Morning Session October 1, 1930 L. H. DENNIS, Chairman State Department of Public Instruction, Harrisburg, Pa. The second session of the Education Division convened with Mr. L. H. Dennis, Deputy Superintendent, State Department of Public Instruction, Harrisburg. Pa., presiding. Ciiauman Dexxis: In discussing the tupic "Can the Vocational School Turn Out Safe Worker*?*' Dr. Leavitt is speaking not as a man from tfte side lines but really from authority and from broad experience. We are proud olj the Pittsburgh education program, which 1* entering a period erf rather broad development and ex pansion in the upening of the fine new two million dollar trade sdiool. Dr. Leavitt wiU extend you an invitation, but l want to say that if you have an opportunity during the sessions of this Congress to visit the school it will he well worth your while. * I take pleasure in imroduemK Dr. Frank M, Leavitt. Can the Vocational Schools Turn Out Safe Workers By DR. FRANK I*. LEAVITT Anodatc Sopcrimcndent of School, for Vocational Education, Piraburfh, F*. It should be recalled that no school of whatever grade can ever become 100 per cent efficient m reaching any of it* objective*. No vocational sdiool. tlierefore. could ever hope so to train it* pupils that they would be invariably safe workers, either in the school or in later fife m the shops. AH trade schools give some consideration to safety. In most schools there are more or less effective rules laid down to Insure the safety of the pupils and of die teachers. Although not required to do so by the laws governing practices in industrial plants, dangerous machinery is almost invariably equipped with safety devices. In other words, we must readily believe that all trade schools attempt to develop safe workers. From tut extended observation and an extremely brief study of the question, it appears to me that the philosophy of safety education in Connection with industrial training may be set forth under the following tieads. * 1. The worker, wbetlter amateur, apprentice or journeyman, is "safe" in proportion as he has formed habit* which in themselves make for safety. Professor William James,- the father of educational psychology, described the method erf habit formation as follows; "Make a strong first impression and never permit au exception." In the forming of these habits, therefore, it is evident tfiat tlie shop teacher must carry the major burden through insisting on the employment of safe methods of work m season and out of season. As explained by the shop instructor, these methods would be such a* to protect the worker from improper contact with machinery and would include safe practices in the use of hand tods. It would also include such practices as would protect others. Interest in the general subject and particularly pride in being rated as a safe worker would contribute- greatly to this desirable habit formation. 2. The worker Is safe in proportion as he understands-die hazards of the job. He must be made aware of the fact that things can go wrong and probably will go wrong unless great care is always taken in planning as well as in executing his work. 214 Sinctccnth Annual Saftty Congress Obviously the precept] and example of the shop teacher will bring much of this understanding to the pupils* bat l*ere is an opportunity for the classroom teacher to make his contribution. In the comparative quiet of the classroom It is easier to present and to explain the rules and regulation* which have been laid down for the pupil's protection by the management of the school. The classroom teacher can explain what we have learned by practice regarding safety; for example, that looting and playing, those activities so natural to the youngster, have caused many accidents and should be reserved for some other place than the shop. He can explain why more accidents occur in the afternoon than in the morning and urge that special care be taken toward the end of the day. The classroom teacher may also malm use of safety posters appropriate to the stop. Nature of tbc Shop Work Most Important 3. Hie worker is most likely to be safe when he is serious about bis job. Anything that gives the pupil an attitude toward his work like that of the <o*sd~ entious and effective adult worker will make for safety. ' The nature; of the shop work on whkh he is engaged is in^otUnt. A commercial product that is really needed and Is to to used a<l K)on, ha* a steadying influence on the pupil. When the Supply Department U waiting for the delivery of his product, the young worker, without hurry or nervousness and aha without delay, will carry forward his job toward completion and will not easily be turned aside or become careless or slip-shod m his activities. It helps in the securing of this seriousness to enlist the interest of the parent. Before a toy is allowed to work on a dangerous machine in any of the Pittsburgh Public ScltooU, be is required to present to the teacher a signed statement from hit parents to the effect that they readme the danger m operating the machine and that they, nevertheless, permit their boy to practice on the machine. This tend* to seri ousness of purpose. 4. The worker is more likely to be safe when he is made to realize constantly that tile management places safety first, and production or instruction second. The realization of this attitude of the school management can be accomplished mainly by frequent reminders fay the principal to the teachers that safety is of major importance. A principal can give this impression to the teachers by frequent refer ence to the subject at teachers' meetings and by the use of notices oo the bulletin boards. Eternal vigilance is the price of safety as well ms the price of peace. It would be more valuable if I were able to place before you a few examples of safety pregrams hi trade schools, particularly if I could show that these programs had succeeded measurably in reaching the safety objective set up by the management, bat it must be confessed that there am no standards of comparison, so that h is im possible to judge to what extent one or another school system has succeeded in training safe workers. It may be of interest, however, to mention bricSy three or four such illustrative examples. ' In the May 1930 number of the publication Tabor and Industry" put out by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is an article entitled "Tbe Safety Program m Industrial Education at Williamsport", by G. H. Parkes* Director of Vocational Education, Williamsport, Pa. Undoubtedly copies of this address may be had for the asking. It would seem that tins school system is on the right trade, even though the writer coalesces tliat it was Moot until the present year that the problem has been carefully analyzed from the teaching angle." In the publication of the National Safety Council, the National Softty N*w of September 1929, Gordon C. Graham, safety engineer of the Detroit Public Schools, writes as follows: "Two hundred and fifty school shops. 5,000 shop students, 27 years of school shop Education Division 215 operation whh but one or two minor permanent disabilities--why, with such a background, should the Detroit Public Schools be deeply concerned with the problem of industrial accident prevention ?" . . In glaring contrast is the study of accidents in the Essex County Vocational School. This study was presented as a doctor** thesis by Max S. Henig, Pb. D., and was published in 1928 by the National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters* New York. The study was made in the Essex County Vocational School for Boys at West Orange, N. J,, and covered a period of three years and a practically stationary enrollment of 120 pupils. Alt accidents, even of the most insignificant nature, were recorded and the aggregate of these accident* for the three year period totalled 208. It is obvious that a school of this size could not have had 208 signi ficant "accidents" in the period. The study, however, is highly significant and U well worth a careful study by anyone who would prepare a safety pregram for an in dustrial school. In Pittsburgh, we seem to have reached a position somewhat between these two extreme*. We have five trade school* for boys and two trade schools for girls. During the past two year* the daily attendance probably has averaged not for from 2500 boys and girts. All Asridems Reported at Once By rule of the Boon! of Education all accidents of whatever nature must be reported to the superintendent at once. A study of tbe records of these accidents during the past two years reveals several Interesting facts, among which I would select the following: Eliminating four accidents which occurred on the way to or from school or resulted from personal illness, such as epilepsy or hysteria, there were during the two years 32 accidents reported from the trade schools. Of these 32 accidents, 2t occurred in the shops and 11 in the classrooms, or chiefly in the gymnasium. Of the 21 shop accidents, about one-half resulted from faulty machine operation and the rest from pupil negligence. . 69.5 of these accidents occurred in the afternoon and 29.5 in the morning. So far as we know, none of the accidents resulted in seriously maiming or handi capping the individual as an industrial worker. 1 am inclined to think that tbe present meeting of tbe National Safety Council In Pittsburgh wilt stimulate the management of the Pittsburgh Trade Schools to even more serious efforts at accident prevention, * 1 am Inclined to think our record is a very good one, and yet we have not done as well here as m Williamsport, we have not worked out a program this last year except a* we say that eternal vigilance is the price of peace and the price of safety. I had a little teachers' meeting this year, and I said, "I am going to ask for the resignation of the next man who has an accident." Of course X didn't do it. but felt like it! And the men knew it. We did not have any serious accident for a long tune after that meeting. I am Inclined to think wc will do better in Pittsburgh from now on, aod these meetings, whether the addresses are any good or not, will have a good effect on our practices in the trade schools. Chairuan Derrxis: We can give credit to the railroad companies for being among the pioncers for safety development in this country. They have much they can tel! us. I think it is very logical, therefore, when we want the point of view of some great industry with regard to vocational training, that we should turn to a represent ative of a great railroad company and ask him to give us that information. I take great pleasure in introducing Mr. Walter R. Lye. District Superintendent of Motive Power, New York Central Lines, Collmwood Stop, Coltinwood, Ohio, who will speak on the employer's attitude toward safety training. 216 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress The Employer's Attitude Toward Safety Training By WALTER R. LYE Dittrici Superintendent, Motive Power. New York Central Linen. Collinwood Shop, CoUmwood, O, Appreciating that you are particularly interested in the attitude ot employer* to ward safely training: as it pertains to Vocational Schools, I have faithfully tried to analyse our method* when dealing with our vocational or apprentice school boys as compared with our metlsod of handling the accident problem with our other employes. You will, of course, understand that my opportunity for such an analysis ft confuted to my particular District on the railroad with which 1 am connected. We employ approximately 135 apprentices on our District, and in the past two years we have had only' two boys who sustained reportable injuries, and in one of the past two years we had no boy injured, which record measures up very well with the results obtained with other employes in the same period. We have not up to thb tune found ft necessary to have one plan for dealing with the apprentice boys and another system for the remainder td the workmen. 1$ ft then to be considered that we have Simply been fortunate >n the excellent record made by our apprentice*, or is there an underlying reason? I believe there is. Before enrolling an apprentice, a close check is made by authorized supervision to know that the hoy does not merely want a job, but that he Has a definite purpose in view in entering industry*. His records in his home and school life, hi* reaction to home discipline and his home environment are closely investigated. After these conditions have been found favorable and the boy having reached at least the age of seventeen years, we believe that we have enrolled one well equipped mentally ami physically to take his part ht the simple duties to which he is assigned, to assimilate tl>c general policy we pursue in accident prevention without any particular deviation from the poJky set up for more mattare and experienced employes. And what ft that policy? . In the first years of our safety activity our ideas were confined almost entirely to the correction of unsafe conditions. The Safely worker of that day considered himself negligent if he could not have at least a dozen items of loose planks, dose clearances, machine* unguarded, etc,, to report, and having performed that duty leaned back with a sigh of satisfaction and watched for the accidents to stop. Records show that it did help, but the process was very slow and required carefully prepared statistics to indicate the improvement This primary stage of Safety was fundamental and very necessary. Passing through the period of close checks on condition of tool* supplied to work men. of campaigns for clean premises and shops, of intelligent p-artice in the ar ranging of materials, and improved devices for handling tlie parts as the weight of our locomotives increased, we emerged gradually from the second phase of the movement. We were learning all the time and it resulted in bringing home to the people devoting part or all of their efforts to this study the fact that all the safety devices in the world could not insure against injury to certain types of men regard less of any mechanical precautions that might be taken. We, therefore, entered into the third and present line of thought and action, and the remarkable results produced in the past few years quickly developed in most cases, and are continuing to develop today. The cause ot accidents, aside front the unsafe conditions and practices which have iKcn gradually eliminated. resolve* itself dawn to the mental attitude of the work men and the supervisors. Whilst is *id self preservation ft the first law of na ture. we are not all equally equipped with the proper instinct of self preservation. \\*e haic a large group of careful, thoughtful men, concentrated cm their work. Education Division 217 living dean lives, a happy home environment. With this class of mm the problem is simple--they seldom get hurt. We have the naturally careless man--careless of himself and bh fellow' worker; the chance-taker; the fellow who considers himself so clever that he can get away with unsafe practices due to some imagined super iority in h makeup. We have the thoughtless man who as a result of trivial injury or tndispoettion remains away from work long enough to become a reportable I. C. C case; and finally, we have the cheater--the man who ft injured away from Ids work or has a disease that ft not occupational, and will attempt to make bfc company assume the responsibility so that he may be paid for his lost time. I do not care to insert a lot of statistics in this paper, but it ft desirable at this point to give you a few of the record* that obtained at Collinwood Locomotive Shop in the past few years to nuke apparent the absolute turnover that occurred in that shop, and incidentally, on the District, after June 1st, 1928. In our shop during die past years tlve record* refect there have been employed from 600 to 900 men. according to the fluctuation tn' huiducss. In 1923 we had a total of 1 killed and 290 cases reported to the Interstate Com merce Coirmbsskm. In 1924 we had 119 ease* reported to the Interstate Commerce Commission. . In 1925--107 ca*es, '. . ' v / .. ' ' ' ' In 1926--129 cases, In 1927-- 87 cases, In 1928-- 23 cases, only two of which occurred after June 1st. In 1929-- 9 cases, and For the first eight months of 1930--3 cases. What happened to bring about the change?: i " 1 Previous to June 1st. 1928, I considered that I had been doing everything a super visor could do in the way of properly instilling enthusiasm into the organization. We, had cleaned up our simps and roundhouses in first-class shape; Ac had removed thousand* of dollar*' worth of material Which was not moving in the slop--good material, but which belonged in the storehouse; we Iwd provided expensive benches for the piling of material for locomotives and properly designed scaffolds for the safety and convenience of boilermakers and others; we altered entire shop floor plans In order to acquire more floor space: we had our boundary lines for material care fully marked with white paint; oor aisles through the shops similarly marked: we had placarded our shops to die best advantage with Safety slogan*; 1 had personally delivered talks to the workmen; we had organized sub-committees hi the shops: I Had personally talked with every nun who had been injured during that year, having them together in a group, discussing the cause of their injuries: I appointed them as my personal representative?: I figured if any men knew how to avoid in jury, they did, and should be able to warn their fellow workmen--but, gentlemen, all these things did not bring the answer. On June 1st, 1928, after all these things fed been done, and appreciating tfe necessity for better records, I conceived the idea that caused results so remarkable that I feel it is the message to bring to you. I gathered every supervisor, day and night, on my District, together at a meeting at our headquarters, and in effect I told them something life this: ` "You tnea are going to listen to one more Safety talk, and I do not want you to sit feck and think it is just another one of the numerous talks you have listened to, and that you are going back to your station and imagine that you can get by with taking the amount of interest you have seen fit to take in regard to this move ment in the fast. *U know that regardless of all that has been said, you have felt, and still feel, that this matter is one of secondary consideration, one that can fe attended to when the spirit moves you: that it ft after all, a side issue. You liavc been talked to ami 218 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress pleaded with, your sympathies aroused by picturing the destitution of famine* brought ab*o1utabmyninojtuhrieerse ttoo tahreouwsaegyeoeuar rsnyemr.pathies today. Evidently that is not the method of approach necessary. If you men think we can operate economically and efficiently by aliowing tbc number of injuries to occur that are happening in our shops, you have not the least conception of what constitutes a properly organized institution. You are trying to operate with a man or two missing from this gang and the other gang, doubling up people's work to get by, placing men unfamiliar with the duties on to work, openly inviting more injuries, and you have not up to this time appar ently had the slightest idea that tills has anything particular to do with your efficiency as"aThseupseurvbisstoarn.ce of the entire proposition is this: The accidents on the District have got to stop I If we continue to have accidents, the blame is going to be. placed where it belongs, and that is, with the supervisor in charge of the man injured. Your efficiency as a supervisor is going to be weighed by just that measure, arid by that measure entirely until this condition h cleaned up. If there is, any one here who does wot care or does not fed able to assume this responsibility, it will be well for bhn to get bis affairs in order as be will be placed in a position not requiring this ability.