11. Commercial vehicle safety

The Nation's leading employers, including the Federal Government, have made considerable progress in attaining this goal. Since about 20 percent of traffic is commercial, the direct safety potential, and the indirect benefits of example are clear. The procedures are well defined.

The NSC Motor Transportation Conference has a blueprint for "reaching the unreached."

The NSC should secure the necessary funds to vigorously push this program. The Federal Government should attach safety clauses to all grants and contracts, and should otherwise study how it may assist. (This concerns primarily fleets outside ICC jurisdiction.)

12. Vehicle design committee

There has been need for the formation of a committee, perhaps within the council's traffic conference, to provide a meeting ground for the engineers, university and other researchers, varied pertinent professions, and user groups concerned with safety aspects of vehicle design, both accident reduction and injury reduction.

This committee could serve as a forum for the exchange and discussion of research and engineering data applicable to improved vehicle design. The availability of the considered views of the members of such a group could be of great value to the automotive industry in accelerating design improvements.

The committee could also be helpful to governmental officials at all levels who have statutory responsibility for vehicle design and safety equipment.

The current widespread concern for design might make organization of such a group feasible at this time.

13. Commercial vehicle user support for design improvement

Sometimes purchasing agents, understandably, buy the cheapest, stripped down vehicle available. This is inimical to safety.

The private users of commercial vehicles should emulate the Federal GSA approach. Perhaps the NSC Motor Transportation Conference could develop a method of assuring manufacturers that added safety features would achieve the market acceptance they deserve.

14. Vehicular signal systems

The present intervehicular signal system is inadequate for present day traffic volumes and speeds.

Immediate steps should be taken to meet the crucial problem of:

(a) Differentiating between running lamp, turn signal and stop signal.

(b) Differentiating between moving and non-moving vehicles.

(c) Providing greater visibility at maximum legal speeds.

(d) Developing a uniform signal system for emergency situations.

(e) Higher positioning of rear lamps and signals.

(f) Cancel mechanism for forgotten turn signals, and improved visual and audio indicators on dash for turn signals.

15. GSA operations

Three questions should be studied:

(a) Does GSA have the appropriations to carry out its responsibilities? (b) Have any plans to statistically or otherwise evaluate the effects of GSA-required devices been formulated or implemented?

(c) The legal requirement to publish regulations 1 year in advance should not operate to prohibit the GSA from administratively requiring available safety devices on vehicles currently purchased.

16. Motorcycles

Since 1960, the number of motorcycle traffic deaths in the United States has more than doubled. The total may approach 1,500 in 1965-was 1,118 in 1964. The number of motorcycles registered is climbing rapidly, but this is not the full dimension of the problem because rental of motorcycles is growing and is a special concern because of lack of experience of many renters.

Research and study is needed in areas of motorcycle operation as well as accident causation.

There is an obvious need for expanded public education, rider instruction courses, and special licensing and control for this type of vehicle.

17. Slow-moving-vehicle emblem

Use of the new emblem to identify slow-moving vehicles, such as farm equipment, is being promoted through all the channels of communication represented in the membership of the Council's Farm Conference. Its use on other kinds of slow-moving vehicles deserves to be promoted through other channels.

It appears likely that widespread voluntary adoption of the slow-moving-vehicle emblem will set the stage for general legislative requirements in a few years.

18. Public information

Among the other problems associated with accident prevention is that of more effectively influencing public behavior and support through mass communication. In recognition of the fact that little was known about the problem and to take a step toward its solution, the National Safety Council along with numerous other organizations sponsored a comprehensive investigation of the problem.

Called the Safety Mass Communication Study, the investigation included five steps: a basic paper representing a review of communication literature; critiques of the basic paper by leading social scientists and others; a national symposium of the critique writers and others (72 in all); a technical summary of the study (now available in book form); and a practical handbook which is still to be prepared.

A purpose of the study was to generate broad principles that would help safety practitioners be more effective in using mass communication. The first major application of these principles was to the "National Drivers' Test," an hour-long CBS television program which was said to be the highest rated public interest program of all time. The principles also were applied in part to the Advertising Council's "Stop Accidents" campaign, an activity that yields an estimated $43 million worth of contributed time and space in mass media each year.

A major task remains: to impart the principles to the many persons who employ mass communication for safety, including media personnel themselves. A substantial start has been made in this direction. The National Safety Council, with financial support from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has held eight regional communication workshops to both bring the principles to the potential useres and to elicit feedback from them to help refine the principles. In addition, a special workshop was held for local safety council personnel to deal with the practical how-to part of mass communication.

Most significant of all, perhaps, has been the establishment of the Center for Public Communication at the University of Denver. The center's threefold program includes research, experimental production, and training. The first seminar of the center is scheduled for the week of May 2-6 and will involve AAMVA public information specialists.

Yet for all this good start, the job of developing ways to be more effective in safety mass communication, and training those who should become expert at the use of mass communication, is still in its infancy. This is due mostly to the fact that any new activity usually makes slow early progress. But now that the early stages have been completed, research and training in this area could make fast and significant progress if funds were available.

19. Federal employee safety off-the-job

Many leading industrial firms have, in recent years, instituted vigorous campaigns to prevent off-the-job accidents to employees, and in some cases to their families. The motivations have been several: direct economic cost of fringe benefit programs, indirect economic losses from employee involvement in accident consequences, and humane and humanitarian considerations. Some companies have found that off-the-job safety reduced occupational accidents.

