Deaths on the Road
The latest returns show that there were 1,012 deaths from road accidents in the month of October, as compared with 920 in October last year, in spite of the fact that there are far fewer cars on the roads. The number of persons thus killed in acci- dents was nearly one sixth of the total killed by the enemy in air-raids. The proportionate increase of accidents in daylight as compared with last year is even greater ; there has been a fall in the number of people killed during the black-out. There can be little doubt that the deterioration is largely due to the disregard of the speed limit which has lately become so general, and to the disinclination of the police to take action to stop careless driving, especially if the drivers are in uniform. Up to the present there has been no such war-necessity as would justify the military in disregarding the rules of the road. But drivers in the forces are by no means the only offenders. To judge by the driving which may be seen every day both in the towns and in the country it is evident that large numbers of people think that the war is a justification for the complete neglect of the rules of the road. Drastic steps are justified to stop this shocking addition to the nation's casualties.
Previous page