** .: . : . . : Gentlemen, 2 left that meeting with a feeling m my heart that I bad finally ddoe the thing that would bring about the necessary results, and it did. WThheayt wdeidnt tohuet swuiptehrvaissoprsiritdothaabt othuet yith?ad never displayed before. They interested the Federated Shop Crafts so that they concurred in the spirit of Safety and expressed a desire to co-operate with the management. Programs were inaugurated whereby speakers were provided in the lodge room of the men; labor leaders and company officers appeared on the same platform and talked of the Safety movement; they inaugurated effective systems of checking in the shop; they held noonday meet ings at which workmen got up and talked of the thing we were trying to do; where gang foremen and departmental foremen addressed the men. As a result, not only the supervisor bat the workman became intensely jealous of his own Safety record and the record of the gang in which he was placed. The active participation of the Shop Crafts represented a new step, at least in this territory, a new departure for better team work and a wader and more effective interest in the safe shop operation. The fellow who remained home unnecessarily was no longer immune. His super visor, his friend, or somebody picked out who had influence over thti man, got to him quickly, and as a result, the slight injuries, the cases of indisposition coupled with a slight injury were practically wiped from the bodes. Where men could come back to work and satisfactorily perform their duties with the doctor's consent, could eaIrtn tisherier mwaargkeasb, lethethyawt esrmecgclatdhatto pceormioedbathdeer.e ' lias been no demonstration is the way of meetings, no further lectures, and no supervisor has been brought before me on account of not fully *pprcci*ting"hi* responsibility. Therefore, in conclusion, J want to say just tills: By all means clean up mechani cal deficiencies and unsafe conditions; by ah means keep your shop* and premise* clean--it is vitally necessary; it makes men more safe; they are abk to concentrate qq their work, and concentrating is the thing that counts. But above all else: my analysis is that results can never be properly obtained until St Is brought home to the supervision of any shop, individually and collectively, that they are equally respons&le with the chief supervisor, and that they tlioronghly understand they will be held equally accountable. Ma. McGahyey (Federal Board of Vocational Education): I was very much interested in what Dr. Leavitt said about the decrease in the number of accidents in tite school*, particularly the vocational schools. I think we as educators ought to be Education Division 2X9 credited with foresight m planning and equipping our shop* along tbc most modem and safe line* tiwt have been offered. I know that a good deal of attention ii bring given to properly protecting the machinery in the shops, and to proper lighting, but we da not stop there. Dr. Leavitt did not say just how the instructors are given training, but they have the best prac tices of safety for their particular trades brought to their attention. I would like to stress this point if I may. It seems to me we are crowded m our schools, not only the vocational schools, but generally, with a multiplicity of subject*. If I am correct in my recollection, somebody has said that there are over two hundred and fifty subjects in the high schools at tlw present time. PerHap* safety and health is not a subject ii offered in a genera! way. I believe there i* a great dead that can be offered in a general way. but I do believe in the trade schools we have an oppor tunity to do something very* specific, that is with regard to the hazards of particular trades or occupations. We get that from the practical teachers. Dr. Leavitt did not mention it, but the men and women teaching in these trade schools are usually practical tradesmen teaching the manipulative side of their trade. They not only know the theoretical side thoroughly, but are well versed in the safety conditions of tint trade. That point is one which it seem* to me should he emphasised in a meeting of this kind; that Is, the practical person teaching the trade is the one who prufcably can put across the safety condiiiun* of that particular trade or occupation, and they do it. not as a class room proposition but at tlie time the hoys and girls are working on tlie machines or in the places where accidents occur. t School Work Under Actual Trad* Conditions : .. " : Much of our work is not carried on. in the trade sctools, under the conditions wljkh the boys and girls will later meet. The last speaker mentioned work k rail road shops. Much of the work under public control utilizes many of the plant* for the carrying on of the sc-caBed rnawpoUtive work. That is of course ttpykawikf as Dr. Leavitt mentioned, by work hi the school* under public control. . I do believe, Iwwever, there is a very good opportunity for us to observe as educa tors what these plants and corporation* demand of their workers. It is very Interesting in risking building construction work, which is a field in which I an) particularly interested, to note the different conditions on the job for the protection of the workers and apprentices. I notice for instance all lands of signs v posted up. I noticed on one job recently at every temporary stairway there was printed a sign, in red letters, calling attentive to certain tiMngs. I looked at the scaffold which was of the most modem type, with guard rads and so forth. The impression was that they would almost fire a person who kicked off a piece of material. There were signs indicating where to go in case of slight injury. That is die sort of tiling that going cm m certain typo of construction work. Particularly is this true where apprentice* are employed in the various trades; perhaps they are attending school on a part time basis: they bring back reports to the school, the conditions nader which they are nothing and m meat instances they are favorable.' The pubKc schools tn their program* of trade education are paying attention to what * going m mjtsWe. and trying to emphasize this m the work SB tlie trade organization*. Chamuak Dcknis: 1 suspect Mr. Lye covered his subject so thoroughly that discussion and questions have been headed off. aud in the ccmtisaed absence of the next speaker I have asked Mr. J. A. Milter of Mew Kensington, od the spar of the moment, to read Mr. McCarthy's paper. 230 Nineteenth Annual Safety Confess A Practical Safety Program for School Shops By John a. McCarthy State Supervisor of Tranks and Industries* Department oS Pusbtic Instruction, Trenton, New Jersey A practical safety program for school shops must be based upon situations as they exist in unit trades, rather than by attempting to set up a program that might apply to a group of industries. For example, a practical safety program for silk textiles or wool textiles would not contain the same kind of instruction units in safety tltat might be included in a safety program with the machine trades or electrical trades. Even in certain trades tle character of the safety instruction, if it is practical, will vary with the objectives of the training in the trade. Training electrical workers for house wiring will Jtavc a different safety content than that involved in training electrical workers for factory maintenance or electrical railway maintenance worker*. The only practical type of safety education for school shops is tint which is based upon an analysis of the various trades for which shop instruction is given to deter mine the objectives of the shop training and to further determine the safety requiretnenls of each job in each trade In the program. Mud) Ins been done in analyzing jobs during the past fifteen years. Almost every vocational teaclter training course lias devoted considerable lime to job analysis, trade .organizations lave node job analysis in the development of courses of study and the preparation of instructional material. The Federal Board for Vocational Education has prepared a considerable number of bulletins for various trades, each of which contains a job analysis of the trade, Wie have available, therefore, a considerable amount of very excellent t$rial in which the iafbty requirements for each job are outlined m detail to serve as z basis lot a safety program of a practical character. Too much stress cannot be placed upon the importance of clearly defining tt objectives of the trade training program. We must know what we are trying to accomplish in our shop training. If the major objective is to prepare pupil* to enter a specific trade, then we must set up training situations which approximate as closely as possible those which will be experienced in the trade. If the training ir based upon cooperation between the school and industry, the problems of industry as they are experienced in the pupils' training must be duplicated as far as possible during the training in the school. At its best, the school shop is only a poor sub stitute for the shops hi industry. In many instances even where there could be more industrial environment there is loo much school atmosphere and artificial situations. Practical safety instruction cannot be carried out under conditions of tins kind. In some instances the school shop does not approximate the conditions found in the industry because the teacher hicks sufficient trade contact to maintain industrial conditions This may be due to his selection as a teacher because of high academic standing and limited trade contact, bat iu some instances it is due to the teacher's failing to retain contact with his trade and to keep abreast of trade develop menu. In cases of this kind the teacher becomes more academic each year ami creates shop situations which he can more readily develop and control. Practical safety education to a great extent will depend upon the development of right work habits and trade judgment. We cannot expect satisfactory results in safety by setting up a series of "Do's" or "Don't'*" and expect them to carry over when the pupil meets an industrial situation that differ* from the one he experienced in the school shop. The development of right work habits and judgment also is dependent upon shop situations which approximate industrial situations. In an electrical department in which boys were bring trained for factory maintenance work the teacher placed a rail around the front of the switchboard, completely enclosing ft, and posted a sign, "Danger--No pupils allowed near this board." This switch Education Division 221 board was a modem installation exactly similar to that which tiae pupil would find in industry. It was equipped with the same protective devices and, share it was a low voltage board, the dangers were not very great. % This teacher changed a real situation into an artificial one; l*c evaded his. r*.y*Hv sibility in this instance; he prevented the pupils from facing an industrial situation and he retarded the development of necessary trade judgment. The pupils were not given an opportunity to develop good work habits which would be mi asset on the job or to develop poor work habits which could be corrected by school training. They were given a great amount of technical content--a greater amount than the job would require--but they were stmt out to the job without any training that would enable them to work about or operate an industrial switchboard safely and intelligently. Here was a training job that was left to industry and which could have been done in the schools This is only one example of % teacher's failure to maintain an industrial situation for which be has a responsibility for training. It is common to see signs in sclool shops: "Pupils not allowed to use this grinder", "Pupils not allowed to start this machine", and many other such prohibitions which only serve to relieve the teacher of certain responsibilities for safely and to keep the pupils from situations which they will eventually have to face. The development of work habit* in the school shop is quite as important as the development of trade skill *r technical knowledge. These work habits should he good work habits and in this respect the teacher must teach by example rather than precept. If pupils are being trained to use machine guards, the teacher cannot take them off the machine when he is operating and expect that the pupils will use them when they are carrying out the operation oa the same machine. The pupils like to lake the same chances as the teacher does; the more regard they have for hi* ability the more likely they are to estab&h patterns that are similar to his. This taking of a chance, as the teacher docs, was responsible, to some extent, for thp discharge of three recent trade and adtotml school graduates from an industry in which gasoline under pressure is med for cleaning. The department was liberally posted with "No Smoking" signs, and the Department of Labor regulations regard* ing smoking in industrial establishments were prominently displayed; the boys took a chance and were discovered. When these boys attended the vocational school the teaclter, whom they greatly admired, took simitar chances in obtaining his morning and afternoon smoke in violation of state school laws regarding smoking in school buildings. A practical safety program in the school shops should give Considerable attention to the occupational diseases of the industry in which these pupils are to be employed. Some occupational diseases, while slow in their action, are just as deadly in their results as the more rapid accident on the machine. It is more important to give attention to this matter today than it was five or ten years ago. Each year more and more occupational diseases are nude compensable by states having workmen's compensation laws. This is because of the rapid changes la industry and the develop ment of new materials and processes in industry. Instruction in modern processes, as far as is possible, should be included in an industrial training program, particularly that which gives trade extension trainm*. Instruction should he given on the prevention of the occupational diseases which may accompany these processes. The pupils in some of the trades in which instruc tion is now being given in all day vocational schools will develop the occupational diseases of these trades if proper precautions are not observed within the school*. Sufficient Information is available on mod diseases developed in industry for the school to establish a preventive program. In most instances proper working condi tions and instruction in personal hygiene will do much to develop such work habits a* will permit instruction to be given in such trades with little likelihood of the pupils' bring affected, . 222 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress . Lead poisoning is perhaps the most common occupational disease. It develop* in worker* in the plumbing and painting industries and in more than one hundred other occupations 'winch use lead in some form. It* development can be traced to improper ventilation and to personal habits o the workers by which lead enters the system through the respiratory organs and the alimentary canal. Unless the safety program of the school gives attention to personal hygiene in trades in which lead is used and establishes adequate working conditions in the shop, the pupils may absorb sufficient lead into their systems during their training period in die shops to give them an acute case of lead poisoning soon after entering the industry. Pupil* who absorb lead into the system while In the school shops may find it difficult to obtain employment in industries where physical examinations are given to job ap plicants. The use of ttra ethyl kid and benzol in automobile fuels will cause poisoning to the systems* of automobile shops if this material is used for cleaning. Benzol is used also in paints and varnishes and produces poisoning of a very dan gerous type. The use of letra ethyl lead and benzof in motor fuels is a development of the past five years. Previous to this time the automobile shops did not have to givAe partatecntitcioanl staofetthyisprpohgarsaemoffotrhaeniry sshaofeptywinilsl tnruoct trieomn.ain static. It w.ill be changed and modified to meet die pew industrial developments of machine* and materials. The shops shoaW be ^ the industries for which they offer traintog. The machine guards should not be makeshift affairs but shook} meet the standards set np by state departments of labor or insurance organizations. The shops should be as regularly inspected by state factory Inspectors a* arc similar shops rn industry anTdhtehesyrsetceommmofencdleaatinolninsesfsoranimdporordveerm, elingthctaarrnieddvoeuntt.ilation, should be as good as that found in modernindustries. One school has installed a transformer vault that was designed to incorporate all the modern principles iotmd m safe electrical con structtoo. This vault is regarded as a model by the public utility corporation and is inspected by engineers from other industrial organ!catiww when similar vaults arc to be built In industrial plants. This school has dose a very practical piece of safMetoydeedruncaintidonusintrythiesegleivcitnrigcaal tftieenldti.on to the adjustment of workers who are emo tionally unstable This is done to increase production and to eliminate accidents, since it l>as been found that emotionally unstable workers are direct causes of acci dent*- A New York department store recently conducted tests with their track drivers and found that 50 per cent of such driven were unable to adjust themselves to abnormal road conditions. A farther study of the accident records of this group showed that they were the ones most frequently involved in street and road accidents. The school* should keep abreast of industry ki this study of human behavior, and a practical safety program in the school shop* should give considerable to the effect of emotions on the fob and the proper placement of pupil* on jobs for which they are emotionally fitted. Even the pupils who are emotionally stable will find it somewhat difficult to adjust tlremselves to industrial conditions when they leave school. This adjustment period will be tong or short, easy or difficult depending upon the relationship of school training to Industrial situation* and the suitabiltty of the worker for the job for which he has been trained. Industrial statistics show that a large per cent of Industrial accidents occur during the first week of employment. No doubt most of these accidents are due to certain difficulties which new workers experience in making their adjustments. Some trade at)d industrial schools have recognized this problem and have a staff member visit the industries in which the graduates have been placed to assist them in finding themselves In their new environment. Careful case records have been made of adjustment problems and in every instance it was a hunwm relationship problem and oot one of trade skNilloopr rateccthicnaicl aslakfentoywplerdogger.am will be complete unless it Includes some provision Bdncotion Division 223 for adequate first aid instruction and treatment of the pupils. The objectives of such training should be to develop some skill in applying first aid treatment in cases of industrial accidents and to develop au appreciation of the need for treatment of minor injuries that are likely to result in infections. Perhaps many of you have expected in this paper a practical safety program that you cook! carry away with you and use in your own shops. Instead, attention has been directed to certain procedures which should be followed in the develop ment of a practical safety program for school shops. These procedures, summarized, are a* follows: 1. A study should be made of each job iti each trade to determine the safety requirements of the job. ' 2. The creation of shop conditions that will approximate those found in modern Industrial plants, 3. Hie derekrjwaent of good work habits and trade judgment ott situations of a practical character. 