"STRATFORD EVENING POST" MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1930. THE PRICE OF PROGRESS.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 72, 20 January 1930, Page 4

"STRATFORD EVENING POST" MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1930. THE PRICE OF PROGRESS.

ill I'i people of Great Britain, li;iv(> every reason to he alarmed at the great increase in the munher ot road accidents consequent on the development of fust-moY-in.*)' traffic. in 1028 there were over 2,000,000 motor vehicles in Britain, and on an average sixteen people were killed and 450 injured in accidents on the highways on every day of the year, kittle wonder, (hen, that stern demands are being - made for some measures to reduce this appalling - death toll of nearly 0000 pei - year, and to set some limits to a casualty list of nearly 105,000. Shocking - as these < figures are, those of the accidents during 1929 totalled 01,500. And the most disturbing' feature of that' total is the f:\ct that, tiie number of deaths was much greater in proportion than tinincrease in the number of motor vehicles. This is advanced as evidence dhafc carelessness and recklessness arc increasing, and as each succeeding year will see still greater numbers of these modern vehicles on the roads, the need for regulation is apparent. Bi London the evil is so pronounced that a conference of experts from every public body in that vast area has been called to discuss the problem, it is to be hoped that something more definite will he at than the cxpecTaubus of Mr lierbert Morrison, Minister of Transport, that the rising generation will through stern necessity develop an agility 'ii avoiding injury by fast-moving traffic that was not possessed by their fathers. Equally futile it would seem is the drawing up of this code of road conduct, to which he attaches the greatest importance. A code of road conduct already exists, and no authoritative code worked out by experts will make a reckless, inconsiderate driver caret ill and thoughtful, or turn a "road-hog bv instinct into a considerate motorist. It is these that cause most of the trouble, and nothing will improve them but Hie Iniiiction of exemplary penal--1 i,.s. Apart, however, from the appalling number of casualties on the roads of (Treat Britain, their serious etfects on the hospitals of the country demand redress- These hospitals are uj pmmnil. supported hv loyal effort and represent ike chary-

nblfi man’* realisation ot ms duty In Ills noio'lihmir. Hut v'Clims ol‘ _molor accident s ai n,pM’ own districts arc In Hux.' lio«nilals. cum-inc|.-int and ,K„ r iiup>' 11)0 claim- of l°'‘al sll f' ,viK. in.-,-for -Tm lft" S S'‘" n ' ■ 1,1 „ r nr 0\;»mnlo, ;t wlinlo n-«v. ot iv.vnlo V-"' T^in-mn.- 1 v m ll.i« w>y. ,I ’' i «n----stauces could lie multiplied m-

(lednilely. Furl tier, only n sum 11 proportion of tin* foes me colluded. finis ill rowing- tlie finaii- (• i : 1 1 burden on Mio provincial iiospiPits. Small wonder. Mien, dial Mim'e is some reluctance io i lie reuse accommodation for motorisis from a distance,_ or even 1 11 conii;;ne subscriptions Mini may be increasingly diverted to Hie treatment of strange patients, But ibis is a problem of secondary importance compared with i he" terrible list of road accidents in "Britain. and Mie public is insistently demanding that (bis loss of life shall end.