‘Death watch’ Predicts 176V iolent F at alities
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Garrison Warns Aggies
‘Don’t Relax Going Home’
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Tomori'ow at noon, Christmas
recess will officially begin at
A&M.
By that time, however, many
Aggies will have already made the
long trip home, or at least be well
on their way.
The odds are against the Aggies
though. With 176 violent deaths
forecast for the Christmas holi
days—90 of these the result of
highway traffic accidents—Aggies
on the road seem to be playing a
grim game with Death, and the
cards are stacked!
In an exclusive telephone inter
view. yesterday, Col. Homer Gar
rison, Jr., director of the Texas
Department of Public Safety, of
fered motoring A&M students this
advice:
“Many Texans, particularly stu
dents such as you, will be heading
homeward on the highways this
weekend, preliminary to the open
ing of the Christmas and New
Year’s holiday season. Our Tex
as highways will probably be more
crowded than usual, the weather
could turn bad and add to the haz
ards of driving, and the expecta
tions of Christmas parties and fes
tivities might cause some of you
to relax your usual attentiveness.
“Your Texas Department of Pub
lic Safety urges all of you who
will be making trips, particularly
long trips, to exercise even greater
care than usual during this time
of year. It might help avoid trag
edy during this holiday season.
“Our records prove without a
doubt that legal driving is safe
driving; that in almost every fatal
accident at least one traffic law
riolation is involved. And even if
you should not be involved in an
accident, law violations can be a
costly and unnecessary holiday ex
pense throughout the year.
“Statistical information from
our department indicates that 90
persons will be killed in traffic
crashes during the holiday period,
extending ten days from 12:01
a.m. Friday, Dec. 23, to 11:59 p.m.,
Sunday, Jan. 2. We hope that
Texas drivers will prove we esti
mated too high.
“In addition, we will do every
thing in our power to prove this
prediction is wrong by having ev
ery available patrolman on duty,
as well as all radar units, in order
to remove dangerous and illegal
drivers from the highway.”
Here in Bryan, Highway Patrol-
rpan 0. L. Luther has promised
“round-the-clock” patrol action to
help prevent holiday accidents.
In a Christmas message directed
to Brazos County motorists, Lu
ther said.
“Most of us can look back at
Christmas and New Year’s holi
days with happy memories, but to
some, Christmas is only a remind
er of the loss of a loved one.
“The Department of Public
Safety found a traffic law viola
tion in 71 of the 72 fatal accidents
last Christmas.
“Please drive within the limits
of the law this year. Don’t drink
and drive. Allow yourself plenty
of time going and coming, to per
mit you to drive at a safe speed.
“Having your visit cut short a
few minutes is better than having
your life snuffed out in a traffic
accident.”
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I960
XMAS
Stals Indicate 90
Traffic Victims
“Operation Deathwatch” may see 176 persons die vio
lently during the Yule holidays.
That was the prediction today of the Texas Department
of Public Safety of expected violent deaths in traffic, mur
der and suicide, and other fatal accidents during the 10-day
period embracing the Christmas-New- Year holidays.
Col. Homer Garrison, Jr., department director, said ex
perience in previous holiday periods and other statistical
factors indicate 90 persons will be killed in traffic, there will
be 46 homicides and suicides, and 40 persons will die in fires
and other non-traffic accidents.
He announced that “Operation Deathwatch,” a grim
tabulation of holiday deaths,*
It Could Haopen To You
. . . why?
SPECIAL SAFETY EDITION
The Battalion
Volume 59
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1960
Number 49
Odds Again Against A&M Motorists
Odds are against A&M motorists
again this year.
Figures tabulated by the Texas
Department of Public Safety clear
ly show the odds are against all
college students on the highways
of the state are poor.
‘Death’s Night
Before Christmas
(Editor’s Note: The following-
poem was written by Sgt. Gene
Brewer of the Texas Department
of Public Safety. We believe that
this work of Brewer, who worked
with the Department of Public
Safety in the Dallas area, is an
excellent example of the haphaz
ard driving prevalent on highways,
particularly during the holiday
season.)
‘DEATH’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS’
By GENE BREWER
'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the room,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a bloom;
The caskets were lined by the fireplace with care,
And the fragrance of flowers covered the air.