4. Setting up working: conditions and training that will penes* the develop ment of occqpatiooaU diseases. 5. Keeping safety pougram* tg> to dale to meet tlungtog rrutovr* m mcfcwtry- 6. Making prwvfefaw for the easy adjustment of die papal whew hr cram .to* dustary. ; i; 11 ' 7. Maintaining such standards of safety in the school shop* a* wdl make them a model for the irvjmtrh i of life cooumsuty. &- Making isuibkan far adequate first aid instruction and trmmiiwr Goksow C Gusto* (Detroit. Midi.): I was much to nr m erf by dm mSk Mr Lye gave, as st broogbt heme to me what has been to safety wagjamer* mss* r to* an old story m safety work; dmt b the fact that any oe^mmtoa wtow atony is being promulgated yon canwoc to nsc the slang cxpruiwn. p* first knar mtam you have Che stocerv and same* desire on the part of toe usrwlMi too art at the top to put the safety story riWpbtrly through the nrgwSTWiun Safety begins at toe sop to any industrial organization: if she chad usafin of (hat group are nee dnfngWjr. actively sold you cannot hope tor am moart in ate shop. Mr. Lye limply pawned mat toe of the many stories we nwtenriy hear f mtxt*aful safety piugrane bring hmufhr about in this manner. So amount of powers, booklets, pimpfikti need to a factory or shop are indicative f the memo of the safety movement: they m along with the spirit comb* from-the ep l tfctofc tins is equally true of owr work to the shops. We in Dctrto. onr t^ertoaendeate. have taken hold of this matter to an active way, not jmt rgm aging to The biggest obstacle we have had to overcome to the shop* to Detroit has ton toe inability uf the instructor* to realize the real objective of our school shop* storey auwewcnt. They seemed to feel, off-hand, "Weil, we don't have any strife-- to the school shops: we are doing a pretty good job because we don't have any irriiw*i" They didn't take toy yurticuhr interest in this safely work that was ben* handed down to them from toss executive group until we pointed oat tht! their job was the prevention of afotou to industry to years to come, tint they were preparing tbtoents in accident preveottoe as weB as to manipulative ability. At that point we began to get real action m oar safety program. Likewise, so much fans been heard about teaching the students accident prevention and very tittle wa* said about the necessity of doing tl>e same thing for the instruc tor*. Safety is a comparatively recent development. We cannot hope to have the teachers teach safety. f they have no knowledge of the actual motive behind tt, as well as the operation necessary to put it across. So we think, to Detroit particularly, it h necessary to provide a vast amount erf 224 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress material to the instructors so that they can become interested in accident prevention work, and turn their knowledge over to their students in turn- The instructor is apt to devote little time to it if you say you want him to teach it; it is apt to get no further. In this connection, I think this should be brought out; the instructors have got to be interested. We have got to instruct the instructors, if you please, in order that the students may be instructed. D*. Frank M. Leavitt (Associate Sopt of Schools for Vocational Education, Pittsburgh): 1 am glad to see that Mr. McCarthy has come in. I want to reverse the u*uai procedure in a meeting of this sort, where a man reads his paper and the audience asks him questions. I want to ask the audience Some questions. X took this doctor's thesis of Dr. Hcnig to which 1 referred, which was published by the National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters in New York. I found he based hk whole procedure of a safety program on modification of the curriculum, giving in struction in the class room and not tu the shop, not by the shop instructor. Therefore in my discussion of a hypothetical question I conceived a program where we would have the shop instructors doing what they could do, and 1 thought very likely this program Dr. Kent* had worked out at the Essex County Vocational' School for Boys at West Orange, N. J- might make some contribution too. I Was going to ask whether anybody in the audience had had any experience with the sort of safety program worked oftt tit this thesis? I don't think Mr. McCarthy &aid quite this, but something like it, that the only people who could make boys safe were the instructors; hut I thought there might be some elements of a safety program handled in the class room, perhaps better there. 1 would hate to have ray shop, if 1 were an instructor, cluttered up with pictures; l would want the boys to be looking at tbe thing they were doing. X want to fee something useful out of this, l want us to get something that we can: cany baric Vo our schools and have better safety prc*rms than before. I want to hear from anybody who knows whether you can help a safety program by 1mving lectures in the class room. Chairman Drkxis: Mr. McCarthy knows about these things; probably, though his paper has been read, he would like to put 'hi* own personality into the presentation given for him so well by Mr. Miller. John A. McCarthy (State Supervisor of Industrial Education, Trenton, N, J.); Dr. 'Leavitt mentioned the lecture method of teaching safety. There were some state ments in my paper regarding tbe development of safety through habit I have not much regard'for tl*c lecture method, particularly with youngsters; I do not think they can carry any amount of the things we impart by the lecture method to the industrial system he is going to face. He cannot remember; if he is operating a lathe he is going to be too preoccupied trying to develop the skill he will have to have. I think some information mi safety , of a general kind can be given in the class room, but it cannot be done entirely that way. ft is a matter of safety habits. We don't learn to drive automobiles in lectures and expect to c*; them over into ab normal road conditions. Some of thd schools in New Jeiv r do carry out their programs, on the lecture basts, but of* course we cannot agree with all the practices. Some of Ujc doctors* degrees are got by writing about things cm which little it fcnovra. Dr. Hentg ss one of our teachers, but he covers a number of subjects besides safety. He teaches civics, English and rxmvocational subjects which can be better taught in the class room. I chi not agree with all the opinions held about education; 1 don't agree with the class room teaching of safety. . Some time ago there was an article written in one of the Industrial Arts magazines, in which it was said that applying the intelligence test to this was causing conflict with simp tcaclicrs; there was merely confusion between the application of the Stcn- qtwat picture test, while the teacher was thinking of mechanical performance. Education Division 225 In my opinion, you have got to create a shop atmosphere; I agree with the gentle men who said you have to keep your teachers informed: we are constantly trying to keep trnr teachers abreast of the developments in industry; it is a hard job. I had an experience with a diop evening class. I picked out the finest bricklayers I knew of because of their standing and ability at their trade. 1 went In one night, and found each boy Had a drawing board and drawing instruments. You can imagine the hard time they were having handling them. I asked if that was tbe way they laid out the work on the lob. The instructor took out a piece of chalk and drew an out line, He forgot this when he wa* teaching, trying to become a professor using a set of artificial instruments. Dr. Leavitt: Out of my four points the first was that safety was pretty largely habit formation which liad to be inculcated in the shop by the teacher. So you set*, we agree; I just wanted to see if there was anything good in this other tiling. 1 learned a lot. Thank you! Mr, Caurscxx (Parish Schools, Pittsburg!*. Pa.): I like J>r. Leavitt's challenge that wc should carry home something practical. I think too many figure* are used; 1 think we have very omnanagfahte figures here in Pittsburgh; after becoming en thused over saving: lives of children, we found tise fatalities had increased about sixty per cent daring the period. That Is one of those unmanageable fact* which you cannot get around. We thought we were going at the wink in an intelligent way. In flic previous year are had had twenty-four fatalities of children on the streets; and in (lie year in which we were all enthused about safety work, wc had forty-one. I was reading an article the other day about health which we attack in somewhat the same manner as safety. There was a very strong recommendation that every child, speaking of the junior high school age. has tbe urge for seK-expTestitra and should be given an opportunity to satisfy this. The habits of study can be given to all children naturally, not artificially, by creating situations; but wc cannot create all situations in modem life. The children going out from the schools sutd simps ineet situations in life which they never met before. The child is going to meet situa tions we never xoei: a great part of the work of teachers Is to create not so much proper habits, though that is important as to create proper attitudes in the minds iff young students toward life, safety, thrift, health, and if tins is done in relation with other subjects it can be very well done from analyzing situations hi a psychological manner. This is practical, that we should give these students in the lower grades where the situations cannot be created, the proper attitude by instruction, and give him the opportunity to satisfy Ms urge for self-expression. Chairman" Dexxi: Thank you. Mr. Sherrard touched upon those points yester day. I think perhaps Dr. Whitaty would say something. Dr. G. D. WitfTtftY (Cntvcnny of Pittsburgh): The safety program from the standpoint of she school ought * and does interest me particularly. Tlx* philosophy behind the whole thing in the teacher's mind is somethtrq; tike this: the school is one agency for making * ciWrteH` to the sum) life of the people: it is but one agency: the home, the church, the arw*papers aad many others are working alung whh it; it is probable that the school hoc certain things to do and takes on a residual function laid down by these other agencies. Sue do nut think that the shop teacher takes safety for granted because it is so mach a port of our everyday affairs. Safety is lflee other things. like language, lor instance: the shop teaelwr does not think it is his job tu u4vi this particular prchScm. 1 thmk that probably accounts for his attitude. :f We have done this tn cwr framing classes lor industrial teachers, organized separate classes, trying to bring the teachers to the realization that this is part of their job, and we have tried to develop proper effective means of getting this into their practice. I was head of a group of teachers m a school and one day the print shop teacher sent for me in haste; I found a boy had cut his thumb off, or lost the thumb. The 226 Nineteenth Anmuti Safety Congress teacher was iterating the press for cutting paper and brought the lever down and k didn't quite cut, and he brought it down again This youngster reached through from the other side to get sonic of the cuttings. I had to take that bay home and explain to his parents. I think it would be good for every teacher to have this experience. I once heard of a teacher in a school shop being taken into court because a boy bad injured himself in the shop. This was the sort of thing he tact with: the lawyer asked him among oilier things, if He had a record of the days and boon he had given the instruction; the teacher said he Had such a record. The lawyer said to produce it in court. * Now anyone who takes safety for granted and wbo is faced with the possibility of 1laving to produce evidence like that, surely ought to be alive to his responsibility, moral as well as legal, for attending to these matters. So the college professor has to say this morning that we are trying to cope with this situation, making the shop teacher* come to us. trying to give them ways for accomplishing this. ADJOURNMENT NINETEENTH ANNUAL SAFETY C O N C,R F v c NATIONAL SAFETY CO UN CIL o Home Safety Friday Idomittt Seaaicm (Makar *. M DR. It M. UTTLK. CUnw Bureau of JUfeakOfeatfan, New Tor* S*s*m Ifepfturam of Uxatni, ; : Alkaary, K. Y. , . The meetfey of the Hcwc '.fcty Secocw of chc Xsoctrauh Aanal Safety Oat- gras convened with Dr. R. M. tjede. hoe of RtkakiStatkm. Ntw York Slate Department of Edacatioo. Attwsy. Xar York, prnidraf. CflsnitAH Lrrnx: l shall cake a fate npeaau to speak of the impoehmee of home safety' in the: Itisnt safety asaeameaa < ear country, ft ratn, to m. 'that it is first oo the pragmas, tsrasast He kagini iw the bouse and usually ends In the heme, and while we nnnfiasnBy p ewe af awe kossscs usd travel afar, we always like to go bade home. It is net safer the firve A osar honaan instituaions. but 1 presume we ait believe it a* the beta, and nrlaiafe ie the asoaa inttocmial in the forming of habits of coodoct. I have obeerved for aeaefer twenty yeas, daw tka stnaa kt edacatiott for safety has been open safe habits aad safe practices, and if safe habits atad safe practices are the secret for a safe; aad wd dwripfinrd. aad wad preserved life. ete sorely the place to exert the hugest iaifcowe ha the fi naarint period of life, would be in die home. It should be more indereriaf then the school add a gTeat dead snore influential than industry. Indeed, the school, asad induatay. and cow-scree.. and-the community gel the finest things they base unite largely frees the hsaae Therefore, the subject which - we have for coostderataoea his aaornsag is fondmemai In the whole subject of safety in life. The first speech is to be upon the subject, "Trebling Littie Children in Safe Habits." by Dr, Ada Hart Arlitt. Training Little Children in Safe Habits By DR. ADA HART ARLITT Prefeaocc of Child Cut **d Tramiag, Ualvrxiiy of Cincinnati, and Chairman, Committee an Parental Education, National C^n*a of Pwat* *ad Tcte* I strfmdt the proposition that training in safety education i* exactly the tame tort of training, as an educative process, as training in the English language, or training in potftenes*, or tnuoiag in any other thing which you wish to have your child do; that H is nothing new. nothing strange or startling, and I make that point advisedly. Perhaps the best way to make the point clear Is by means of an illustration. The m 228 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress question that we get most from our parents in connection wHh safety education is, how can I train my child to cross the street ? You could approach that m three different ways, two bad mm! one good. In the first place, you could tell him How perfectly terrible it could be if be crossed the street without looking from side to side, ami what perfectly awful things happen to children who do that. And that would be. Jet's say, wrong- Or yon couM sit down and tell him about how to cross the street, and where it is safe, and that also might not be quite so good. Or you could take him with you when you cross the street, beginning at the time he U about two and can walk, and let him show you how he can took for things in both directions, and give you the signal to start when it is safe, and all the time you being with him and taking the re&ponsibilty for his acts, so that you know when he is wrong, and so that you can check him on it. Having practiced with him from the time he is two to the time he is six, gradually giving him more ami more responsibility, and finally letting him do ft with you standing on the curb to check him even then, you would find yon had him trained m how to cross the street safely. , . That Is true of all ^afety education. Suppose we see what might happen If we trained him in either of the other two ways. Yew know and: I know that if we sit down and tell a child about z thing, he doesn't get very rnsch out of It unless he has had a lot of experience. For example, 1 could say to you, please give me a nice description of a rhinoceros sondakus, and I am quite certain that unless yon are a naturalist the description would be quite odd. Now, when you train the child in safety education by sitting down and telling him things with which he has liad no experience, Ue is in exactly the same position yoti are in the description o( your rltmoccro* sondaicus. He gets the wrong kie* if he gets any at all. and he forgets it just as rapidly as you will forget that scientific term I just used. What about tire second of those methods, making him scared to death so he wilt be careful ? Let roc tell you erf two interesting experiences we lave had lately. A mother came into our office, and rh<* wtid she just couldn't gel her child to cross the street without a good deal of upset, that he cried and she had to drag him across, and what was the matter. ' We said. "What was your first approach to getting Hun to cross the street ?