In the absence of specific statutory authorization, a similar Federal effort has been inhibited. The armed services have worked in this area for military personnel, and there have been isolated, limited efforts in other fields, specifically seat belt usage. But it is only fair to say that the Federal Government is lagging, not leading.

The President's safety policy for the Federal service envisions "the fullest protection for our civilian and military personnel on and off duty." To assist in achieving this objective and place the Federal effort on the same level or higher than that of industry's, Congress should appropriate the necessary funds.

20. Youth

The compendium of present programs includes primarily driver education, enforcement, and license withdrawal (the latter two sometimes sporadic and often characterized as punitive "creakdowns"). The results, not surprising, are too often high accident rates and poor, uncooperative attitudes.

There is great need for trial and evaluation, in at least one county, of an experimental program with the objective of bringing all possible positive forces to bear on developing safe drivers during the 2 years 16 and 17. This should enlist families; youth and youth organizations; church, labor, etc.; media; as well as schools and other officials agencies, and the insurance companies.

Officials of the NSC Youth Conference have expressed interest in sponsoring such an experiment, if a preliminary exploration by NSC staff indicates official and other cooperation can be secured.

The general objective will be to use every positive force to help youth become safe drivers. A good trial could set a national example.

21. Pedestrian protection

There is grave danger that current emphasis on highways, vehicles, and drivers will, unintentionally, cause oversight of problems of pedestrian protection. Specifically, the pedestrian protection problem has some of the "pockets of poverty" aspects of the general traffic problem. (In metropolitan areas it appears that foreign-speaking older women who are least familiar with a motorized society have a disproportionate problem.)

Perhaps the Federal Housing Authority, or the new Department of Urban Affairs, could assess program needs in this very special area.

22. Poverty

The nature of the poverty groups in our population is such that they are either largely missed or unresponsive to present traffic safety programs. Yet, in a major sense, such groups are safety problems. A New York City police lieutenant studying a traffic fatality spot map said, "That is the map of all our city's problems."

The Job Corps is moving in this area with its corpsmen. But this is not anything like a full solution.

There is need to immediately design and launch properly conceived programs in some large cities and in rural areas in order to develop our ability to realistically cope with this facet of the traffic safety problem.

23. Emergency vehicle operations

As traffic volume increases, it appears that the hazards arising from emergency vehicle operations are increasing disproportionately. Special data are now being collected.

In any event, it seems that a reevaluation of needs for speed by emergency vehicles is in order. A careful study of ambulance cases showed practically no need for speeding on the run to the hospital. Despite a recommendation by the joint committee of the National Safety Council and the American College of Surgeons, little progress has been made in slowing up the speeding ambulance.

24. Emergency medical service

The section of the highway safety action program on health, medical care, and transportation of the injured is about to be released as a part of the balanced program. It should be a subject of a series of regional workshops to acquaint health, medical, and other interested groups with new guidelines and recommendations for effective programing.

The workshops could introduce key interests and professional groups to the tools available for implementation at the State and local levels:

(a) Model ambulance ordinance or statute (source: National Safety Council).

(b) A guide for operating ambulance fleets (source: National Safety Council).

(c) Ambulance attendants manuals (available in several States)

(d) Other supplemental publications (AMA, ACS, AAST, USPHS, Ambulance Association of America).

MORE AND BETTER TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

THE PROGRAM

To stem the rising toll of traffic accidents that reached nearly 50,000 in 1965, the associations of state and local officials are joining with citizen groups in a con. certed effort to improve traffic safety programs at the local level. The following have been selected for quarterly emphasis:

1. Traffic Engineering

2. Police Traffic Supervision

3. High School Driver Education

4. Driver Improvement Courses for Licensed Drivers 5. Annual Traffic Inventory Recommendations

The Council of State Governments will ask governors to step up technical assistance and training facilities provided to local officials.

The state associations of city and county officials will be urged to work with the governors and the legislators to improve state services.

The specialized professional associations, such as the Institute of Traffic Engineers, the International Associa tion of Chiefs of Police and the National Education Association, also will encourage action by their members when the emphasis topic is within their field of interest.

The National Safety Council will endeavor to build citizen support for local officials through its Traffic Con. ference and its other conferences (Farm, Industry, Motor Transportation, Women, Labor, Religious Leaders and Chapter Conference).

FIRST TARGET: TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
Improving traffic engineering in every community is Target
No. 1 of the special emphasis program.

NOW

The Institute of Traffic Engineers defines Traffic Engi neering as that phase of engineering dealing with the planning and geometric design of streets, highways and abutting lands, and with traffic operations thereon, as their use is related to the safe, convenient and economic transportation of persons and goods.

Traffic delay, congestion and disorder are the price counties and municipalities pay for inefficient street and highway operation.

This inefficiency can destroy downtown business districts. reduce retail sales, lower property values, ruin residential neighborhoods, slow down community develop. ment, retard commercial activity and reduce tax revenues.

More importantly, it contributes directly to highway accidents that kill and injure people, destroy property. and resulted in a loss to the nation of about $8.5 billion in 1965. The costs of traffic accidents include wage loss, medical expense, overhead cost of insurance and property damage. The value of damaged and destroyed property alone came to almost $2.9 billion.

GOOD ENGINEERING STRENGTHENS
CITY-COUNTY ECONOMY

An efficient street and highway system is vitally important
in serving existing businesses and in attracting new
industry.

A community may have a section of the new interstate highway system at its front door, but it is useless to local industry if city streets are inefficient and time is lost reaching the freeway.

In a recent study exploring 1,363 plants of all types, the following factors were mentioned most frequently as influencing plant location: highway proximity, labor sup