Loved ones were gathered with tears in their eyes,
While the silence was torn by heartbroken cries.
Dressed in the gifts of our children so sweet,
Were Mamma and I in enternity’s sleep.
When up with the dawn we had jumped in the car
To visit with Grandma, a distance quite far.
Away through the country, we’d sped like a flash,
Tore down the highway, a death-dealing crash!
Our blood on the crest of the hilltop so high,
Gave a silent reminder for those passing by,
That out in the darkness of a cold winter’s night
Stood a grim, cloaked figure, ready to smite..
He was dressed all in black from his foot to his head,
And his clothes were all tarnished with blood from the
dead;
A long curved scythe he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a devil about to attack.
He was skinny and gaunt, a right vicious old elf,
And I screamed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A blink of his eye, and a twist of his headv.
Soon gave me to know I had plenty to dread;
He spoke not a word but went straight to his work,
Adding us to his roll of nitwits and jerks.
More rapid than autos his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted, and called us by name:
“Now, Speeder! Now, Careless! Now, Honker! and Creepy!
On, Passer! On, Weaver! On, Drinker! and Sleepy!
To the top of the hill, to the end of the curve!
Now, dash away, dash away, show you got nerve!”
And then in a twinkling, I saw in my lights
The tingling, spine-chilling, most awesome of sights.
As I drew in my head, and was turning the wheel,
Through the windshield and dash came the grinding of
steel.
As dry leaves, that night, the wild auto did fly,
When we met with another to mount to the sky.
The stump of my pipe, it broke off in my teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled my head for a wreath.
So hear as I speak from death’s darkened sill:
Slow down, my friend, pass not on that hill,
For he waits there ahead, omnipotent, cold,
For the drivers, lax, in his arms to enfold.
Escape him you can’t, if you must take the chance;
Death is the penalty, you know in advance.
For I heard him exclaim, ere my eyes dimmed of sight,
“Careless driving to all and to all a good fright.”
The college student age| group,
the kind of cars driven by most
college students, the type roads the
students will use and the days they
will be on the highways—all of
these were among the highest in
accident ratings in Texas last year.
The 1959 statistics show the age
group from 18-24 were involved in
24.3 per cent of the state’s fatal
accidents and 18.1 per cent of the
non-fatal mishaps. In 1958 this
same age group was involved in
15.5 per cent of all fatal accidents.
Also many of the men of Aggie-
land will be on the highways be
tween the hours of 4 - 8 p. m. today
and tomorrow.
Statistics show 25.5 per cent of
all fatal accidents occur in these
hours, with 6.8 per cent between
6 and 7, 6.3 per cent between 4 and
5, and 6.2 per cent between the
hours of 5 and 6 and 7 and 8.
During this same time period, the
Department of Public Safety re
port shows 29.5 per cent of all in
juries due to traffic mishaps are
incurred.
Weekends are also listed as the
worst time period for accidents,
with the three days of Friday,
Saturday and Sunday accounting
for 55.1 per cent of 1959’s fatal
traffic accidents.
Broken down, the statistics show
Saturday, 19 per cent on Sundays
and 14.9 per cent on Fridays.
The figures also show most
motorists will be unable to blame
auto defects or poor weather for
any accidents they may have.
In 1959, 86.7 per cent of all
fatal accidents and 81.5 per cent of
all accidents occurred in clear
weather. Also 96.6 per cent of
last year’s traffic accidents
occured in cars that were apparent
ly in good condition.
Motorists, however, have been
warned to be extremely cautious on
the state’s highways after the re
cent surge of bad weather and
poor driving conditions that has
engulfed practically the entire
state.
Most observers have predicted
the clearing-up that occurred yes
terday and continued today will be
an encouraging aspect for the traf
fic out-look.
Just because a person has a
new car does not prevent him from
accidents, either, the report shows.
In fact, in 1959 the reverse proved
true. Cars only one year old were
involved in 25 per cent of all ac
cidents, while two-year-old ve
hicles were involved in 14 per cent
of the mishaps.
Three-year-old cars were in
volved in 13 per cent of the acci-
21.2 per cent of the mishaps on dents and cars over four years old
Warning: ‘This
God’s Country’
“This is God’s Country. Don’t drive through it like
hell.” So goes a sign at Hondo.