* She said, "He is my only child, and I took him to the street comer wlierc an auto mobile had run over a cat, ami I said, `John, took at that cat. If an automobile catches up with you, that is wliat you are going to look like/** I don't believe tliai only applies to two and three-year olds. Not so long ago in a western city they put up twelve crosses where there had been a terrific accident at a bridge crossing, from large to small, indicating the size of (he people I suppose. The men who crossed that particular bridge wrote ip. violently because they said when they came to those crosses their cars swerved dangerously. They were o afraid they couldn't control thetr cars.. Those were the nervous drivers, of course. 1 have no doubt there were careless .drivers that passed thuu perfectly calm. So instead of keeping the crosses up, they put in red reflectors with the word "Caution.'* One more illustration. I have found, in going by a certain schodhouse that I have to put my car m second and go by that way. because if I toot the horn the children arc paralyzed and won't move. Instead of getting out o! the way, they stand perfectly still in the middle of the street and shake; so that I am pretty careful not to blow the horn for fear of an accident, they being made so afraid they can't get out of the way. That ts all in cooncctkm with that simple little situation of creasing the street. Hem* do you expect your child to know how to be safe unless he has had some practice hi i* ? Let's use the tltird method. Let's take him to the street corner and let him have the practice. I might say that 1 have never seen a person become a Howe Safely 329 professional golfer, without practice. That is no mere complicated titan all of the things involved in safety education is for the child. We have an old maxim, that one of my friends here wilt remember (ttmi Iwr kindergarten training: There Is no impression without expression. You don't learn to do a tiling until you have had a chance to do it, and that is just as true in safely eduxation as it is in learning to read or teaming to speak. Make your child cautious but not afraid. If any of you have e\rr had the experience of driving with a cautious driver, you haven't had a very great number of shocks, but how many of you have ever driven with a fearful driver, one who was scared to death? i'll warrant you, you were pretty glad when you got out of that car. And it is so when you set up th w experiences anywhere along the Hue in this training process. Were you ever afraid you were going to run into a post, and you looked at it so awfully hard you did run into it? I wonder if you were ever afraid you were going to say something to a person, and you watched yourself to see that you didn't. If you do that enough. I'll guarantee you'll say it to that person. It not only puls you at a disadvantage; it may actuary make you cto the thing you ire afraid you will do. On the other hand tbe child must be cautious. A debtor friend of nfirte was driving down a Jull, when a little boy shot out in front of his car m his little wooden wagon. My friend put on bis brakes and luckily stopped his car. The little boy stopped the wagon in front of the car, and my doctor friend got out to tell him what he thought of him, and lie stood over this seven-year old and he told him all about it. All the response he got was, ''You go to blazes. Why can't 1 coast here? Mine's as good a car as yours, and it needs cranking," That child, I submit needed to be made cautious and he needed it rapidly and accurately. So that f am not sayings do not make the child cautious, bait just don't scare him. . Take the responsibility with your child, whatever you are making him cautious about Don't turn too much responsibility over to him until lie has learned how to take it. You and I know from the mental hygiene workers of this country, that one of tiie worst things to do is to put so much responsibility on the person he becomes insecure. So give him practice with you there and show Mm how to do it. Now, the question that is going to come up is, shall I ever punish my child so that he won't do tilings that are dangerous? I didn't say anything about that be cause I think you can pettish a child without making him afraid. I think you may sometimes have to do that to make him, or help him to remember not to do that thing again. It Is possible yon may if a thing is dangerous and he doesn't seem to team- quickly enough: but kl me ask you, n you do tlaat, to keep in mind one or two other principles of learning: That the more exciting you make that thing that you punish the child for. the more sure he to do it, and i know that one of the greatest rewards in early childhood--and I am not so sure it isn't so true of other people-- is to be the center of attention and the cause of excitement, .So if you ttake that child think it is the most exciting thing in the world to do. it will be like my friend John wbo is four years old. I met him the other day, ami he said, "Gee, this is good fun." I said, "Well, what is the riot?" I heard his mother boding Over. * ' He said, "She thinks I've a lighted match, and 1 haven't anything but a stick." You and I both know what would happen in that case. He got such a show out of it, he was willing to take a spanking, and he did get a spanking too, just to get that show pulled off. So please don't make it so exciting that he ii bound to do it. There are other things .that you are going to ask I know, such as, shall I ever make my child obey me so very quickly he won't get m danger? The other day { was in m outlying rural district and the leading light hi the district met me with tills question: What would you do in this case? Here we have 230 Niwcfrenth Annual Safely Congress two boys. Hits one obeys and this one doesn't. There is a train coming, and the mother speaks to this one and he gets out of the way of the tram, and the other boy hasn't learned to obey. That was all right, it hadn't happened. It was just a stock situation, but 1 sub mit that the second boy should have been taught obedience, and he should have been trained to know when it was an emergency. We tsse what we call an emergency tone to the little chddreo in the nursery school, and we have seen it used with a great deal of success with children in the hone. You cm say to a child something Hke this: "When you come in to me, and I am awfully busy, and you ask for something, I say, "Wait a minute,* and when I dear up some of the work. I do it; but if you come hjto me with your ftngtr cat, that Is an emergency and I drop everything and take care of it Now there are emergencies tor mother and father. When you hear this toue, you moat obey right away and then you can give him a little practice in the tone. I have a young friend who used to go into the next room, and say to hts mother, "Try out the emergency tone, mother, and see if 1 know it* . But once you have developed your chiId'* response to that emergency tone, it is ndt an *wfu% good thing to use it too much, because after one of my friends had framed her child as to the use of the emergency tone, she then used it to show the baby off when her friends came to toe House, and it wasn't long before the emergency tone stopped. . You are giving your child enough technique so that he knows what to do, and when and bow to do it all the way along, whether it is in crossing the street, avoid\ng matches, or any of these other things, teaching him what to do in that situation, so that he not only will be safe but he will feel safe while be is being safe. Civ-ilka-* lion is so foil uf shocks anyhow, that what you are trying to do is to diminish them not Increase them, and f submit that merely making the child afraid does not protect him. but on the other hand it puts him in a more dangerous posit*"'.; that what you are trying to dn with your child in the home, at any point, ' .) [dace, is to make him feel safe because he knows how to be safe. :Chairman Little Perhaps some one wishes to ask Dr. Artist a question* J. F. H. Wysc (Canadian National Safety League, Toronto, Canada): 1 would like to ask Dr. Arlitt to let me know what, m her opinion. Is toe best way of reach ing the mothers in the home. Is there any better way tom a letter to those parents* which we send out every year, and through that fetter try to reach the homes to toe entire province? Da. Arlitt: You can reach them by your system, which is an excellent one, but you can also reach them by pre-school study groups wbkb are a common unit fa parent-teacher associations, and m all parent educational programs. You can abo run short articles in your newspapers. Material md brief article* on the woman's page, and the like, win help. Miss ifL. Telford (Field Secretary, Educational Division, National Safety Council) ; Not long ago I faced some six or etght hundred elementary school chil dren who had been discussing the dangers oi riding bicycles in traffic, and a little boy, probably in the sixth grade, stood up to the crater of toe group, and this is what he said, *T ride my bicycle down town in heavy traffic just to get a thrill Out of it," and then with a toss of his head, "What are you going to do about >t ?" Here is a boy facing you before 600 or 800 children. What are you going to do? Dr. Arlitt: 1 am going to give you a mean answer to that. You must change his attitude. You will have to show him that there are other things that are more daring and more interesting than that. And if you got that question in toe middle of m speech you would have to be an awfully quick thinker. A great many people feel that when they are doing the thing that is forbidden, they are being awfully smart and daring. There are a great many adults who even Home Safety 231 encourage in the child that kind of allowing off. The very fact that he got up and tossed his head, with that "What are you going to do about it?*' manner, shows that fee knew he was going to cause trouble; he got Jh* center of attention by doing that. You will have to give him something else exciti^, and you can do that very often by getting him into a Boy Scout troop in which the leader plays with that spirit of adventure. Chairman Little: It is just as adventurous to be safe as it is to be unsafe. Why won't stories about Lindbergh, about Admiral Byrd, and about Coste. and these successful aviators and explorers, appeal to the imagination, in a positive way, of the boy who tikes the thrill? I had a thrill toe other day watching Coste take off. I could imagine why he could cross the Atlantic Ocean, and why he could fly to all the countries of the world. The positive and safe thing also has its satisfaction to the inner nature and gives a thrill quite as well as reckless deeds. A. \V. Whitkiy (National Bureau of Casualty & Surety Underwriters. New York City); I would like to add just one thing; 1 think there is no thrill in danger particularly, except in doing things successfully, if you do things unsuccessfully, there is certainly no kick to it and so 1 think that ts really the key to the situation. Safety is something that you exercise in order that you may do the particular thing that you warn to do and do it successfully. Mrs. James N, Dowhcv (Director Women's Activities, Police Department, De troit, Mich.): I want to tell you of the reaction of a child to the sensible safety teaching erf one of the mothers in Detroit. On the 22ml day of February her little six-year old daughter attended a program at the school, and when she returned home, her mother said to her, "How did you like toe program T And she said, "Why, ft was very nice, mother, but ym know I don't think modi of George Washington.* Her rootlier said, "Why, what do you mean by telling me that?* She said, "He was standing up in a boat" I believe that shows if mother* will give their instructions to the proper way. it is sure to have an effect. Dr, Awutt: Just so Mr. Whitney will know* when I said, "Tram them in tech nique so they will know how to do the thing and do U properly* I meant just ex actly that- There is just as much thrill in crossing the street the right way as there is m dashing madly across, and arriving breathless on the other side, safe. One gives you a sense of power, ami the other leaves you more nr less panting, and breath less, and with the wrong kind of a thrill. If you train your child how to do the thing, the way to do it, he gets fun out of doing it well, and that, I think, is exactly the point that Professor Whitney was making. I agree with him entirely. What you want to do is to know how to be safe to order to be able to face new dangers, or- something that is more dangtron*. Mr. E. T. Chamberlain (State Safety Chairman, Pennsylvania Congress of Par ents and Teachers, Eric, Pa.) : In starting our study classes, we have the parentteatoers taking it from toe pre-school right up through to the high school, and we Rave a correlated program. Is that a good idea ? Dr. Arlitt: In totergraded study groups you get your best results if it it a co ordinated program that takes your child through two or three phases. I doubt, how ever. if any parent group should continue studying parent education for the entire school life of the child. That makes, you see. twelve years of parent education. Ml Chamberlain : We are dividing the groups. All the mothers of children of pre-sebool age ate studying at the same time the same program, and the same fe true of the mothers of children to the grades. Tftey aren't in the one group all the time. A. F- Tyra (American Carixrfitc Co- Duluth, Minn.) : I would like to ask what 232 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress effect, if any, has the training in industrial plants had on safety in the home. Has there been any reaction that haa been noticed? D*. Axlitt: I wish I could answer that question, I don't know at all and I do not know Of any study that has been made. It 1$ an excellent study for research, because you can follow into the homes of those particular workers and compare them with the homes of the same type of people who haven't had that training in the plants. We human beings are interesting. We do not transfer much. You train a student in physiology of Ute nervous system and you put him into a class on anatomy of the nervous system and he doesn't know the two thing* are the same. You train your child to be polite at home, and unless you transfer it yourself you will find him doing alt the things you never expected him to do at all when you take him out. It doesn't transfer unless you make that transfer, unless you say, *`\Vhen you go to Mrs. So and So'a I want you to do all the things you do at home." Mothers lve had that experience just as teachers m colleges have had it. Tlierc is one reason for all of these orientation courses and integrating course* in the colleges, to get the transfer from one subject to another. You may study economics or sociology for four years and never get from one to the other m your life time. That applies. fo die man m the plant, and it ate) applies to John doing the things you want biro to do. CHAiasiA* Litti.r: The next subject is. **The National Bureau's Study of Home Accident*," by Miss Gertrude Zunrer, a Fellow in Home Safety, at tile University, of Chicago. The National Bureau's Study of Home Accidents Br MISS gbrteudb zurrer Fellow in Home Safety, UnWeraity of Chicago I welcome the opportunity to discus, my Study in home safety for two special rea sons. First, I expect to get a lot of help from the audience. Secondly, if I can talk about it, perhaps I,will know a little more when J get through. I know very little about it. __ When I was looking through statistics ami figures to find out what had been done to combat this tremendous figure of home accidents. I found that there was very, very little being done, and I was interested to hear this morning that although surely everything Dr. Arlitt said could be used in home safety, nevertheless there -were hardly any examples brought up tliat actually referred to home accidents. I don't think they have been studied fo any great extent. I know that some of the groups of parttrt teacher associations and women** clubs have given it some study, bat it has wot been done as fundamentally as. for instance, studies have been made in traffic or in industrial accidents. And J flunk that until we bate made this study, we cannot outline a really positive preventive program. May I just draw a parallel between what figures we have oo home accidents compared with the figures we have oo, perhaps, traffic accidents, to substantiate my statement that practically nothing has been done as regards home accident* ? Domestic accident* are classified as falls, and burns, and asphyxiation, poisons, and minor cuts and scratches. Of course, many barns may be caused by falls, because we hear very much about children falling into things, aid we get a bum and the bum is recorded, whereas it realty was also a fall Those are details that 1 don't think it is worthwhile to spend the time on, because we want to i>revent both that bum and that fall, and there is no use arguing about which it was, . Information like that would be equal to information on traffic accidents and col- Home Safety 233 Hsfoos. collision of one vehicle with another, colliVirms with fixed objects. That kind of information never brought about a change in the traffic problem because it was evident that two cars collided, but why they collided was the question. Was it a poor view of the road, some trees or herlges that obstructed the view, or was the driver m no condition to drive, or was it a poor car? That is the informalion that yoo waat if you want to prevent traffic accident*. The same holds true in home acridents. It ts not enough that I know people fall down; I must find out exactly why. After all we are just speculating on slippery floors and rugs. We say, "Yes so and o many people do fall because of tfose things," but We really don't know. 1 don't think there are any figures that really indicate the trend of these things properly. Then comes anotlier factor that has also not entered into studies of home accidents. Studies were made of hazards in industry and it was learned that the men would have to wear goggles to protect their eyes. Then arose the very big question, which perhaps hadn't been thought of at all. "How can you make men wear goggles?" This is just as important as the fact that people do hurt their eyes working at certain types of trades. And in home accidents it is just as important to learn about that personal factor too. I would like to show you that that