Monday, December 17,1951
THE BATTALION
Page 5
Typical Examples of What Could Happen To YOU by Speeding
The “ghost car” swerves to the right in passing a car on the
wrong side which each year takes more than 610 lives and in
jures 27,830. Almost three per cent of all traffic deaths occur when
a car is passed, on the wrong side.
Fatal accidents take 8.5 per cent of the lives of reckless driving lead to accidents similar to the
all traffic victims. Exceeding the speed limit, one anticipated for the “ghost cars.”
failure to obey traffic signals, and just plain
Stop Speeding!
Don’t Become
just A Statistic
“Stop speeding . . . don’t become a statistic in 1951!”
This year, as every year for the past twenty seasons of
the automobile, the National Safety Council and others in-
terested in saving lives in urban streets and on the highways
have “nreachcd” for all drivers to slow down.
Not having the right of way gained an amazing into the unavoidable death trap is the “ghost
total of 10.4 per cent of the traffic fatalities car” which believes it has the right of way be-
which occur each year by the drivers. Heading cause of the hand signal.
Results ?
Not as good as one might think.
Although the percentage figures of
automobile accidents caused by the
action of the driver has not chang
ed considerably in the past year,
the “persons killed” and “persons
injured” columns add up to great
er totals.
Percentage figures will always
add to only 100 which in many
ways is a safety factor in itself,
but it seems that the average driv
er will not listen.
Overall figures tell the story
simply and plainly.
Comparing 1950 to 1949, one can
see that 26,700 people wove killed
by action of the drivers while 22,-
500 met their end in 1949. On the
injured list, 1949 placed 1,041,000
and the following 365 days boosted
the grand total, to record 1,210,000.
“So what?” sez you. Cold sta
tistics may warm you up.
Exceeding the speed limit in
1949 took 44.9 per cent of the
lives of traffic fatalities, and the
1950 list increased to 49.8 per
cent. More astonishing perhaps is
the fact that the number of per
sons killed (10,100 in 1949 to 13,-
300 in 1950) showed an increase
of 35 per cent because of speeding
in the two years.
Persons Injured Managed A Rise
Almost 5,000 persons were killed last year and
over 475,000 injured for driving on the wrong side
of the road. The fatalities have a 17.8 percentage
of the total number of traffic accidents. Coming
over the hill on the wrong side of the road is the
“ghost car.”
Persons injured also managed a
rise. From 398,700 in 1949, Am
ericans upped the “near-fatality”
list to 475,000, a per cent rise of
19.
Summing up all the numbers, one
' out of every three drivers involved
in a serious accident last year,
arrived via the speed route.
In the immediate area of College
Station, a recent accident test
show death by speed plays no
favorites.
A traffic accident on a south
bound highway one night killed
five persons and injured three oth
ers. The driver of the car made
a turn at an improper speed and
hit a truck.
Ages of the persons killed were,
12, 18, 24, 31, and 70—three men,
two women. One might say “each
generation and sex did its share.’’
Yet, the highway patrolmen said
no real reason for the cause of
the wreck could be found, but he
added hastily, unless one wanted to
say “too dern fast.”
And contrary to what many peo
ple may think, the truck wasn’t at
fault.
An action by drivers which resulted in 270 deaths
last year and almost 5,000 injuries was the pass
ing of a car on the curve. The “ghost car” not
only passes on a curve, but adds to the possibil
ity of an accident as the curve was also on a hill.
Head-on Collision
The other colisibn on the Waso persons, nor type and model of
highway involved a head-on-colli-
sion of two automobiles. Of the
eight persons involved in the
wreck, only one was killed yet six
of the others were hospitalized.
Again no official statement can
car. He just travels well with
speed at fault.
Today, commercial vehicles are
outnumbered four to one by the
passenger cars on the nation’s
streets and highways. Yet, the com
be made as to what happened, but mcrcial cars travel nearly four
the score board glowed with pride, times as far as the pleasure cars.
Listed beside the death were two More surprising is that compared
skull fractures, a broken leg, a to the 32,140 passenger cars in-
fractured leg, and multi face laccr- volved in fatal accidents, only 9,230
ations and body lashes. commercial vehicles wei’e involved
Death knows no color, sex, age of in fatalities.
Bring Sex Into Picture
Bringing sex into the picture,
woman's ego may bounce a little
to hear that “nine out of ten acci
dents have a man behind the
wheel.” Yet, men. drive far more
than women, hence neither can be
24 years of age claim 24.3 per
cent of accident deaths, which num
bered 1 Q,500. The 25 to 64 year-
old age group had a percentage of
deaths larger than the younger
generation, yet it covers a larger
Exceeding the speed limit and being unable to
stop in time, the “ghost car” heads for a double
kill. Last year, the greatest number oi traffic
deaths came about by drivers ignoring speed
limits.
singled out superior since both to- group of people. It’s 68.1 per cent
gether form the traffic accident an( j 29,420 deaths, are not as large
rj .. .. „ as the “younger generation’s” when
ror the age group, the younger j & &
generation” can claim the No. 1 also comparing the number of
spot. Drivers ranging from 18 to people on the road by age.
Statistics Are Cold
Statistics arc cold, once set in somewhere, someplace, you won’t
type, yet what has been said above take an extra “ten” to think, while
is alarmingly true. The other truth doing all the above and will exceed
is this: you’re probably a good the speed limits to become a men-
driver—you don’t insist on the ace to yourself and everyone on
right-of-way, nor drive on the the highway,
wrong side of the street, nor fail “Stop speeding . . . Don't be-
to use proper hand signals. Yet come a statistic in 1951.”
Heading for its final ride, the "ghost car” drives
off the roadway with the drher either fatigued or
asleep. Last ^ ear, nearly sis, per cent of all traf
fic deaths were caused in a similar manner and
35,090 persons were injured.
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