The Key West Citizen

284 AVOIDABLE DEATHS
(Pensacola News)
The ghastly total of 284 persons killed in traffic accidents on the highways of Florida during the first half of this year, representing an increase of one-fifth over the same period of 1933, is evidence enough that something must be done to create greater safety for the public of the state.
Asher Frank, safety director, reveals there were more than 1200 auto accidents last month with 35 deaths resulting.
Possibly the best method to start on an accident reduction drive is to study the methods tried in other areas. This study the Florida Planning board has made, and its recent report produces some concrete suggestions.
One of these is the requirement for semi-annual inspection of the safety features of all automobiles. Modern cars have reliable safeguards, but the average owner rarely repairs his machine until a part breaks or wears out. This inspection would require him to keep his machine in tip-top condition.
But studies have revealed that only a small proportion of accidents are caused by mechanical failure. The rest are due to the human factor.
There are a host of safety rules of the road that would eliminate practically all of our present accidents, but human nature is human nature and people will not observe rules unless they are required to do so.
For that reason, the planning board suggests a state highway patrol.
Such a program cannot be provided until the next session of the legislature, but now is the time to consider it.
Such a patrol would have two functions. One is to make autoists observe the normal safety rules, such as no passing of other cars on curves, hills and intersections, blocking of "road hogs" and requiring proper lights.
This other duty of the patrol would be to act as state peace officers in capturing fleeing criminals. For this purpose, the board suggests the construction of shortwave radio stations.
Other states have found the highway patrol system highly successful. Florida, with its long stretches of roads, some through sparsely settled areas, should find it doubly successful.
Let us hope the next session of the legislature will make this one of its first projects.
If it does, we predict the half yearly report of traffic fatalities will show no such figure as the past one.