intensive study of details seems to be indicated in this field of home accident*. Such basic material is necessary for the construction of a preventive program, and since it doesn't exist I think' the study I* entirely justified. You hare certain out line* of safety teaching in school, and I know they contain quite a bit of information on home accidents, but they don't give very specific instructions, and that is what We need. ; . V." : ' > : :;j : . . ' ; . .: : ; ' : . The atudy should yield material to be used in formal teaching in your women's dubs where a certain group comes for information. Then the third kind cf teaching which I think is especially indicated m tbig field, and which has not been tried is home teaching. If you have a group of women in a dub, you already have a select group. They have shown interest in what you are going-to give them; otherwise they wouldn't come. But we all know where perhaps moot accidents happen. (That is just it--perltaps; we have no figures to sl>ow.) It is where the woman must leave her children and go to tike factory, or where she has a very large family, or where die is a foreigner. These women do not go to the clubs. ' I think that sort of teaching can be carried out by social workers, among whom I like to list visiting nurses who liave until now not taken advantage of this oppor tunity to teach safety, I think it is a wonderful opportunity, because no one has a better entrance into die home than a nurse, who brings a message in health and who is right time. I haven't many ways and means for my study, and perhaps the least I say about it the better. I will have access to the records of the Visiting Nurses* Association of Chicago, because I will do the study there under the direction of Chicago University: and I shall take their cases, perhaps as they arc reported, and try to get their de tailed material that I have outlined. It may be possible to get a spot map of certain districts of cities, which 1 Itcar has already been done, although perhaps we can imagine which parts of a town have more accidents than other parts. On the other hand, if we could possibly count ex posures it would be very helpful. We really don't know if poor children have more accidents than children of Ac better homes, and they are forever exposed to so many dangers. We really don't know that. Important material that I don't know how to gather are facts on very minor acci dent*. Nevertheless it was just by mere chance that they weren't very serious accidents. Falling objects arc really dangerous. It may be something that I hardly 234 Nineteenth ;Annual Safety Congress feel when it fail* vn my foot, or rt may break ray foot It fall* down and that i$ what we want to prevent. ,, Then finer questions web as fatigue in the home w*H enter a great into this question of home accidents, and something that 1 really should have mentioned first of ail is this question of home management. I would like to get material on this, because it seems to me, as it seems to many oilier people that efficient home manage ment is safe management. Safe management may not always be efficient when it come* to Home management, but the other way around it is certain 10 work. An efficient house ts a safe house, and we have to find out just how efficiently these households are run, and possibly how we may see to it that they are ran more effi ciently. "' Another piece of information which wifi be valuable but is even less available is the answer to the question, why do certain household* have things happen and others don't. You, yourselves, know of families that always seem to have things happen to them. Their children are always getting hurt, and their grownups are always getting into trouble. And another family, living perhaps in the same house and the head of which is working m the same iwll seems to be spared. ' I think it Is an insult to God to think He sends all these filings to us. We know that He does not punish one family and not the other; therefore, there must he another reason, and we may get at it, although I confess that I don't know how, I haven't anything else to say, but I hope very much, (fuf you will assist me in gathering this material. There is file big question of getting materia] from rural communities. The rural home is just as Important, H not more so, than the city home and I have not been able to outline a program as to how to get that material satis factorily, and since I lave no questionnaire, I cannot today say exactly what I want, but I do hope that I will be able to include the rural home. Many governmental agencies, such as the extension service of the Department of Agriculture, get the rural home but X atn sorry to say that they are hot very conscious of this factor of home accidents. I was astonished to team that teaching does not include the most elementary les son in safety. I found certain publications, and it astonished me very much, indeed, to learn that anyone today advertises, for instance, the use of gasoline in homes for cleaning rugs and such things. I would like to point out m my study that safety itself is not an end, just as health is not. To be safe so yo>u can do things, and to be healthy so you can do things are what X will put more thus anything else in my study; than to do things safely is the only way to do them if you want to do them at all. Life should be used, not hoarded, hut neither should it be wasted through unintelligence. Cbahmas Lmxa: l think it is'exceedingly fortunate that Miss Zurrcr is to make ibis comprehensive study, foBowteg out the various leads which she Iw* sug gested and oilers, arid when she brings her report to a subsequent meeting, we will have a great many more definite facts, than we have fists morning. This subject opAen. fWor.diWscuhsistiokniv. (National Bureau of Casualty Sc Surety Underwriters, New York City) : May I say a little more about the background of this study? The study is to be made at the University of Chicago, under Mbs Edith Abbot, head of the sociology department. The subject specifically is the correlation between home safety and good home management. The thing (hat led to that was this,: When the industrial safety movement was begun, it was supposed that industrial safety would have to be gotten at the price of efficiency; that when people wore goggles, and when the operator* stopped to be careful, it would slow things down. A* a matter of fact, exactly the opposite has been proved to be the case. Tlie safe factory Iws turned out to be the efficient factory, and the efficient factory is the safe factory. ^ Home Safety 235 9. ha the beginning safety was sold to executives on die ground of humanity and on the ground of the direct saving they could make. Today safety is beiug sold to executives on the ground that they can't afford to have the kind of a factory that has accidents; not that they can't afford to have accidents, but you sec the difference. So the question is this, won't we find that the home that is safe is also the home that is efficient, and charming, and well managed, and happy ? R. M. Shmiaw (Associate Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools): J| seems to me that the public schools of this country can be of very, very great assistance m a study of this land. We have, in our safety work, city maps in all our schools, and whenever there is a street accident that concerns the immediate community of the school, there b a mark made on the map. and there ts a dbeowdon about that center or about that intersection. 1$ that a bad place? Could it he avoided? Is there anything we can do to make it better? ft seems to me all schools, because they reach so many Itomes. ought to be able to collect and keep for reference, every accident that happens," that causes a loss of time to school children. That is exactly part of the study that Miss Zurrer is talk ing about. The machinery might be a little heavy to have a report made as soon as the accident occurs, bet the principals of the schools oyer the country, at the end of the month, could, perhaps, make a report showing how much lost time there was. or analyze the accidents that have happened in their schools, and in that way we can aid in this reduction of accidents, or in trying (o make our parents realize that there are certain things that they ought to do and do all the time. . E, Ross Fakba (Manager Grand Rapids Safety Council) : I don't think this group cognizant of the fact that there are two types of reports that are being gathered by a large group of local safety councils- Because the wperifftendem at schools ts in charge of our school and child safety work we secure reports of every accident that not only occurs ini the school but that occurs to a school child, whether on file street, at haste, or in the school. In addition to that, we started in our city, in the first tort of 1938, securing re ports from the three hospital*. Every month a record of every accident case is re ported. It a tree that we do not get every accident hut I think we get 90 per cent ol them. At the end of this year we will have had three year's experience, and we will know whether falls in the home or falls in the street are the things that arc causing the moat non-fatal accidents. I will say, very frankly to you, I ant not interested in these Utile accidents, that U. cuts of fingers and tilings of that kind, for the simple reason that there isn't a safety council dut has as yet successfully licked the fatal accidents. I am interested in tlie serious non-faul accidents (hat cause hospitalization, and I am interested in the fatal accidents, and those are the things, H seems to me, we might to concentrate our efforts on, and wljcn wc get those licked we will not have any trouble with the minor ones. That is Ac kind of accident* we know about through these reports. William C. Knorlic (Assistant Supt. of Schools. Milwaukee, Wis.): May f suggest that the technique that is to be adopted hy Miss Zurrer is going to be the determining factor as to whether her study is worth while. If you will permit, Mr. Chairman. [ should like to take just a minute or two to tell about the various plans that we liave made in our community to do the things that Miss Zurrer has suggested, not only from the point of getting information from the various schools, but also from the standpoint of getting information from the industries, and from tlx* standpoint of getting information through the health survey of the community. We Have gotten all the information that we can take care of. Wc have gotten a mass of material on, not only the schon! age child, but the prc-school age chihl. and we have a sufficient number of accident* on which to base conclusions, hul what w* lack and what every study of this sort lacks thus fat Is the necessary criteria 236 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress cm the basis of which to tpak our judgment*. It is an accepted fact everywhere that before you can cure anything, you have to diagnose that particular thing as to its necessary ingredients and find out just what particular phase of that accident has caused that particular accident. We heard the gentleman suggest that only fatal accidents shall be of interest to us. I beg leave to submit that he is entirely wrong. I say that many accidents that occur, tit their possibilities, and in the incipient nature of the accident, carry with them all the contents of a real fatality, and, therefore, I submit that it is very necessary to study not only the fatalities but those things which carry in themselves the possibilities of a fatality. A child may receive a bump, or a burn, or a fall and may get away with it and the mother is grateful and thanks the Creator, of all things on her knees that the child did get away with it, and precisely the same thing may happen in another home and the child passes out. No, I think that the crux of tfte whole thing is to determine what criteria we shall have. If it isn't a selected group, and if you have a mass of information that runs over all phases of society and all types of homes and cast determine what measuring stick shall he applied to this, ami feerefroro select the causes of these accidents, then, and then only can you get hems accidents on die fasts where industrial accidents are now r where traffic accidents are. Mrss Florence C. Fox (United States Office of Education, Washington): I thought you would be interested to know tliat there are a great many courses of study, especially oo safety, being put out now by the school systems m different parts of the United States* and in almost all ordinary courses of study there will he some section on safety. i:" : : r ' l just tram to make one point on those courses of study: They are having home inquiries made by the pupils. The pupil goes home and says, "Mother, where ** our medicine chert?" amt "Is it up high enough on the wall so that the baby can't get into it ?'* and, "Mother, are there any unlabeled bottles of medicine that are not m the chest?" and, "Have we a rubber mat in the bath tub and a band-hold in the wall," because, probably you know, a great many serious accidents occur in the bath tub. Those questions are asked of the parent by the child himself, and the mother says, "I don't believe we have a medicine chert, I believe we ought to have one," and, "Where shall we pat it ?" and jo oo. That leads to a great many little items of safety which the mother in the home hasn't thought of at alb There are a great many other suggestions in these courses of studies, but right along this line, it seemed to me the home inquiry by the children would prove to be a very beneficial feature of tbts home study in safety. Mil Fama: I don't think the gentleman understood me correctly. 1 said. "In addition to the fatal accidents, nrai-fatal accidents that were serious enough to hospitalize." I have had fourteen years' experience, a good part of it m analyzing industrial accidents, and I know it is- the feeling of industrial engineers all over the country tliat we must get the grip on the fatal and the serious non-fatal. Please don't mis understand me, we will at the same time care for these very minor accidents, the problem is so big--it is a whole lot bigger than anyone thinks it is untH he gets into it--that if we don't centralize on the roost important things first, we are going to be an everlastingly long time getting it solved. Cdamak L-ittuc: I agree with you that analyzing and keeping the statistical records, and so forth, Is monumental if you take m everything:, but underlying it all the same education, the same training that will prevent the large accident will pre vent the small accident I had that impressed on my mind by Mr- Schultz erf the United States Steel Corporation, some ten or twelve years ago. They had heart attacking the problem, as industry always did, from the point of Heme Safety 237 view of die major accident and how to prevent that, and they had succeeded in rcdwcwg their serious disability rate hi a very considerable degree, but the small accidents kept going up, and he made his study from the point of view, oi why, when we are reducing the serious accidents, do the kitle accidents increase? And he reached die conclusion in his study, tliat the program which will really prevent accidents mast be so directed that it will prevent die minor accidents as well as the major accidents, and to keep on successfully preventing major accidents, you hav to make your program of safety education and prevention so Clear, so definite, aad also so comprehensive, it wifi cut down both types of accidents. I will admit that the small accident will not get the care that the major one docs, but if you get the right philosophy, and the right method, and the right approach to it, you will be reducing both, and I think--am I'wrong or not?--that at present we are reducing both rates in the butler organized industriesA gentleman asked the question a little while ago, have we any data as to the results of industrial safety on home safety, and I suppose we have only very general impressions, with perhaps a few accidents, of where there Juts been the transfer of the safety idea and safety practice from the industry into the homes of working men, but we bare no considerable data. : Tafeti iiiitatice, the ^lendari ofwhk$? tWkfciional Safely CounciljHifcljsJwj two hundred thousand, or a half a million a year, my figures may be wrong but it is a very large number. It is a most beautiful calendar, and on tlic back of it there is a great deal of home safety instruction. It ought to be very interesting, if wc could check up on it, the benefit from the public utility cqjrporatiqns makitig their jnstallaUcms in thehomes. for gas and for electricity. The public utility corporations are forward in Industrial safety, and they are developing their along safety lines, sad it is of tremendous concern to them that all installations shall be made properly in order that the electricity and the gat, and so forth, may be used safely in the home, ' Plumbing is also a large item of safety in tl>e home. It Is, however, not very often installed by public utility corporations. Therefore, to what extent does the city inspection of buildings in the process of completion cover all the major physical hazards within the home? Does city inspection break down at times? And, if you are studying the accidents and the causes, and getting than in any large number, tliat would be a significant thing to bring out. I recognize that you can't bring out everything. But the question of the influence of industry, and the larger industries upon safety in the home--is there any transfer by the Safety Council through the safety calendar? Is there any transfer by the public utility corporations In their careful installations and inspections of their own work, and their instructions to the housewives ami other* as to how to use the electrical appliances -lately? Is that hrvtigtug the safety Idea of caution ami method into our homes ? Oh well, there is no end'to it and wc will go on to another subject. `The Safety Program of the General Federation ot Women's Clubs,1' by Mrs. Ed ward M. Land, Safety Program of the General Federation of Women's Clubs By MBS. EDWARD M. LAND President, North Carolina Federation of Women** Club* During the meeting of the Board of Director* of the General Federation held in Washington last winter, Mrs. Sippel brought to tite attention of her official group the problem of accidents in the home, and asked for the co-operation of the Presidents of the State Federation iu a movement looking toward the elimination of the most fruitful cause* of these accidents. In comaltattoa with representatives of the U. S, Bureau of Standards and the National Safety Council, joint plans were made for 238 Nineteenth Annual Safely Congress a program of mutual helpfulness, tiie General Federation to serve as a medium through which to operate, the Bureau of Standards