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Save the Children

17th March 1950, Page 29
17th March 1950
Page 29
Page 30
Page 29, 17th March 1950 — Save the Children
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

No One Can Be Unperturbed at the Grave Road Casualties, So Help to Reduce Them

DURING the week, March 19-25, the cam paign td promote the safety of children in respect of the use of the roads will teach a peak. This special effort has been organized by the Minister of Transport, in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Prevention Of Accidents, and follows the reasonably successful Pedestrian-crossing Week Which took place last year.

One of the main lessons learnt from this former campaign was that a good lead-in and an effective follow-up ate essential. In other words, it is• all very well to concentrate on a particular safety aspect during a short period, but the teaching and the precautions taken then should not be neglected during the remainder of the year Eighty Child Casualties Daily That road safety for children is of vital importance is indicated by the fact that, last year, some 30,000 were injured, of whom nearly 1,000 died. It may be more convincing to point out that this represents the considerable figure of 80 casualties daily to children on the roads alone, quite apart from the numerous accidents from other causes in the home and elsewhere.

The education Of children and incidentally, of their parents, and—we believe—the greater care taken by drivers, have considerably reduced the number during the past 20 years. The worst period was in the year. 1930, when the annual figure was nearly 1,700 deaths. This dropped steadily until 1939, when it fluctuated up to some 1,500. One of the great difficulties is that threequarters of child walkers killed are under seven years of age, the most dangerous period being between two and eight years, but Lieut.-Col. J. A. A. Pickard, director-general -of RoSPA, Points out that the deadliest time may be described as "emergence from the novitiate stage." Thus cyclists are most liable to accident in their early teens, and motorcyclists in their twenties.

Of the actual pauses of fatalities to children under seven, the following percentages are illuminating: darting into carriageways rises from 8 per cent. at the age of one to 49 per cent. at three, which drops gradually to 40 per cent. at six; playing around stationary vehicles kills 38 per cent. at one and 101 per cent. at two; after this age there is little further trouble. Stumbling, tripping or falling into the roadway show 19 per cent. at the age of one, 9 per cent. at two, and 5 per cent. at three.

Training can have but little effect in connection with the younger children, who are either completely inconsequential or naturally impulsive. Even those from seven to twelve may know the rules of the road, but are apt Ito forget them in moments of enthusiasm. "

It is, unfortunately, drivers in our industry who are responsible for the greatest number of child casualties. Three out of every four children killed, collided, in one way or another, with goods vehicles and buses, particularly the former;yet there are no higher skilled men on the road. The reasons for this apparently had record are easy to find. The mileage of commercial vehicles, taken as a whole, is enormous—many times that of private cars--and the business of the majority is concerned with well populated areas and, frequently, poorer streets where children cannot always be restrained'from n playing in the road. Then, many vehicles must of necessity be so constructed that their drivers cannot see all around them, and particularly immediately behind high bodies, also they have t.' be more frequently reversed from culs-de-sac and yards.

Precautions by the Driver A driver should, of course, always endeavour to ascertain that there are no children playing close to and especially behind his vehicle when he startS either forward or backward; but even if he takes the trouble to walk round it before driving away, a-child may slip out of a doorway or side road immediately after his inspection, whilst some have a habit of watching for an opportunity to cling to the back while the driver is otherwise engaged.

It is always difficult to know what more can be done to reduce the present risks. There are certainly few drivers who are not nervous of them, but we would appeal to all to take-the utmost care when children are anywhere in the vicinity, and especially at times when they are going to or leaving school, also to give a wide berth to the immature cyclist or the youngster playing with a ball.

Certain vehicles are particularly deadly because of their extreme quietness, and in such cases it is better for the driver to be generous with his means for audible warning, although. naturally. we do not want to increase traffic noises to the extent of those, say, in Paris.

Jo view of the responsibility of our industry in this connection, we would like to encourage the efforts which are already being made to cope with the problem, and, therefore, practical suggestions from our readers would be welcomed not only by us, but by the Society concerned. Reference has already been made in our columns to the use of special mirrors by which drivers are enabled to see from their seats more of the road in the immediate vicinity of their vehicles than would otherwise be possible. Fixed guards at the front of lorries and buses are almost impracticable, and side guards, such as those employed on buses, whilst they may save the lives of adults and cyclists, are seldom really effective in the case of small children—in fact they may constitute a greater danger to them.

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Locations: Paris

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