The Key West Citizen

CHILDREN'S STREET ACCIDENTS
A campaign to reduce automobile accidents is
being carried on by R. B. Stoeckel, motor vehicle
commissioner for Connecticut, and in a recent bul-
letin he takes up the question of accidents to child-
ren. He classifies such accidents occurring in his
state in 1925 to the following causes: Crossing
streets, 878; stepping from behind some object,
464; playing in street, 82; coasting, 66; stealing
rides, 43; confusion, 16; boarding or leaving trolley,
seven.
It would be found in any state that many
children get hurt as the result of stepping from be-
hind some vehicle standing by the side of the street.
If they attempt to cross a street that is clear of
such vehicles, the great majority of drivers can see
them in time to stop. But if they suddenly dart
out from behind a parked automobile, it becomes
difficult for a driver to stop in time if he is going
at any considerable speed.
Drivers should consider this possibility when
they pass through a street with cars parked along
the side, particularly if there seem to be children
along that street. They can never know when some
heedless youngster will dart out from behind one
of those cars without looking.
Children should be taught that this is one of
the greatest dangers to them. It should be made
clear to them that if they do not want to get hurt
and suffer severe pain, they must look before cross-
ing streets, and particularly that they should cross
where people can have a clear view of them.
In many cases a driver can look under a car
and see if he can discover anyone's feet on the fur-
ther side of it, in which case he needs to show spe-
cial care. Children are not the only ones who get
hurt as the result of darting out from behind parked
cars.