to use tU equipment to devise ways and means of bringing under control existing hazards, and the National Safety Council to lend the wealth of Hs mfoonarion ami experience to the furtherance of the experiment- The General Federation was sought as the medium became it is not only a uationaf, but a general organization, the largest organization of women in the world. It comprises in its membership not only every state in the union, but women scattered in seventeen foreign countries. Since it is over-whelmingly an organization of home makers and mothers, this questtoe of home safety should be of vital concern. In opening the Home Safety programs at the meeting of the General Federation of Women's Gobs at Denver in June, Uri, Sippel, said, in part: "The question of accidents in the home was brought to the attention of the General Federation not primarily because we are citizens, but because we are bomc-nakers who have a great responsibility in making homes accident-proof. A danger recognized ts a danger eliminated," . The survey in North Carolina yielded results of such value that their inescapable facts will form the background of a campaign to bring home-makers to a realization of the dangers that are lurking in our homes. A rigorous program of accident pre- ventica and Erst aid is to be inaugurated the coming year by the General Federation and in this movement we have been assured the assistance of the United States Board of Standards and the National Safety Council. Otars is to be an Educational Campaign, the object of which is to make women and children "Safety Minded." If it U irtie that 50 per cent of the home accidents are avoidable, we who are re sponsible for the well-being of those within die protection of our homes, have before us a task tlut is a challenge. With these splendid cooperating agencies Seeking a remedy for present conditions, we women must translate into terms of daily living the timely suggestions of those who are striving to make safe the American Home. Let it not be said of -women by another 24*000 persons tb*s year, "Because you would not think, we had to die." At die suggestion of the Bureau of Standard it was thought wise to initiate a survey in a single state, before undertaking a program oo a nation wide scale, as this would give an insight into the situation among a specified and restricted group. Based on tins information the General Federation would be in a position to evolve a general program. Mrs. Sippei was given the privilege of designating the state lew this prclbnooary survey, and North Carolina was gratified that her ctub homes were made the field of demonstration. We know that the difficulty in obtaining facts regarding accidents that occur in the home is due to the secrecy that surrounds such accidents. We are rather ashamed to acknowledge that we have violated our intelligence and training by a flagrant disregard 01 tlte rules of prudence. We are startled to End that we have been thoughtless and careless of those whom we are most anxious to guard and protect, the members of our family circle, and that we have been wasteful of our own, and their welfare and well-being. In the light of after events we have been able to see how easily accidents might have been obviated. I am perhaps far enough away from home to speak of as indiscretion of which 1 was guilty that was wot covered by the survey, which called for accidents of the past year only. This leaf fioan the book of my experience may serve to deter other* from attempting a like experiment. In the early days of my housekeeping experi ence, I was busily engaged in making draperies for an upstairs room, trying to finish the task in a given time: The machine was conveniently placed in front of the window, and when the sewing was finished, I mounted the machine to hang the draperies. It seemed to offer a firm footing and I thought nothing could serve better as a substitute for a stepladder. It would be an economy both to time and effort Home Safely 239 to use it! The window was a double span and tny whole attention was directed toward the proper spacing and draping of the hangings. In order to reach across the wide spen of the window, I stepped out on the- extension leaf of the machine, and down came the curtains, the machine, the lady and all. My left foot caught the full force of the fall and I suffered a severe sprain from the hip to the ankle, which incapacitated me for six weeks. The amount spent for medical attention was sufficient to have paid a decorator to have done the work. It was a costly experience as weU is suffering, but it was a valuable lesson, for aa I lay inactive for several weeks 1 had time tor much wholesome thought. While I did not know it at the time; that was my period of preparation for the work as chairman of the Home Safety Committee of the General Federation. This does not mean that my home has been made accident proof. I am learning that eternal vigilance is the price of safety. I was to make the report of the home accident survey jo North Carolina, at the recent convention of the federation. I sat down one morning to write this report and gave order* that I was not to be dis turbed. I had hardly made the statement before ait agent appeared at the door. When I excused raysrif, my Mother took compassion on her and agreed to see her. She entered the door with her case of extracts, synthetic torooo pie, cake coloring, etc. and at the same moment I heard a terrific crash, the breaking of glass, a piercing scram, l ran down the steps about three at a time and found the cue open, the btoken bottles, and the person herself stretched on the door in an agony of pam. The cause of the accident was a sutl rug on a polished Boor. Later, at the hospital, an X-ray revealed a break in the small bone of the leg, near the ankle. As no mem* bers of this person's family were at hand, I had to stay with her until the leg could be put in a cast When I returned to thy desk m the afternoon l *at down and wrote the report of the home accident survey that has been conducted by the club women of North Carolina, and urged that we become 'safety-minded". I might have added that I intended to begin at my frontdoor. The survey in North Carolina was of great value to mi In calling sharply to oar attention the responsibility that rests on the shoulders of women for the elimination of home accidents. The method of campaign was to ask the president of each of the 286 clubs comprising tee state organization, to give her active, interested, whole hearted support in the effort to secure a personal canvass of every member of her dub. The cooperation of the Home Demonstration Clubs of the state was existed. This is an organization affiliated with ours, whose membership is made up of rural women. As the circumstances surrounding the rural home are different from tlo*e of the city home, we thought it would be helpful to ascertain facts regarding con ditions to the average country home as well as tee town homes. Prior to the launch ing of the campaign, news article* were published in all of the leading papers of tee state ud in tee official bulletin of tee federation, calling the attention of dub women to the importance of the survey. We (ek that it would add Interest to the work If all club women would engage in a whirlwind campaign, and so an effort was made to complete the canvass in thirty days. Experience taught us that women are a little slow to fill out questionnaires, but we were immensely gratified with the re sponse gfroi in tins survey. While tee canvass was not altogether complete, the quality of tee replies was good, giving a very vivid picture of what Is taking place in the average American home. The .reports were sent directly io tec Bureau xf Standards where tee material was analyzed and tabulated. While the object of the survey was not so smite tor the purpose of assembling statistics as to ascertain typical accidents, with a description of these accidents in order to aid to the removal of tee causes con tributing to teem, a splended statistical report resulted from this intensive campaign. At the outset, Dr. Burgess of the Bureau of Standards, stated teat be felt if women could be acquainted with typical cooditioos to average homes, it might stimu late them to action which would reduce the toll of life and limb now claimed annually 240 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress through avoidable accidents. It seemed to him a purpose well worth ti*e attention and the united effort of both the Bureau of Standards and the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The North Carolina chib women were spurred to action by the challenge from Mr*. Sippel that she selected North Carolina because of the efficient way m which the chib women of the state have undertaken tasks entrusted to tbem. As the purpose of the survey was to collect accurate data the period covered by the survey was limited to twelve mouths. The details were thus fresh in mind, and the description of the circumstances surrounding the accidents gave many gripping stories. It was specified that no traffic accidents were to be included in these re ports, nor accidents happening to the man of the house on his way to and from work. The reports did include aH members of the household who suffered accidents in and about the home, and the children to and from school and on the playgrounds of the school. One thing worthy of comment is that wily one accident occurred within a school room, and that was of a minor nature. Perhaps the most startling revelation of the survey was that the majority at the accidents could have been avoided by tlte exercise of reasonable care and forethought. The statement that accidents occurring in the home exceed the number that occur in industry has been one which women have been reluctant to accept. When statistics are given baaed On facts which home-nmkers have themselves furnished, however, the proof is irrefutable, and die story thm told is startling. It is said that about a third of all accidents that occur in the United States annually are within the home, the home which we have always thought of as tlte safest place in the world for our children. So much of a woman's thought and care is given her little children, in an effort to throw around them every possible safeguard, yet in spite of this vigilance, we find that a large number of the accidents are to children under five years of age. Ten in every one hundred accidental deaths are to babies under five years. Many of the serious and fatal accidents occurring to snail children, as reported by oar chib women, were through contact with unguarded fires, heated stoves, or from placing a child In its high chair too near stoves. One tragic report was that of a busy mother who left her small child in a high chair near the kitchen stove as she was preparing breakfast The child stood in the chair to reach out for Ue handle of a kettle on the stove, the chair was over turned. throwing the child against the stove and as he clutched wildly for something to break bis fall, his liand caught the handle of the kettle, which he brought down on himself, receiving a death-dealing scald. Another fatal occurrence was that of a bright two and one-half year old boy Who was ply"g alone on the porch. lie took up a handful of dried beans, pul one in his mouth, and started to laugh as his mother approached. The bean was sucked into his wind pipe The baby was rushed to the hospital, but the doctor's arrival was too late Other small children were strangled by peanuts, lemon drops and marbles. .^ One morning a mother was called to the phooe while she was at work in tbe laundry. Her little girl attempted to operate the washing machine as her Mother had done, and in the attempt her hand was badly scarred. When it is too late we can see bow easily these tragic occurrences might have been avoided. These instances could be multiplied many times over. While they relate to things revealed by the North Carolina survey that ate by no mean* confined to this One state. They arc typical of what Is taking place in the home* of the nation. Il las beer, estimated that about 3,500,000 non-fatal, and 24,000 fatal accidents occur annually in or about our homes. If some great catastrophe or epidemic were taking such an annual toll, all citizens would be up in arm*. Enormous sums of money would be expended m an effort to avert such a calamity. In a home-safety program, the remedy i* so simple that any woman without special training may be Home Safety 241 an active worker and participate in the cause. To arouse women to the gravity of the situation is a task worth every Ounce of effort that can be put into it. The facts revealed by the survey slaow that accidents of sufficient seriousness to be recalled occurred m approximately seven out of every 100 homes to North Caro lina dub women tlte last twelve months. It is quite likely that this is an understatement rather than an over-statement of the situation as the proportion of accidents to relation to membership reported in small dubs was greater than the proportion reported by some of the larger clubs. The homemaker herself is the chief victim of accidents in and about toe home. This is especially important because there is no accident insurance available to compensate the family for doctor's tolls incurred or for tlie loss of homemaker's services while incapacitated. Almost half of the fatal accidents occur to people between the ages of 15 and 54, ages at which toe economic importance of each member to the family is greatest. The larger number of accidents occur during the years of greatest activity, that is to youth and vigorous maturity, rather than in infancy and old age. There is a definite relationship between sex and age in home accidents frequency. In infancy, the hoy and girl seem equally susceptible, bat as childhood it outgrown the toy with his more vigorous and more adventurous tendencies far outstrips hi* sisters in his liability to be hurt while playing. Among adults and elderly people it is the woman wIkj is the chid victim of accident* to or about the home, a situation to be expected to view of toe fact that the modern husband does not spend mud? time in active labor or vigorous play about tlte home. The fatal accidents reported occurred to young children and to elderly people. Bums, scalds, explosions and choking brought death to infants and children whereas falls caused fatalities among elderly people. More than half of all non-fatal accidents occurring in or about North Carolina homes were due to falls. The larger number of these falls were not spectacular. They occurred mi level surfaces, either on slippery floors or slippery sidewalks. An accident reported by one club woman from Asheville is typical of a number of such conditions. This lady says: "While hurrying through the hall which had a highly polished floor, 1 turned tbe corner, slipped on the rug and fell, my weight coming down on my hand which I threw out to catch myself. A bone in my hand was broken and It was useless for several weeks." Obviously non-skid rugs must be brought to the honse-wiiVs at tention if the danger ever present in polished floors and small rugs is to he over come. - Falls from steps are frequent causes of non-fatal accidents. These were occasioned by poor dfamiaarion, loose or broken treads, badly spaced treads, or by obstructions left on the stairway. Falls occurring in toe course of play are frequent causes of accident* to beys and girts. In addition, North Carolina women and children fall in bath tubs, out of beds, from ladders, from porches and windows, from vehicles, trees and platforms. Some of these falls may not be preventable, Imt the larger number are due to inherent faults in mechanical construction or to personal carelessness. About a fifth of the accidents reported brought about cuts and scratches. Boys are toe principal victims of tbi* type of accident occasioned primarily by the handling of or falling on sharp objects. Almost half of the accidents resulting from such causes occurred, to children under fourteen years. One account of heroism on the part of child end mother of Plymouth, North Carolina, may-be illustrative of the need for first aid information on the part of the mother. A little girl was struck with a baseball bat accidentally. The cut reached to the bone. The family automo bile was away at the time. There was no telephone. This mother sterlized the wound and with a needle and thread, took stitches in the little girl's face. She reports tltat the wound is healing satisfactorily- This happening in a small town 242 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress is jtut one of the many causes In which a physician can not be reached quickly and where first aid most be given by the housewife. Bums, scalds and explosions also happened to children more frequently than to adults. From these reports it is obvious that all hot surfaces or hot liquids need to be put out of reach of the infant or the playing child. A wire guard around stoves used to heat living rooms, placing all cooking vessels at the back of the stove so that their contents will not boil over on to children, placing handles so they can not be reached by small children, would avoid many a severe and painful burn. While there is a wide range of causes of the occasional accident in North Carolina club women's homes, it is obvious that modern mechanical equipment in the home, such as electrical and gas apparatus are infrequently mentioned in this list. The toy pistol, air rifle and other fire arms, the kerosene can, are still more potent dangers about any home than the washing machine, the electric iron, the electric fart, the gas stove and other modern inventions. The conclusion reached from the survey of these accidents is that it is not the unusual comtitiou or the new implement that brings about accidental injuries in or about North Carolina homes. It is the condition people have grown accustomed to that causes the majority of accidents to die adult. This survey will call to our attenrion the hazards lurking in ordinary home and play equipment and conditions. Through a dissemination of these facts and through the exhibits which die Bureau of Standard* it preparing we believe sufficient stress will.be placed on the actual causes of Home accidents to bring about necessary changes in home buildings, equip* |fing and furnishing, to eliminate the sharpe edged or firing toy, and to reduce die human carelessness Una makes some homes .unsafe for small children, Chaskmax timx: 1 am sure we all fee! indebted to Mrs. !mdfar that splendid survey. If the women's clubs of die country will take it up as earnestly as the women have in North Carolina there will certainly be great progress made. Mas. Jobw A. Nostbwooo (Sparrows Point, Md.) : I was thinking of a simple illustration of my school days many years ago, "When a child in our home drops a plate and it doesn't