TOLL OF THE MOTOR.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18415, 23 June 1925, Page 14

TOLL OF THE MOTOR.

AMERICA'S RECORD. Automobiles caused 19,000 deaths 'and injuries to 450,000 persons in the United States in 1924, statistics made public by tho National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters revealed recently. This represents a daily averago of 'fifty-two dead and 1333 injured. Notwithstanding the death total, the largest ever reported, the bureau found signs of encouragement in a pronounced fall in the rate of increase of accidents. The increase in the number of deaths in 1923 over figures for 1922 was 20 per cent., while the increase in 1924 over tho preceding year was only A per cent. This reduction in the rate of increase was attributed to organised campaigns to reduce accidents. A comparison of the automobile death rato with tho number of cars registered shows a steadv decrease, the bureau reported. In 1915 the number of deaths for every 10,000 automobiles was ■**, each succeeding year showing a deKreaso until the figures for 1924 ™icr.te onlv 9.6 deaths for even' 10.1XW cars. There are now 17,500,000 cars registered in the United States. ■Urade crossing accidents took a toll of l<m deaths, a decrease of 71 from tho 1923 total. Since 1908 the death-rate due to motor-car accidents has increased steadilv, until to-day automobiles cause more deaths than all other (vehicles, including- trains and street cars, combined.