MOTOR ACCIDENTS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18923, 11 February 1927, Page 5

MOTOR ACCIDENTS.

NEW YORK FIGURES. An analysis of automobilo accidents as made by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of the State of New York, shorts as follows for the .first five mouths of 19215. Tliero were 3S9G accidents reported, an average of a little nioro than 25 & day. Only 247 of tho vehicles involved hud defects in equipment, proving that this is not the major causo of accidents. Ono thousand eight hundred and twentv-three of the accidents happened at street intersections—this seems to very clearly indicate that 46 per cent, of accidents could be avoided it it were possiblo to regulate drivers who approach intersections at a speed faster than will permit them to stop within 40 o r CI feet. Uuildings are so close to the curb at many corners, that one does not have warning of nn approaching vehicle iu either direction, on y within 100 feet at best, and usually much loss. It is interesting to note that the peak of accidents occurs between 5 and G p.m., 3 to 4 p.m. being next, 7 to 8 p.m. third, nnd 8 to 9 p.m. fourth. Thursday furnishes the safest day to drive, Wednesday next best, Tuesday third. Friday fourth, Monday fifth. Curiously. Sundnv is not tho worst day, but Saturday is the day of worst " Of tho 43(56 vehicles involved in accidents, only 98 were driven by fenjalcj and 4(63 by males three of the' were under 18 years of age; 99i from 18 to 24. and 312G from 25 to 54. The driving experience was of less than three months on tho part of only 87. while 0175 of the drivers had an experience of two years or more, indicating that experienced drivers arc most careless^ Seven hundred nnd forty-eight of the motorists involved did not have the "ri'riit-if-wav." 310 exceeded the spee-1 limit. 3W> were skidding. 71 were cutt:.iz in. 148 cutting the left corner. 121~ drove off the roadway, and 152 worn on the wrong side of the road. Tho report shows that tbo pedestrian is very often at fault. One thriiwnnd one hundred and thirty-five involved in accidents were in the streets, but not at .intersections indicating- that, tnanv accidents could bo prevented if people ceald ':e kept from ro"''"'.-ny.--. eventing at cp« walks. Figure* show thai 25GD of the vehicles "ore pleasure rnrs, 11 CO were HsU. mid 9-30 commercial cars. More than 25 nfr rent, of tho accidents occurred with the surface of the roadwav or street wot. snowy, or-rriuddv: 3*32 of tho accidents oconrrod on clear days, and 2312 in the daylight.