break, we laugh. If it is a good plate and it breaks, the child is reprimanded. If a plateful of gravy falls on mother** best gown, the child is severely punished. That is the attitude of the public. Just recently we drove the full length of the driveway, watching two little tots under eight riding on an automobile tire on the rear of an automobile. They rode, I am sure, eighty squares, and I saw dozens of people chuckle as they passed. Even the policeman didn't stop it. That happened on Broadway, New York City, ra these days of safety. We must change our mental attitude and scold the child when the plate falls, whatever happens. Ca.VfSMAX Little: We shall move on to the "Safety Program of the National Congress of Parent* and Teachers to be presented by Mrs- Hugh Bradford. The National Congress of Parents & Teachers at Work on Safety By MBS. HUGH BRADFORD President, National Congress of Parents and Teacher*, Sacramento, Calif. A* the representative of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, we cam* gratubde our associate organization upon its past record and Hs great possibilities. We greet you with the hope that the future may bring you the successful fulfillment of all your projects. Our National Congress of Parents and Teachers might well be listed as another "Safety Council", far its purposes, while listed under child welfare, realty concern Home Safety 243 themselves with the safety of children--their mental, moral and physical safety. The safety of any child or adult is quite naturally dependent upon his ability to prevent tliat mischance which will wreck him physically, mentally or spiritualty. Our organization is, through its numerous committees putting forward an educa tional program that seeks to put into the minds of the adults who are the natural protector* and teacher* of children, such cooperative methods as shall enable them to prevent accident* to children in any phase of their living. Homes, and schools, communities and states are responsible to a very great extern: far the mental and moral hazards that accidentally lead to hospitals and prisons. In no lesser degree are homes and communities responsible for the physical well-being of children in the prevention of those accidents that lead to hospitals and sanitariums. Tlic particular phase in which you, as a great national safety organization, arc interested is that development which is the work of our National Committee on Safety. Functioning through its national chairman and associate it is reinforced by a committee cm safety in each of our ^ates, these m turn instructing, encouraging, upholding the work of local committees not cutty in every large city in th United States but in most of our rural communities. This mechanical side of our work is mentioned only to show that a national pregram on safety may carry through from the national plaits to everycommunity, niral or cjty. r Our national chairman, Mrs. J. B. Potter, of Redondo Beach, California, is as sisted by our associate chairman, Miss Marian Telford of your own Education Divi sion of the National Safety Council. The plan jointly prepared by them is constructive and educational; it will keep before the associations the subject of prevention of accidents to children and i* built upon the needs as shown in the safety survey of last year. ; The pUn briefly outlined will provide for Information and instruction on safety projects to go oid every month through the states to the local communities; there will be given five-minute safety talks at the monthly meetings of the locals, as well as those special afternoon and evening programs devoted entirety to instructing parents and teachers. (1) Then, programs, definitely prepared by tlie national chairman and her as sociate and put into toe hands of safety chairmen; it has been found wiser to have talks prepared rather than to leave them to be developed by the members. (2) Bulletin articles far circulation in our state and district pablkafioti>, setting forth toe hazards and toe need for prevention. (3) Article* in our national magazine prepared by Mis? Florence Nelvewt of the National Safety Council. (4) Exhibits at state and national conventions as a phase of visual education; also distribution of material at tills time which presents facts and general information. (5} Publicity through newspapers both as to aims and achievements and con* taining stories of interest (6) Editorials on safety for children n prominent papers and journals. (7) Convention speakers for district state and national meetings. (8) Radio talks on home accidents. (9) Copies of all letters to be sent to all national fjoard members that they may be abfe to speak on safety if necessary. ' All of these activities have been devised to carry forward the program (lot b a continuation of toe work already begun. We are convinced that parent* are not aware of the many dangers to children in toe house. It will be oar effort to stress the hazards of fire, dangers of falls, un guarded medicine chests, electrical apparatus, and machine*. Along with this effort to emphasize home accidents we will seek the safety of the child in the community. At the national convention in Denver we passed a resolution endorsing regula tions of the Standard Safety Patrol presented by Mbs Marian Telford of your 244 Nineteenth Anntt.ll Safely Congress organization. Uiu Telford gave a demonstration of a school patrol at work, during ot of the general sessions of the convention and following the demomtrattoa da resofuttoo was adopted. Parents and teachers are responsible tor the child on his way to and from school, in the public playground, and on the street. Consequently, our program of educa tion for accident prevention cannot stop with the home We are concerned with street crossings and traffic; we are concerned with subway passes for school chil dren and with school buses. We must seek to understand hazards before we can prevent them. We also advocate teaching of swimming to young children. Our work is not theoretical. With your permission we will quote partially from an annual report given by one of our city safety chairmen to show in a small way some of the practical things that have been done. The report is merely typical of what is going on to a greater or lesser degree in our cities. The chairman says: "Following a questionnaire rent to our Parent-Teacher Associations, it was reported that eight safety talks had been given over a state-wide broadcasting station, fifteen talks were given at local associations In the city, safety conferences were held every fourth Friday of each month at which the chairmen of tire local Parent-Teacher Associations discussed safety problems and, reports; and analysis of hazards and accidents1 showed !d>e;need for parents and teachers to stress the dangers of children playing in streets, skating, bicycling and jumping aboard moving vehicles; the analysis shows that parents should enlist the aid of city authorities m providing one subway near a school, nine new traffic signals, four safety zones, more traffic officers, another bus lor transportation of crippled children; four more junior traffic re serves;; a new ball;; park, more playgrounds, an emergency hospital service, a osw May we particularly call your attention to the fact that this ccwnmunSty*comralttee seems fully conscious of the fact that if there is danger from street play the need is for playgrounds; that heavy traffic demand* safe crossings and sttbv&ys, flat fire hazards demand a safe school building as well as a safe home. This same report tells of the instruction given mothers at a Parent-Teacher meet ing on first aid for burns, poisons, drowning, electric shock; it shows cooperation by conferences with seven traffic officers, with seventeen officer* of the regular police department, with the supervisor of the playground, the safety council, the fire de partment, the state automobile association, the playground committee, the school department, the health department, the Boy Scouts, and the R. O. T. C. Through this partial report is shown the effort die Parent-Teachers are putting forward to create a public consciousness of the need for safety measures, and to provide suggestions for the elimination of the dangers. The more public opinion os represented by the parents and teachers is aroused the fewer the accident# udU be to children. We believe with Lincoln that Mhe who moulds public opinion goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions** and it is our earnest desire to cooperate practically and effectively in all its endeavors with the National Safety Council. Chairman Little: Is there any discussion? . Dr. Euueae E. Wuxison (American Red Cross, First Aid Servke. Washington) : There are two things that are of more value to you than anything else in this world. The first is, how to take care of yuurselt, and the second is, how to make a living, and at the risk of being thrown out by some of the school people, I am going to say that our public schools do not teach us very much about either oaie, and par ticularly not very much about how to take care of yourself. The accidents that have been mentioned this morning in some of the reports, show two thing*. First, that most of your accidents are caused by carelessness- Second, that when the accident does happen, there are so very, very few people who are prepared to do anything about it. Horn* Safety 245 We have been doing first aid work in the American Red Cross for a considerable period of years. You arc probably all familiar with Use first aid work that is done by the Bureau of Mines, Wc go so far with this work as to say dial the primary purpose of giving first aid training is not to take caVe of the accident after it hap pens, but to make the individual a safer person. That is not theory. Wc can quote instance after instance front the industrial world, factories, mines, quarries, where simply giving the individual first aid training, not with any idea at all of taking care of the accident when it occurs* has very markedly reduced the number of accidents. The last report from a large steel coqoration near Chicago shows a reductton of 43 per cent in their number of accidents following a period of training, In the very fine work that Mr. Stack published some years ago, he brings out particularly this work on first aid, both for the taking care of the accident and as a measure of prevention. If I may cite ore? personal instance. Some of you arc probably familiar with the large public school camp that the Chicago Public Sdtools conduct each year. Camp Roosevelt. They usually have about 6,700 boys away from their mothers for the entire summer- Wc have, *n the same camp, about 40. high school buys who are the laborers around the camp,; not under camp supervision. We require all of the youngsters in the camp to take a first aid course. In the two summers that I was with them we had only two serious accidents among that entire group, and they were both broken arms caused hy a horse falling, which, in a way, the boy could not be responsible for. . I da want to leave that with you. In your work on accident prevention, think also of taking care of tbe accident when it docs occur, and remember that in teaching how to take care of this accident, you are going to bring the individual* in terms of pain to himself and pain to his pockctbook. to realize whai accidents do cost him. M*. R. B. Lefferts (Automobile Club of Southern California. Los Angeles); You people miglrt be interested in knowing what has been accomplished hi Mrs. Brad ford's home state. I, unfortunately, have not with me the figure* for the entire state, but I do have the figures for Los Angeles Cotjmy which 1 think are indicative of the success of the safety program in the state. In eight months, in the county, fatalities to children under 15 have been reduced 16 per cent. In the traffic field, concerning children of school age, tliere lias been a reduction of 29.4 per cent. Mrs, James N- Downey (Director Women's Activities, Police Department, Detroit, Mich.) : May I just state. In reference to tumid*, that in Detroit, we have two very busy boulevard*. We arc at present discussing a plan for more tunnels and tlie argument has been that the money would be belter spent teaching all the children how to avoid danger rather than providing protection for a few. We also know that a great many children do ot avail themselves of die tunnel. They walk the same way as they did before. Mr. Leffzrts : We have something more than 40 ttumds in Los Angeles, and the children do use the tunnels. Through the system of the school safety committee!, the tunnel use is as near 100 per cent as can be. I don't believe, on some of the heavy thorofares where the vehicular flow is sev eral thousand cars an hour, any degree of education will supplant some definite adult protection to the children io elementary schools. No matter how much education you give, there is the danger of collision between the child, even though he if edu cated, and the motorist who possibly has not been educated. I speak erf adult protection. It may be in the form of a police officer, or it may be in the form of a separated grade or a tunnel, and I submit to you that from the standpoint of economics, the tunnel is tltt best protection that you can get. Our tunnel* have averaged slightly more than $8,000 a piece. The interest on that will 246 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress not pay the salary of a police officer approximately four hours a day during school time, and there is die added intangible of the saving to 'he motorist through the elimination of the necessity of stopping, and last, but not least, H affords 1C per cent protection. ' _ Mas. J. F. Kitchen (Erie Council of Parent-Teacher Association, Eric, Pa.): I thought it might be interesting to you to know that we have already put on a campaign of safety in Erie, through the Parent-Teacher Association, which has reached our women, I might say. 100 per cent. Three years ago we organized classes to trice the course of lessons ms given by The National Safety Council. Those lessons were given by our visiting nurses, our insurance men, and the mothers, and others qualified to give the lessons. We are an industrial town with a large foreign population, ami we made an especial effort to reach the foreign mother through the visiting nurses and the International Institute. These lessons were given in Polish, German, Italian, and to oilier mothers who are unable to speak English. * Last year we supplemented our work by putting on a course in first aid in every Parent-Teacher Association. The school board gave us toe use of the buildings. Our instruction was volunteer. The head of the visiting nurses' association took her free &ne at fligttt to instruct classes. The first aid man at the General Electric company conducted two classes, the head of the Boy Scouts conducted two classes., and so on through our several organizations. . At the end of the year we had the pleasure f issuing firs* aid certificates to 260 mothers who completed the course of fifteen hours. Cbaexmak 1-rrrt.x: The impression made upon wy n&d today hy the papers presented, the attendance, and the interest that the How* Safety organization in the Council may become, under proper leadership, one of the strongest and most effective of the whole body. It ought to be first I am sure wc all feel indebted to the women who have brought us these finished and dependable thoughts upon the subject today, and to the women's clubs and the Parent-Teacher associations. When Miss Zurrer has made her year's study and placed in toe hands of the various groups, materials to be used that are practical and interesting and stimulat ing, certainly we can get under way in America a tremendous movement for home safety, and that will help to take care of industrial safety and public safety. I do not know whether or not to approach the minds of the women with the idea that good housekeeping will be safe housekeeping; but 1 do know that it is a fine approach to industry to sell safety to the general management because It is a part of good business, and because the efficient plant will be the safe plant, and the unsafe plant will be the inefficient plant. ' ^ Why, of course, toe same principle applies to good housekeeping. So it would have, a very great effect in. not only the immediate concrete tluog of preventing accidents to children and adults, hut it would bring a tremendous toning up of to* home life of the American people, and make it even sweeter as a home, wouldn't it? Another point: Twenty-four thousand death* in the homes of American people a year, three to four million accident*. Well, it is. of course, very distressing. Thirty- one thousand automobile deaths last year in the country. Wbal is toe exposure? Wc must remember that in toe home is toe maximum- exposure for we all live in homes, one hundred and twenty million of us. What is it in the basic industries of the country? Should we say twenty or twenty-four million workers arc engaged in mining, manufacturing and transporta tion, or is it more than that? At least it is not one-third of the home exposurc. -Ynd so while it is all too distressing that there are twenty-four thousand deaths from accidents in homes I don't think it ought to get out that the homes are more * Howe Safety 247 dangerous than the streets, or that the homes are more dangerous than the working places. Upon the whole they are not, hut they run distressingly close. Mr. Palmer, won't you come up here and say a word to us ? Mr. Palmer went around over this country twenty years ago with a brief case, and they thought he was half crazy. He was attempting to promote the National Safety Council. He has launched it, and he has been talking to me about how the whole program of kul-ustrial safety has reached the place that we can't make adequate advancement until we get it going in toe home life of the American people. Mb. Lew R. Palme* (Equitable Ufa Assurance Society. New York City).- I talked to Dr, Little yesterday, and I have talked to him many times on this vital subject of home safety, and I think all of us in the National Safety Council and those that have been associated with the management, have been far from satisfied with whal bis been accomplished thus far In home safety. Now just why we haven't gotten Isold of the subject any better than wc have, it U hard to say. Of course, I think wc should explain to you that wc started out nore or less following a demand for industrial accident prevention, but it was only a few months after we named the Council, the National Council for Industrial Safety, that we cltanged that name to the National Safety Council, realizing immediately that our field and our obligation extended beyond intluslry into the home and to the public ax well. : ' :V.