1949 Automobile Safety Theatrical PSAs

A pig's all right in his pen where he belongs, but when he hogs the road, well, sometimes a pig is pretty inconsiderate. He probably figured that pedestrians are just so many obstacles between himself and his destination. He'd grunt loudly at everything in his way. But when a human being looks at the road, he sees that pedestrians are people like himself who have just as much right in the street as he has. So, he gives them the brake, not the horn. He is constantly on the watch for pedestrians and always stops for them. Because as a normal human being, he wants no part of a tragedy like this. He knows that it's suicide for anyone to walk in front of 2 tons of automobile. People are not meant for slaughter. Be careful. The life you save may be your own. Watch out for this boy. He represents every child. His life depends upon you as a motorist, upon your guidance as a parent. When you're driving, expect the unexpected from children. Be prepared to avoid an accident. And when you're teaching your children safety, teach them to always walk safely like Tommy's doing here. Sometimes, unless safety rules are habits, he forgets when he's out alone. If you neglect helping him develop good habits of safety, this can happen to your child. Yes, watch out motorists. Watch out parents. Could your conscience stand the death of this child? His life is in your hands. Who causes accidents like this? Maniacs, incompetents, murderers you say. You are wrong. Look at this man. A nice guy, perfectly normal, a good driver, just like you. Last year over 37,000 people were killed by good drivers who took that one little fatal chance. Here's what happened to a nice guy who passed on a curve. The fellow who hit this little boy was a good driver, but he drove too fast. Here's the end of a perfectly normal fellow who couldn't resist having one for the road. The fact that you're usually a careful, considerate driver doesn't help if taking one foolish chance ends like this. So, always obey traffic signs, observe the speed limit, and never drive when you drink. You may save the life of a good driver, and the life you save may be your own. Remember Joe, the fellow who could drink so much without showing it? He's only had three drinks tonight. Friendly drinks, just for the road. And he can walk a straight line and say 10 sleepy kittens lost their mittens as easy as you please. But tonight Joe's in a hurry. Maybe it's those three little drinks that picked him up. Maybe he just can't get home soon enough to suit him. Joe's got a beautiful wife and a lovely baby girl. That's funny. Joe's a sharp driver. He saw the other car soon enough. Because of those three drinks, he took just a fraction of a second longer to get his foot on the brake. Just long enough to kill him. There's plenty of room in here for those who think they can drink and drive. In olden times, there was a king who was so conceited he thought he could stop the tides by raising his arm. Of course, he wasn't very bright. But he was a genius compared to motorists who think they can stop the flow of traffic with a quick arm signal like this. And this is even a better way to keep them growing old. No signal at all. When you pull out from the curb, it's not enough to look out the window. Because you can't see an oncoming car directly behind. Stick your head out so you can make sure the street is clear. Always look to the rear before you pull out of the curb. If you think the other driver can always stop for a hand signal, if you think he can read your mind, it's suicide. Remember, the life you save may be your own. If you want to murder your savings, this is a quick and fairly safe way of doing it. Bumper chasing is another way, and though it's popular with a lot of motorists, it's not nearly so safe. You won't save time or money bumper chasing. It cost at least $100 to replace a front tooth, and a good deal more to put the car back in shape. Every day hundreds of motorists murder their savings trying to win at bumper chasing. There goes next week's paycheck, your Christmas fund, the wife's new coat, Junior's bicycle. If you don't want to murder your bank account, give the car in front plenty of room. This is the sign that warns of a railroad crossing ahead, but who has time to slow down? This crossbuck says, "Look out for trains." But who has time for that? He has plenty of time now. At this cross, our late friend came to a full stop. Take your time while you still have time. The life you save may be your own. Target for today. Target for tonight. Are you one of those misguided persons who thinks these expressions have become obsolete since the war? Not on your life. Or death. There are still many targets for tonight. You may be one of them. There are still many targets for today. You may be one of them. While making a simple everyday left-hand turn, you can become a target, vulnerable from four different directions. Be sure the driver behind you sees your signal. And above all, don't try to make the oncoming traffic stop. Sure, they're supposed to let you through, but that bus might have been going faster than you thought. That truck may have had bad brakes. Neither driver may have noticed you. So, turn only when you can see that all the oncoming lanes are clear. Many serious accidents occur while making left turns. Don't you become a target. It's suicide. Remember, the life you save may be your own. This coin has killed more people than we lost in both World Wars, because this is the dime that a lot of motorists think they can stop on. Your life isn't worth a dime if you don't know that driving at 30 mph with the best brakes in the world, you can't stop in less than 46 ft. At 40, it's 82 ft. At 50, you travel 55 ft in the split second it takes to step on the brake and 128 ft more before the brakes stop you. And if the pavement is slippery or your brakes are just average, you can't stop this side of the hospital or the morgue. If you think you can stop on a dime, it's suicide. Remember, the life you save may be your own. There's a little girl in that hearse. She could be your little girl. How would you feel if you were the driver who killed her? It's something to remember. When you drive in residential sections, take it easy and keep your eyes open because you know how kids are. They'll run out in the street after a ball without thinking and it's up to you to watch out for them. Be especially careful in school zones because the kids rely on you to stop. If you speed through playground areas, residential districts, by parked ice cream trucks and other places where children are likely to be. If you depend on the kids to watch out for you, sooner or later you'll run one down. It doesn't matter whose fault it was. Alibis won't wash the blood from your hands. If you don't give the kids a break, it's murder.