Marion Progress

Safety Week Is Proclaimed By Governor Hoey
Slaughter On Highways Must Cease, Says Executive.
Raleigh, March 1. - Governor Hoey, asserting that the "slaughter on the highways must cease," today designated the week beginning March 6 as "safety week in North Carolina."
Pointing out that an average of nearly three persons are killed daily in motor vehicle accidents in the state, the governor called upon the "whole citizenship of North Carolina to make this week tell mightily in the promotion of public safety on our highways throughout the entire year."
A safety program designed to "protect your life and the life of your child," will be announced during the week. the governor said.
His statement follows in part:
"The state association of county commissioners and the highway safety division are jointly promoting this special period of safety observance.
"I am asking every minister in the state to call attention in the Sunday service to this important matter and urge compliance with the rules of safety by every person who drives a motor vehicle and every person who walks or travels in any other way upon the public roads The same appeal should be made in every public school and college. The civic clubs are urged to conduct safety programs and otherwise aid in making all the people safety conscious.
"The need for a safety program is great. The policy is education for those who will be reasonable and enforcement for those who will not.
"The slaughter on the highways must cease. The death rate can be lessened. It has been appalling for several years.
"Last year 1,123 people were killed on the highways of this state, an average of nearly three persons a day, and 7,990 were injured.
North Carolina's record is bad in this particular and it must be improved. For the whole eighteen months in which our soldiers participated in the World War only 629 from North Carolina were killed in battle, while nearly twice that many die in peace times by accidents on our highways, in one year.
"The national safety council states that we have reduced our percentage of deaths over the last three years 14%, based upon the number of cars licensed and the amount of gasoline consumed.
"This is not enough--we are still one of the ten worst states for fatal accidents. It is encouraging to know that the past January was the best January for five years from the standpoint of accidents."