PEOPLE WHO WALK TO DEATH

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 75, 21 December 1929, Page 33

PEOPLE WHO WALK TO DEATH

CAUSE OF MOST ROAD ACCIDENTS

Official figures published in the “Daily Mail” showing that four people were killed daily in the streets of London during April, May, and June came as a shock to the public. Figures compiled by the trafiic branch of Scotland Yard show that during the eighteen months ending in June of this year the chief cause of accidents was thoughtlessness on the part of pedestrians. Here are some of the figures: Killed Crossing road without due care .. 590 Hesitating or faltering - ■ 182

Passing between, behind, or in front of stationary vehicles 105 A trafiic authority at Scotland Yard said to a “Daily Mail” reporter:

“Our chief difficulty is to overcome the problem of the human element. People persist in crossing roads thoughtlessly, and our chief hope is in educating the public to a sense not only of their own peril but also of the peril they thoughtlessly cause (o others.

“Drivers can assist by causing as little obstruction as possible with their vehicles, by not standing in the vicinity of refuges, and by exercising special care where the “Please Cross Here” signs are erected.

“The public can help by never crossing a congested road except where the signs are erected or where there are refuges. When leaving a vehicle they should make for the nearest pavement and waitj until the road is clear before crossing the road.

Major W. H. Whitehouse, the Coroner for the south-eastern district of London, said:

“Only this morning I had to conduct two inquests on people who were knocked down by motor-cars in crossing the road. In the first case a woman ran across the road to catch an omnibus without looking to see if anything was coming, and in the second case a woman was knocked down in running across the road to get home. “People make a sudden decision to cross a road and they take risks which they would not normally take. Until they can be educated not to take such risks it is difficult to see how a great number of accidents arc to be prevented.

“For every road death caused by drivers of vehicles I am sure there are three caused by pedestrians,” said Mr. ,C. C. Mort, the Liverpool city coroner, after holding three inquests on people killed in the streets.