Live and Let Live (1947, sound)

[Music] 1 2 3 4 5 six yes once every 6 seconds day and night weekday 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 cause among the principal causes are carelessness impatience inattention recklessness act all loss of the basic driving skills no one can become a really safe driver he rids himself of these fundamental faults until he stops taking an occasional no 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 C travels in this interval 58 of a second for the average driver is known as reaction dist distance and is indicated by the yellow strip since even locked Wheels cannot arrest a car's Forward Motion immediately breaking 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 this 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 a 25 mph be a good driver learn your stopping distances and never drive so fast that you can't 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 dri 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 snarl traffic and ruffle 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't 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 to stop or make a turn you can do a good turn for yourself and other drivers by obser obing 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 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 in excusable 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 a 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 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 onethird 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 answer [Applause] this so stop look and listen the busy intersections of American streets and highways are breeding places of accidents even those Crossing 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 line 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 pr AR causes of accidents but it should be remembered that possession of the right of way does not relieve a driver of the 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 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 Wilding 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 seconds 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