Live and Let Live (1947)

1 2 3 4 5 6 Yes, once every 6 seconds, day and night, weekdays and holidays, another automobile accident adds to the toll of death, injury, and property damage. This tragedy and waste can become even more terrible unless we learn that accidents can be prevented and determine that they shall be. In general, accidents don't just happen. They are caused. Among the principal causes are carelessness, impatience, inattention, recklessness, act or loss of the basic driving skills. No one can become a really safe driver if he rids himself of these fundamental faults until he stops taking an occasional chance and until he comes to know his limitations as a driver. The good driver, for example, knows that no one can stop on a dime like this. No matter how serious the emergency, even an experienced driver takes a certain amount of time after he perceives danger before he can begin to apply the brakes. The distance which the car travels in this interval, 5/8 of a second for the average driver, is known as reaction distance and is indicated by the yellow strip. Since even locked wheels cannot arrest a car's forward motion immediately, braking distance, shown by the red strip, must be added to reaction distance total stopping distance. At 25 mph under ideal conditions and for an average driver, the reaction and braking distances are 22 ft and 28 ft respectively, which means that the car will travel a total of 50 ft before it can be brought to a complete stop. At twice the speed, or 50 mph, the reaction distance for an average driver is 45 ft and the braking distance is 119 ft. The total stopping distance, therefore, is 164 ft, over three times as great as at 25 mph. Be a good driver. Learn your stopping distances and never drive so fast that you can stop within the assured clear distance ahead. All too many drivers ignore this simple rule, especially when in traffic. In fact, one of the greatest causes of automobile accidents is a habit of following the car in front of you too closely. Unless drivers leave a safe distance between their car and the car ahead, and unless they remain constantly alert, a crash is almost inevitable should the leading car stop suddenly. Driving in the proper lane is of importance, too. It is an easy matter to maintain a smooth flow of traffic on multiple lane highways when slow cars keep to the right and faster cars to the left. But the impatient driver, who hopes to save a few seconds by weaving in and out, endangers both lives and property as he darts from one lane to another, he leaves behind him a trail of snarled traffic and ruffled tempers, even if he doesn't cause a serious accident. Keep in line. A good driver will never attempt to pass another car when approaching a curve, hill, or intersection, or in the face of oncoming traffic. The driver who takes a chance by passing when he can see the road ahead, or when he doesn't have sufficient clear distance, is one of the greatest menaces to be found at the wheel today. Often he himself escapes unscathed, but is the real cause of accidents involving other drivers. Pass only when the road ahead is clear. Passing on the wrong side is another leading cause of accidents. Not only is it difficult for other drivers to see a car passing in this fashion, but the reckless driver has no warning should one of the other cars pull out of line, stop, or make a turn. You can do a good turn for yourself and other drivers by observing two simple rules. When you plan to make either a left or right-hand turn, give the correct hand signal and stay in the proper lane. From this position, the turn may be made easily and safely. Impatience and danger, however, go hand in hand, and the driver who will cut across a line of traffic, depending on his greater speed to keep him out of danger, may cause serious trouble. Remember, use hand signals and keep in the proper lane. There's plenty of room on this road for all, just as long as everyone stays on his side of the line. But the driver whose chief fault is carelessness can cause a serious accident. Not thinking of the consequences, such a driver allows his car to swing wide, forcing the oncoming car off the road. Always stay on your own side of the center line. But the most inexcusable of all accidents are those caused by drivers who are under the influence of alcohol. Anyone who drives a car in this condition is a potential killer. Alcohol, even in small amounts, affects the driver's judgment and dulls his senses. Normally cautious drivers will take all sorts of needless chances after drinking. Furthermore, they are unable to react as quickly or as well in emergencies. Remember then, if you drink, don't drive. If you drive, don't drink. Stop, look, and listen. Those words are a warning that every driver should heed. Yet despite this warning, more than 2,000 men, women, and children will meet death this year in crashes between automobiles and trains. More than 1/3 of these fatal accidents will occur at crossings guarded by gates, bells, flasher lights, or other protective devices. When you come to a railroad crossing, stop and look both ways before going on. For the driver who feels he can ignore that warning and who won't take time to be careful, there can be only one end, this. So, stop, look, and listen. The busy intersections of American streets and highways are breeding places of accidents. Even those crossings where the flow of traffic is controlled by stop lights are not immune. Seemingly, it should be a simple matter to obey the law, to stop on red, to go only after the lights have changed to green. But many drivers, impatient because of a few seconds delay, will start off as soon as they see the caution light. At the least, this means confusion and traffic tie-ups. At the worst, it means serious and costly accidents. Play it safe. Don't start until you see the green light. At an intersection that is not protected by stop signs or lights, the right of way is given to the car on the right, unless the other vehicle reaches the intersection first by an appreciable distance. Failure to grant this right of way is one of the primary causes of accidents. But it should be remembered that possession of the right of way does not relieve a driver of a necessity of being careful. The driver who fights for his right of way or takes it for granted may well be described by the old jingle which tells of a chap who one fine day was killed maintaining his right of way. He was right, dead right as he sped along, but he's just as dead as though he'd been wrong. But the worst killer on the highways today and the greatest single accident cause is speed. Speed beckons temptingly to the impatient and to the thrill-seeking and turns an innocent curve into a death trap. Speed, sinister and deadly, takes control of a car and hurls it into a wild spin. Speed can make a simple blowout result in stark tragedy. And by increasing a car's stopping distance, speed causes many an accident that could have been avoided had the car been traveling at a reasonable rate. So stop saving and losing lives. Slow down for safety. And remember, to be a good driver, a safe driver, you must use care, courtesy, and common sense. You must be ever alert, which means you must never, not even for a moment, relax your vigilance while at the wheel. Determine while you may to live and let live.