^ : In trying to analyze our obligation, ami what we have done, ami vriiat wc hope might be done, a special committee appointed by President Pctttbone has analyzed what has been done in toe past to encourage some definite attention to home safety. 1 haven't had a chance even to go over it myself, but it goes back to 1918 at least Here is an abstract from the minutes of November 15, 1918, a resolution from the floor on home safety Dr. Little sprite about the relative number of deaths lit the home as against those in industry and'on the street. We have, of course been trying to encourage greater interest in home safety. I made this statement, that most of the readers of the news paper today, realize that we have a very heavy toll in automobile accidents, hut how many of the general public realize that not disregarding the exposure, that wc have approximately 24,000 deaths m the home ? I iftink we are getting nearer and nearer to a solution. Wc have always fell that the way to gc; our home safety started is to get those in the homes interested, and they are the women. 1 am very glad to endorse the appeal that lias been made by Dr. Little, and I want you to know that the National Safety Council has felt tliat respotwilwlity, Imt we lave to promote our work, we have to pay as we go, and as yet we have not devised any practical revenue from the home safety side of accident prevention, ft has to pay its own way. We can't take the money that we have coming from industry and turn it all over to home safety, but industry and tlw insurance people are sold on the fact that it isn't just home safety, that it is industrial safety as well. Wc must teach the younger people to be safe and as they grow up tfiey will 1 safer workers. Miss Alice L. Edwahus (Executive Secretary, American Home Economic Asso ciation. Washington) : I think there is a very interesting parallelism m safety work to some of toe health work. We began trying to develop health-habits in children who were in the schools, and wc found that too many of toe habits were already formed, and wc kept going hack farther and farther, until we began thinking nun-e definitely about the health of the infant and even live prenatal program, than we did to begin with. The health habit has gone back into the Iwmc as it is taught by the sclnjob, and I think it is the same way. when wc think about safety habits, wc arc going to have to go back and form the safety habits. Let them begin and develop from a very early period, so that the child begins thinking safety- 248 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress I think, as regards support for the home safety program, that it would not be a misuse of furvds even to use some of your industrial funds on this cause of safety habits that might weH be developed in these children who are going to go ultimately into industry. Then there is one other thing that I haven't heard referred to at all tins morning, and I think it should be conceded at least by those who are behind the scores. No reference has bear made to the President's conference on home financing, hotne ownership, f believe it will be a mistake if that conference goes on with the plans developed for it without taking into consideration the safety elements as well as the others, I would like to have you think very definitely about that. G. A, Dokluer (Engineering and Management Corp., Dayton. Ohio): I should like to read into the record this excerpt from the report by Miss Esther Hockey. Chairman. Sub-commiuce on Safety, Women's Committee. K. E. L. A.: _ Safety in the Home: For years we have studied and presented classes in first aid and resuscitation, and we urge that every utility woman become proficient in these methods, but there is something more. There are those who hold to the theory that the future of medical science lies not in the surgical ward* where miracles are per formed---heating and mending men's bodies--but in the research laboratory where men will learn how to prevent disease. The same is true of accidents. Every year thomands and ttiindreds of thousands of dollars are! spent by :org!m*aatfcs and industries in postern, signs, magazines, but Mmietmucs it appears that we have eyes and see not, ears and hear not. 23,000 fatal accidents in the home in 1920. indicate there is something sadly lacking. ^ There should be a systematic study of home safety on the part of utility women with the idea to carrv the message to women outside the industry. The Accident Prevention committee of the Nation** Electric Light Association' believes tftat tlw electrical eisergy entering our homes is not hazardous when used with common sense. To that end, this committee prepared a pamphlet. "Common Sense and Electricity*', which makes a fine piece of material for distribution to organizations, stuffcr* for envelopes or for employees themselves. Chaixuax Little: If you good ladies who are preswit. and cabers in the parent- leachcr associations and in the dubs, will take hold of this idea and nurse ft along, with facts, and iufonnalicni. and persuasion, there can be a great nwvewent developed in the humes uf the American people. There isn't any idea that you can Uke before all types of audteuce* and get more interest and more coordinated effort tlian you can on the subject uf safety today. It beats religion, or politics, or education, or any thing else, as a subject of universal interest and appeal, and is universally needed. ADJOURNMENT ' INDEX VOLUME III Accident Reports: ""I hr Story of *n Accident Report" (Aronowiu), 24-27. *`WM Story Should the Accident Report TeB?*' (Matthew*), 27-31. Accident Suttoica: "Accident Records as Cduci la Traffic Trmtblew" (Goodrich). 37- "tWi Umpired Thousand Death#" (DnhBti), "IVnoiUlily uul Public Accidents*' (Ringham), MQ-15U. /Using Accident Statistics in Public E4uv.miim" (Hoffman), 32-37- "What Ska11 We Do About Accident Rec rdf?" (Smj,ioo), J62-J69 Accidents--Costs t "Direct Coats of Motor Vehicle Aocidenu" (Lewis), 176-180. "Disability Costs of Aufe&obife Accidents'1 (Gordon), igS-193, n3ftmy l4M*i to Dependents of P*ron# Killed la Automobile Aeetdcwtii" {Lolica), Discussion of R. H. Erwrne** paper (Daitey). 200202. '3fcourirtK the Result* of Safety Educe lion" (Stack), 202-205. "Aretrwuq.De)v,el2o1p1m-2e1n2t* in Safety Education" "New IJevefnpnwwts m Safety lylncatinn'* CScUa.l), 209211. "A Practical Safety Program for .School Slinj.*" (McCarthy). 220-226. "Promoting Safety Education hi lhe SchmiD of ContH-cticirt" (Prokasba), 207.200. "Teaching Safely Through Activities" (Me- kown), 205-207. Education Division: Joint session with Street, and Highway Traffic Section. 44-61. Minute*. 197-224. Electric Railway Section: Joint session with Delivery, Taxicab and Bus, Public Utttfi ri* ml Street qml Highway Traffic Sections, U9-t2<k JEnranr. R. H.J *T.afi We M*irre the Resultof Safety Teaching?" 19?-280. : "Property Damage Costs of Motor Vriildc Accidents" (Hauyh), 193-196. A rl*tt, A. H.: "Training Little Children in Safe Habit*," 227-231. Arossowlto L.: "The Story of an Accident Keport," 24-27, Automobile Driving; Study of drivers Ueetue e^awrnatWma. t^-ljQ- ' :. Au-ora*.: See Contests- Barber, A. D.: "Progress Toward Uniform Legislation," 13S-J49. Battey, A. !>.: Dittumkrn o/ R. Jf. Erwin*'* paper, 200-202. Blhfans, J- K.t "The Work an Adequate Traffic Signal System Must Perform," 126-133. Bingham. W. V,: ``Personality and Public Accidents," 140-150. Bradford, Mrs. 11.: "The National Congress of Parent* and Teachers at .Work on Safety," 242-246, Brake*--Automobile* Braking distances, 104. Ftt?un B.; "New Dirvefoiuiients in Safety Edti cation," 211-212, Uige, A. X.t "The Fr&atcuier's View of Rti. forcetneiit,"* 75-82. Giwwlrieh, E. V.: "AuiiIim to Traffic Troubles," J7-4J. Guidon, C\: 'Orgauiicd Tram-pi...... Fum in Traffic Safely." 7-12. Cordon, H. Jt : "Disability Lei* uf Aittuam- , Wit Accident*." 1*8-193. Graham, G. C.t "Methods and Device* for School Child Protection," H <8. Greenwood, C.; "WlHWi Dim* in Canadian y ^it% r" r >+f e, M McCfintocb, M.: "Arousing and Maintaining Public interest io Traffic," 170-174, Mcinyrre^L, W.r "Regulation of ParUug." D Ekms. C,: "What's Wrong With Traffic Law Enforcement ?** 12-17. Delivery, Taxteab and Bus Section: Joint Sessloe with Electric Railway, Public Utilities, and Street and Highway Traffic Section*, 119-136. Dublin. L. I.; "One Hundred Thousand Deaths," 3-7. E Education: "Can We Measure the Result# of Safety Teaching?" CEnvioc), 197-Mi. McKown, H. C.: `'Teaching Safety Through Activities,'* 205-207. Marib. B. VV.t ``Traffic Signals, Wlien and Where?- 157-161- Matthews- W. M.t "Whit Story Should the Accident Report Te4l?'* 27-31. Mator and Equipment Associaliun awards 16- o O'Reilly, T.: "School Boy Patrol--it* Rela tion t* th* Police," SS"6J. F Parkiwei "Regulation of parking" (McIntyre). 151-156. Parking: See also Traffic. 249 vc tu^,. ' 1 V v-,x'v. - ' 250 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress j'ltrols: Ex)wiicuc< o R>t, Michigan, 115 116. In "Metliodi tad Davie** for Sehel Cfc8i protection" (Graham), 4442. .. 'thx:ration f the School Boy Patrol (Suriiog), 53-55. . , "Relation of th* School Boy Patrol to th* Educational Scheme" (Sberrard). ^-53. "School Bor Patrol--itv Relation to the rottce" (tPReniy). 55-61. Special traffic timirt, 4546. Pedestrians: Diactusros on pedestrian con trol. 136-117, , . ,,, , "What Can We Do for.the Pedestrian? (Rebiu*oo>. 119,12$. "-IVraooalitjr and Public Accident* (Bias- ham). 140-150. . Pefce: "Selecting aad Traunag Traffic Offi- cere" (Price). 63-45- .. .* price, W. C; "Selecting and Traroiui Traffic OftcW.M 61-65. Prohaaka, C. J.: `Promoting Safety Educa tion in the School* of Connecticut. 207 209. . iwhokgy: "Pereouslily and Public Acer- (Bingham)* I40-1S0. Public Safety: Session* 5-21. . . ... Piddle Utilities Section: Jtwot *" Delivery* Taxicabaod Bus* Eleetrfc^Ratl- way, and Street a*4 Highway Traffic Sections, U7-12& Repealer*: PiscimwOA, 2940. _ ,, ._ KUum, K. W.t "Wh Can We Do for the Pedestrian." 119-126. " y ' S Sctied, E. A.: "New Development* in Safety Education," 209-211. . School Shops: See Vocational Education. School*--Safety Work Wifl.; "Can We Me**; ^ ore the Results of Safety Teaching* (Erwiae), 197-300, . lH*cuioo of R. H- Erwlne paper (Bat ter), 206302. , ,,, ""Mensuring the Result* of Safety Mat*" lion" (Suck), 202-205. " Methods and Device* Utr School Child PrelectIon" (Graham), 4442. . *)few Develoumeut* m Safety Education (Fuqua), 211-212. ^ .,, "New Developments in Safety Education" (IdSccabaand),. 20V9f--2*1u1. ' . ,,. . "Promoting Safety <rf CoSecticut^ Education in fPrehaaka), 2t0h7e~2S09c.hool* "Teaching Safety Through Activities" (Mo Kwn), 205-207. #,, , J _ . Qesee. L. : "CWdinathwi of local and Through Route* In Cidea." 97-101. w ,, Shci tard. K. R.: "Relation of the School Boy Patrol <o the Educational Scheme." 4 SS, SiKoal*--Traffic: Dltctuaion an traffic cquip- "TrafSk: Signal*. When a*d Where?" (Marsh), 157-161. _ _,, 'The Work #* Adequate Traffic Signal Sys tem Mum Perforei" (Bibfela*). 124135. Sticu*: DacuMton, 41-43. ,, rsteuaaien on traffic oguipmeot. 93-95. * biwirfon. H. S.t "What Shall We Do Almrt Accident Records?" 162-169. Stack. K. JT.r "Measuring the Results of Ssfety Education," 202*205. Starling. 14. M-j "Operation of the School ~ Bey Patrol,** 53-55. Statistic* Section: Tofm ku>oi w*b Street and Highway Tnfic Sertivo. 2*4J. Minute*. 175*196. Street and Highway Traffic Section: Joint ms- sion with Delivery. Taxkab and - Baa, Electric Railway, and PoMw I'tiKiir, See. tiofli, 119-126. Joint sesstec with Education Division, 44-61. joist K*No with Statistic* Section 2*43, Minutes. 23-150. Officer*. 23, Report* of standing ee*nmJttc*A 62. Traffic: "Arouscng and MavnLamtn* Public In* terett in Traffic" (MtCRmoek), 170-174, "Building Safety into Highways" (Van Duict), 101*106. "Coordination of Local and Through Route* in Cities" (Segoe), 97*101. JliscucciOil on traffic equipment, 93-96- -*3Iy City's Best Activity la Traffic. Accident Prevention/* IIS-119. "OraanLeed Trsnspomtimi u a hsetof tn Traffic Safety^* (Cordon). 7-12. % "Rural Hlidtway Traffic probUms*' (H*Uy), !.: 106*115. : : : _ :; "What'a Dejag fu Canadian Traffic" <Gi*n- wood), (7*93. "What the Small City Thinks About Tra fie'* (Hanrabaa). 8347. * ,, Traffic Laws: "Progrom Toward Uniform Legislation'' (Barber), 135*139. "The Prosecutor'* View of Enforcement <G*se), 7S-42, "What's Wreutg Wkh Osur Tr*c taw En- foreeawM?" (Yoekey), 17*31 . "Wlwt'i Wrong With Traffic Law Enforce mentP* (Davis). 12;17, Traffic Schoot 153-174. v4 Traffic: See also Parking: Signal*; Signs. u Uniform Traffic Legislation: Sec Traffic Law*. Van Duver, W. A.: "BuiltjLkig Safety into Highways," lOMOfi. ,. Vocational Educationt `*Cn the Vocarional SikuoU Turn Oof Safe Worker*" (Leav itt), 213*215. , ., "The Employer's Attitude Toward Safety Training'' (Ue). 216-219. , ,,, , WA Practical Safety Program for School Shops" (McCarthy), 230 226. w Women'* Activities: **Th* National Coogress of Parents and Tracker* at Work on Safety" (Bradford). 242-246. "Safety Program of the General Feeler*tio* of Women* Cb*H (Land), 237-242. Yoekey. H. E.: "What # Wrong WHh Our Traffic Law EBforeemesil 17 21. Zurrer, C. r "The National Fwroau'a Study of Hume Accident*," 233-237. -)V ,%r' In6x m. m --isjo K Ealaey, It. t "Burl highway trftio problau, " 10S-1I6. Huu-ahui, P. 0.J the mil oity thinka nbcntt traffic," 88-87. . '\ . Ecu^i, C. J.: "Property duwga coctc if wotor vwhiclc mcoideata,* 185-196. Highway*: "Building; Safety Into highway*" (Van Du tar), 101-J0S. *Kurl highway traffic prohlawa" (Halaay), 106-116, HoffUann, H. P.t 'taing aeoi<tont atatiatioa in publio oduoation, * 82-57. , Horn Safety: "ilia national Bureau'* Study of horn acoldantc" (Zurrar), 282-287. "Safety prograa Of tha General Federation of Honan*a dube" (Land), 237-Z42. "training little ohlldren in aafe habit*" (Arlitt) 227-281. : : ......... . " " Horn Safety Saaaion, 227-248. Bfunan Klenant: "Peraonality and publio accidenta" (Bin^an), 1*0-160. 'I '" InTcatigation of icoldenta: "Accident lnvaetigatian for oonTiction of Triolatora" (Kraal), 66-75. J Junior Safety Oounoila: See alec Patrols.- K KreaX, 7. It.: "Accident inrastigatione for oonviotion of violatore," 66-78. X. Land, Hra. . it.: "Safety prograa of the General Federation of Waaen's Clubs, " 257-242. Leavitt, 7. If.: "Can the vocational schools turn out safe workers,"' 218-218. Lewis, 8.: "Direct ooata of aotor vehielc accidents," 178-160. Lotka, A. il.: fitoncy loasaa to dependents of parsons killed in autowible aeoidenta," 181-188. 250 Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress Patrols: Experience m Flitrt, Michigan, 115* 1!& In "Method* end Devices for School Child Protection*' (Gnbttn), 44*48. "Operation of the School Boy PatroT (Starting), 53-55. `Relation of the School Bo/ Patrol to the Educational Scheme" (Sfcerrard), 48-53. ''School Bor Patrol--its Relation to the Police** (O'Reilly), 55-41. Special trxfic officers, 45-46. Pedestrians: Diwawcn on pedestrian con trol. 116-U7- . "What Cats We Do for*the Pedestrian?M (ItatouMh 119*126. _ "hrMHli^ and Public Accidents" (Bin*- hw), 140.150* Police: "Sriectfog aad Tniaint Traffic Oft* cert* (Piicej, 63*65. . Price. W. Cl and Training Trafic Oftwn." 43-43. ProbJb. C J.: "Protnotin* Safely Dtart- lion in the Schools of CoancctacvC' 207* 209. _, Psychology: "Fersrmlity and Fubfit Aco* dcotr (Bingham), 140-150. Public Safety Session. 3-21. . Piddle Utilities Section: Join* *f**Mt with ;V::iDeliijreTy. .Ta*ielr::*nid.. Btt% EhBC*rfciBan* way, and Street and Htfluwr Traffic Sections, 119-126. Repeaters: Dacttsstoo. 20*30. ,. Robinson, R. W.i **What Can We Do tor the Pedestrian," 110*126. . S Sctiad, E. A.: "New Developments in Safety Education.** 209*211. School Shops: See Vocational Education. School*--Safety Work With: "Can We Meaa- urc the Results of Safety Teaching? (Erwine), 1P7-200. Discussion of R- H- Erwtoe s paper (Bat- tey), 200-202. , ,,, _ "Measuring the Results of Safety Educa tion" (Stack), 202-205- ` 'Methods and Devices for School Child Protection" (Graham), 44-48. -`New Developments in Safety Education** (Fuqua), 211-212. ,, ... 'New Development* to Safety Education (Schad), 209-211. ,,, . "Promoting Safety Education to the Schools of Connecticut** (Prchaska), 207*209. "Teaching Safety through Activities (Me* Kown), 205-207. . ._ . Segoe, L.: "Coordination of local and Through Routes to Cities," 97*101. . Sberrard. R. M.: "Relattoa of the School Bey Patrol to the Educational Scheme," 46-53. Signals--Traffic: Discussion on traffic equip ment, 95-96. .- ,, "Traflto Signals, When and Wh*P (Marsh). 157-161. "The Work an Adequate Traffic Signal Sys tem Must Perform" (Bifebins), 126-135- Sign*: Discussion, 41-43. Discussion on traffic equipment. 93-95. - Stmiison, H. S.: "What Shall We Do Aboat Accident Records?** 162*169. Stack. H. J.: "Measuring the Results of Safety Education," 202-205. Starling, H. M.: "Operation of the School Bey Patrol," 53-55. Statistic* Section; Joint session with Street and Highway Traffic Section, 24-43. Minute*. 175-196. Street aim Highway Traffic Section: Joint sesstoa with Delivery, Taxicab and,, Bus, Electric Railway, and Public Utilities Sec tions. 119-126. Jrim session'with Education Division, 44-61. joist session with Statistics Section 24*43. Minutes, 23*150. Officers, 23. Reports of standing committees,' 62. Traffic: "Arousing and Maintaining Public In terest in Traffic" (McOlntock). 170-174. "Building Safety into Highways*' (Van Dtizer), 101-106. "Coordination of Local and Through Routes in Cities'* (Scgoe), 97-101. Discussion on traffic equipment, 93*96. "My City's Best Activity in Traffic Accident Prevention," 125-118. - "Organized Transportation a a Factor m Traffic Safety" (Gordon). 7*12. "Rural Highway Traffic Problems" (Halsey). 106-115. ... . "Wbat'g Doing in Canadian Traffic" (Green wood). 87*93. ,' "What the Small City Think* About Tra- fic" (Hanrsfcan), 83-87. J Traffic Laws: "Progress Toward Uniform Legislation" (Barber), 135-139. "The Prosecutor'* View of Enforcement" (Gage), 7S4!< :: "What1* Wrong With Our Traffic Law n- forcement?** (Yockejy), 17-21 "What's Wrong With Traffic Law Enforce ment?" (Davis), I2:)7. Traffic School, 151*174. Traffic: See also Parking; Signals: Signs. V Uniform Traffic Legislation: Sec Traffic Laws. Vsn Duzer, W. A.: "Building Safety into Highways," 101-106. < Vocational Education: "`Can the Vocational Schools Turn Out Sato Workers" (Leav itt). 213-215. "The Employer's Attitude Toward Safety Teaming" (Lye), 2l6l9. # ^t , "A Practical Safety Program for School Shots" (McCarthy), 220-226. w Women's Activities: "The National Congress of Parents and Teachers at Work on Safety" (Bradford), 242-246. "Safety Program of the General Federation of Women's CWbs" (Land). 237-242. Yockey. H. E.: "What's Wrong With Our Traffic Law Enforcement?" 17-21. Zurrer, G.r `The National Bureau's Study of Home Accidents," 232*237. L > i^jr,a *ttitud*towdhya, W. B.; training. 2 rty