How many supposedly “safe” drivers will heed that
warning? Last year during the Christmas holiday period
97 persons met death on Texas highways.
accounted for the remaining 48
per cent.
The major causative factors in
accidents last year were: exceed
ing the speed limit, 43.1 per cent;
driving on the wrong side of the
road, 15.9 per cent; driving off
the roadway, 12.1 per cent.
Recklessness, 11.9 per cent;
failure to obtain right-of-way, 11.2
per cent, and various minor causes,
the remaining 5.8 per cent.
An insurance company booklet
has summed up the traffic situa
tion by saying:
“In 1959, more than 2,900,000
Americans added their names to
the nation’s roll call of senseless
slaughter, an increase of almost
50,000 over the previous year.
“They were added despite the
pleadings and warnings of those
who try in vain to halt the carnage
of highway fatalities. •
“Each year the grim reaper
emerges victorious, his Dishonor
Roll growing ever longer with the
namfes of men, women and children,
drivers and pedestrians, the care
less and innocent alike.
“Since the first automobile
chugged noisely down cobblestone
streets, more than 62,000,000 killed,
crippled and maimed Americans
have inscribed their names on this
Dishonor Roll.
In other words, fellow-Aggies,
what more could be said to urge
extreme caution on the highways
over the holidays?
will be in effect from 12:01
a.m. Friday, Dec. 23-11:59
p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1.
g “We hope our prediction
is too high, and through the most
I concerted and coordinated effort
; in history this year, we will be
v doing everything in our power to
i, hold down traffic deaths, particu
larly, during the holidays,” Gar
rison said.
“Our Regional Commanders have
been instructed to have every
available man on duty and all
radar units working during this
period in an extra-special effort
to maintain the existing reduction
in traffic fatalities effected so far
in 1960.
“We hope to wind up this year
with approximately 170, or about
seven per cent, less fatalities if
we can hold the trend which 1 has
apparently been established.
“Operationally, department per
sonnel will attempt to achieve the
most effective enforcement pro
gram possible during the period,
and through a coordinated, state
wide public information program
an all-out effort will be made to
keep the public advised of and
aware of the special hazards of
holiday driving and the need for
legal driving at all times. Ex
perience has shown without a
doubt that in most fatal traffic
accidents, at least one violation
of the traffic laws is a causative
factor.”
Garrison said participants in
this program include the Gover
nor’s Highway Safety Commission,
the Department of Public Safety,
the Texas Association of Broad
casters, the Texas Council of
Safety Supervisors, the Oil Field
Haulers Association, the Associ
ated General Contractors, the out
door advertising media, the Texas
Highway Department, the Texas
Safety Association and the press,
radio and television media.
Safety Issue
To Be Entered
In Contest
This issue of The Battalion is
devoted to promoting highway and
holiday safety, particularly to stu
dents of Texas A&M embarking
on the Christmas recess.
Today’s Battalion, consistent
with the past 11 years, will be sub
mitted to the annual contest spon
sored by the Lumberman’s Mutual
Casualty Co. in Chicago.
The contest was originated in
1948 and has prompted hundreds
of journalists to promote safety
for the fatality-marred holiday
season.
This year, cash prizes are being
offered by the firm to college
newspapers entering the contest
with awards presented in both
overall and separate categories.
Divisions include college daily,
non-daily, editorial, feature, car
toon and photograph.
Since the advent of the contest,
The Battalion ranks second among
college newspapers with awards
won in the contest, placing nine of
eleven years. This record is sec
ond only to the University of
Southern California’s Daily Trojan.
Last year’s winners in the col
lege category were The Daily Tro
jan at Southern Cal, The Daily
Universe at Brigham Young Uni
versity and The Daily Illini at
the University of Illinois.
A THOUGHT, A PLEA
Gala Holidays — But Not For These
MB
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In today’s age of speedier more
powerful cars there is always pre
sent the tendency to go a little bit
faster. Especially during holidays,
common sense may be shoved aside
by the thoughts of getting home
or seeing loved ones.
