Highway Accident Causes! 



OME folks, without any encour- 

 agement at all, will give their 

 views about politics; others 

 show some interest when cattle raising is 

 mentioned; still others hold their ton- 

 gues until the "ever-normal granary 

 plan" is suggested. But there are a few 

 subjects which have such universal ap- 

 peal that nearly everyone can and does 

 talk about them. One of these few is 

 highway safety. 



This popular topic not only encounters 

 willing discussers whenever it is men- 

 tioned but once started — just try to stop 

 it. It seems that everybody who drives 

 a car or rides in one — and that just 

 about covers the population — has an 

 idea on what causes automobile acci- 

 dents and how they can be avoided. 



After listening to some of this earnest 

 comment, we decided to 

 conduct an accident cause 

 survey on what Farm Bu- 

 reau members think is 

 the principal cause for 

 our increasing number 

 of highway fatalities. 

 The response has been 

 quick and decisive. A 

 copy of the questionnaire 

 sent out is presented 

 herewith. And here's 

 the way the answers have 

 been coming in: 82% 

 voted for No. 1, "driv- 

 ing too fast for condi- 

 tion of road, weather, or 

 visibility," as the main 

 cause of highway acci- 

 dents ; 68% selected No. 

 8, "driving while in- 

 toxicated." Third was 

 No. 7 with 64% ("pass- 

 ing on hills, curves or 

 intersections or when an- 

 other car is approach- 

 ing") 



The State of Illinois 

 Division of Highways 

 keeps an accurate record 

 on the number of acci- 

 dents that occur and 

 their apparent principal 

 cause. It is worthy of 

 comment that the results 

 of our survey to date 

 agree with the oflficial 

 summary of the state. 

 This close agreement be- 

 tween the results of our 

 questionnaire and the of- 

 ficial record would seem 

 to indicate that Farm 

 Bureau members, by and 



large, are careful observers. Some of the 

 comments on the backs of the cards are 

 interesting — for instance, look what 

 this person says: "Driving too slow on 

 pavement is as bad if not worse than 

 too fast." The next, however, says that 

 "speed is the most dangerous and if more 

 drivers would speed less and consider the 

 feelings of others more, accidents would 

 disappear." Some found our list not 

 quite long enough and we find as added 

 causes — "carelessness," "too many 

 trucks," "lack of law enforcement," "sun 

 glare on the hood," etc. 



Somebody once said that "interest pre- 

 ceds action." If this is true, it would ap- 

 pear that the Illinois traffic situation is 

 due for some corrective measures because 

 certainly rural people are giving this 

 problem some careful thought. It might 



HIGHWAY ACCIDENT CAUSE SURVEY 



The 1. A. A. Safety Department Is conducting a 

 survey of the causes of auto accidents. 



We need your help. Fronn your own observation 

 what do you believe are the chief reasons for most 

 of our highway smash-ups? 



Please check the THREE Illinois vehicle law viola- 

 tions listed below which you feel are largely to blame 

 for the traffic death and injury of 3400 people In 

 this country every day. 



I. Driving too fast for condition of road, 



weather, or visibility. 



2. Driving with poor brakes (law specifies 



you must be able to stop In thirty feet 

 from a speed of 20 miles per hour). 



3. Driving with poor headlights. 



4. Driving with no tall light. 



5. Parking on the pavement. 



6. Failure to dim lights when meeting ve- 

 hicle. 



7. Passing on hills, curves or intersections 



or when another car is approaching. 



8. Driving while Intoxicated. 



9. Failure to make arm signals before 



turning or stopping. 



10. Failure to stop at STOP signs. ^ 



Please return this with your premium. Thank you 

 .^ . . watch the RECORD for results of this survey. 



I. A. A. DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY 



even result in a little scrutiny into the 

 driving habits of ourselves and our fam- 

 ilies and this is always a healthy thing. 

 You may have noticed that families have 

 certain driving characteristics, some of 

 which are very good and some of which 

 are very bad, and if this survey causes 

 folks to start a little careful driving pro- 

 gram in their immediate family group, 

 every one will benefit by it. As one 

 comment on a questionnaire says, "if all 

 of us farmers took the same pride in care- 

 ful driving that we do in plowing a 

 straight furrow, more of us would stop at 

 STOP signs." 



This survey will run for several 

 months, at the end of which time we will 

 have upward of 50,000 comments on ac- 

 cident causes as selected by Farm Bureau 

 members. When you get your card, be 

 sure and fill it in and return it to us, and 

 watch the RECORD for results. 



Got Your Free Dishes? 



FREL' free; 



Get this fine set of dishes 





MX aOO*- BOW ^ 



•IS saiH^un 



ALL von NAVE TO 00 IS FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE ROLES 



ILLINOIS PRODUCERS CREAMERIES^ 



Several hundred Illinois farm women 

 have brightened their dining tables with 

 sparkling glass dinnerware obtained from 

 local Producers Creameries without cost, 

 according to J. B. Countiss, sales manager 

 for Illinois Producers Creameries. 



The dishes, 32 to a set, are being given 

 as an award for getting three new 

 Producers Creamery patrons, Countiss 

 said. Right now, so many folks have 

 earned sets of dishes that an additional 

 truck load has been ordered. 



Jack says if you want a set you'd better 

 send in the names of your new patrons 

 right away while there are still dishes 

 available. You can see the dishes at any 

 Producers Creamery office. 



MAY. 1937 



33 



