CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 26

CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS

MAINLY; CARELESSNESS

Drivers who are careless and indifferent to the rights of other users of the streets and highways continue to be the major factors in the heavy annual toll of deaths and injuries caused by traffio accidents, according to.Mr.'John B. Graham, presidont of the California State Automobile Association, Mr. Graham bused his statement upon figures received from the traffic and engineering department of the American Automobile Association. Those figures show: — , . That in "9.12 per cctit.'of all motor mishaps during 1933 I lie cars involved were being driven straight-ahead. That 84.0G per cent, of the accidents occurred' in clear weather. That 74.16 per cent, were on roads or streets with a dry surface. That 59.90 per cent, of the accidents were daring daylight hours. That.in 92.41 per cent, of the accidents the vehicles involved were in ap-. parently . good condition. "These figures speak for themselves," Mr. Graham said, "and it is obvious that lack of individual care is tho cause of most accidents.

•■ "Carelessness is particularly notice.r.blq'in such ' things as driving at a speed which is unsafe in view of traffic, and other conditions', driving on 'the; wrong side of tho road, .failure to give right of way and failing to signal or improper signalling. In fact, theso of-; fences alone are, responsible for almost 70 per, cent', of all motor vehicle accidents. . ■ ■ - . - ',

"'.Reckless use of speed, rather than speed itself, accounts for the greatest number of deaths in highway accidents, and this form, of improper, driving re■pulted- in. the dentil -of 5(550 persons "during IP.T3.

"Individual cure, mure than anything else,, >yjll solve' the-aecideat-prqWem/2