Up until Nov. 18 there were
1,837 traffic deaths in Texas. 103,-
000 persons were injured and there
were 251,000 crashes. Compared to
1959 totals there is a seven per cent
reduction in deaths, an eight per
cent reduction in injuries and
crashes are down eight per cent.
Are Texas motorists planning to
make up for the death and injury
deficiencies over the holiday peri
od ? This bright little note remains
to be seen.
In 1956, the worst year in Tex
as traffic history, there were 2,611
persons killed. 111,000 were in
jured in a total of 229,000 crashes.
In that year 40.1 billion miles were
traveled by Texans’ 3,949,000 li
censed drivers.
1957, the fourth worst year in
Texas traffic history, saw only
2,539 killed, 122,000 injured and
261,000 crashes. In that year 42.4
billion miles were traveled by Tex
as’ motorists.
1958, the ninth worst year in
Texas traffic ’ history, yielded
2,342 Texas wayfarers to the grim
reaper. There were 127,000 injured
and 304,000 crashes that year.
Last year was listed as the
sixth worst year in Texas traffic
history with a total of 2,453
killed.
‘Where You’re Going Will Still Be There’
Sgt.
O. L. Luther
.. two evils’
i ■■■ism.
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Mrs. R. Ballard
‘... all be busier’
(Editor’s Note: How do people from fireworks, burnings, and
who are chiefly concerned with
automobile accidents feel about
the coming Christmas holidays,
knowing they will probably be
called on to work late and hard.
Here are the views of four of them
—a highway patrolman, a nurse,
an ambulance driver, and a doctor.)
Sgt. O. L. Luther
“We usually have one or two
fatal accidents in Brazos County
during the Christmas holidays,”
said Sgt. O. L. Luther of the Texas
Department of Public Safety.
“Usually these accidents are a
combination of two evils—drink
ing and speed.
“Where you find drinking, you
usually find speed, too; they don’t
make a very good couple,” he
added.
“Besides wrecks, we are also
called on to investigate other types
of accidents, like those resulting
drownings. We arrange to keep
pretty busy all the time, but dur
ing the Christmas holidays, we
put an all-out effort to control
careless driving in our five-coun
ty area.
“Starting Dec. 23, four police
patrol units will be working ’round-
the-clock to help prevent holiday
accidents.”
Mrs. R. Ballard
“We would all like for the
emergency room to stay clear this
Christmas,” is the hope of Mrs. R.
Ballard, a nurse at the Bryan City
Hospital.
“The hospital is usually busy
without holiday seasons, because
we have to fight germs as well as
accidents. But during the Christ
mas season, I imagine we’ll all be
busier here.
“There have been some very
heartbreaking experiences result
ing from ‘Christmas Carelessness,’
such as children killed with the
parents surviving, and visa versa.
“When a family is broken up by
a death, particularly a violent one
caused by a wreck or other fatal
accident, some real suffering oc
curs,” she said.
Amil Matura
“The part of the car that causes
the most accidents is the nut be
hind the wheel,” is the feeling of
Hillier Funeral Home ambulance
driver Amil Mdlura.
“Sometimes it’s pretty rough to
pick up what’s left after a wreck
when the Christmas presents are
still in the back seat. A lot of
presents never get delivered that
way.”
“It’s just no Christmas for many
people because of this,” added Ed
Guilliard, another driver for Hil
lier.
“We are on call 24 hours a day
here; I just hope we don’t get one
of those 2 a. m. calls this Christ-
Amil Matura
... it’s pretty rough’
mas. They usually result in some
pretty sad experiences.”
Dr. Truman Melcher
“Some trying days are ahead for
the people who have to take care
of the results of carelessness that
pour into the hospital every
Christmas,” was the prediction of
Dr. Truman Melcher of the Bryan
City Hospital.
“On the schedule of events for
the Christmas season, I imagine
we will have a shooting victim,
and maybe someone who has been
stabbed.
“I’m hoping there won’t be any
bad traffic accidents this year.
Those are really tragic,” he said.
“We see a lot of damage from
fireworks, too. Burned hands,
eyes, ears—quite a few of them.
Last year we had a little boy
whose Christmas was spoiled be
cause he couldn’t hold a Roman
candle correctly. His hand was
very badly burned because of this.”