THE MOTOR VEHICLE SLAUGHTER. Publication: The New York Times Date: 18 December 1924 Subjects: American Government , Safety

The National Conference on Street and Highway Safety, called to meet in Washington by Secretary Hoover, will have failed of its purpose unless the whole country is aroused to the duty of regulating motor vehicle traffic. In his opening address Mr. Hoover made a point of the increase of 14 per cent. in motor vehicle accidents during the last year, as compared with a decrease of accidents due to other causes. In the four years of our Civil War 110,070 Union soldiers were killed in battle or died of wounds. Unless there is stringent regulation of motor vehicle traffic in this country, four years of fatal casualties on the streets and roads will soon approach that total. The figures in Fox's work, “Regimental Losses in the American Civil War,” were “carefully revised by comparison with the official records at Washington.” All the deaths in our peaceful civilization occasioned by the use of the automobile are probably not reported. Last year there were 22,600 deaths in accidents on streets and highways. About 80 per cent. occurred in motor vehicle traffic. It is already known that this year's fatal casualties will exceed those of 1923.

When the 12,000,000 motor vehicles in use—“ active cars ” is Mr. Hoover's expression—are doubled, is it not a fair calculation that the non-combatant dead will exceed the Union losses in the Civil War in a period of four years unless something drastic is done to hold the motor vehicle in check? Mr. Hoover says:

There are three broad methods of approach to a remedy. First, prevention and safeguard. Second, punishment for violation of the rights of others. Third, public education as to responsibilities.

The most effective safeguard would be a strict system of licensing drivers. In most of the States the tests of competence are farcical. Licenses are easily procured by men and women who risk their own lives and imperil the lives of others. Some of them never learn to drive properly. Punishment for causing accidents is seldom adequate; often it is absurdly light. Even drunkenness in drivers does not always cost them their licenses. Public education of both pedestrians and drivers would lower the percentage of accidents, but it must be systematic, thorough and continuous. After the wreck of a railroad train the engineer is often charged with manslaughter. Rarely is the driver of an automobile that kills a human being so indicted. Yet he operates what may be called a private locomotive. When just punishment is regularly visited upon those who drive motor vehicles with criminal recklessness, the death curve will go down sharply. Uniformity of laws governing the use of these vehicles would also have the effect of turning the death curve down. Uniformity of traffic regulations, or approximation to it, would be helpful. No State should have a weak automobile law. As President Coolidge has wisely said, the problem is one for State and municipal solution, “with incidental help from the Federal authorities.”