THE HIGHWAY SAFETY PROBLEM
IT IS APPARENT THAT THERE IS NO PANACEA FOR THE HAZARDS THAT HAVE GROWN UP ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION. NO SINGLE CORRECTIVE MEASURE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF HIGHWAY SAFETY. RESEARCH INDICATES THE PRESENCE IN THE DRIVING POPULATION OF THREE CLASSES OF DRIVERS: A CONSIDERABLE GROUP OF ACCIDENT FREE INDIVIDUALS, A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP OF ACCIDENT PRONE OR HIGH ACCIDENT INDIVIDUALS AND A LARGE NUMBER OF DRIVERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN A LARGE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS MORE OR LESS ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF CHANCE. WHILE A FIRST OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE TO SEGREGATE THE ACCIDENT PRONE OPERATORS AND EITHER ELIMINATE THEM OR CHANGE THEIR HABITS BY EDUCATIONAL METHODS, IT IS EVIDENT THAT TO REDUCE HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE TERMS A LONG PULL MUST BE DIRECTED TOWARD REDUCTION OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MISHAPS SUFFERED BY THE GREAT NUMBER OF DRIVERS WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED NORMAL. TO DO THIS, IT IS EQUALLY APPARENT THAT SUSTAINED EFFORT DIRECTED AGAINST MANY ACCIDENT CAUSATIVE FACTORS MUST BE PUT FORTH. THE ROADS AND VEHICLES MUST BE BUILT AND MAINTAINED IN THE SAFEST POSSIBLE CONDITION FOR NORMAL USE; UNIFORM RULES AND CONTROL METHODS MUST BE ADOPTED THROUGHOUT THE NATION; AND THE DRIVING PUBLIC MUST IN SOME WAY BE BROUGHT TO ADOPT BETTER DRIVING HABITS AND A BETTER ATTITUDE TOWARD THE USE OF MOTOR VEHICLES. OWING TO THE STATISTICAL FACT THAT THE AVERAGE DRIVER'S EXPECTANCY OF BEING IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IS ONLY ABOUT ONE IN TWENTY YEARS, THERE IS AN INDIFFERENCE ON THE PART OF INDIVIDUALS THAT MUST BE OVERCOME. TWO FACTORS WHICH WOULD REPAY IMMEDIATE ATTENTION ARE THE DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS INVOLVING YOUNG DRIVERS AND THE HIGH RATE DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS. WHILE THE OBJECTIVES CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN AND THE PRINCIPAL LINES OF APPROACH ARE TO SOME EXTENT INDICATED, MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON MANY PHASES IS NEEDED TO MAKE THE ATTACK ALL ALONG THE LINE EFFECTIVE. THE HAZARDS OF THE ROAD MUST BE STUDIED IN RELATION TO DRIVING PRACTICE AND MOTORISTS' BEHAVIOR UNDER ALL CONDITIONS MUST BE EXHAUSTIVELY STUDIED BEFORE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD DRIVING BEHAVIOR CAN BE AUTHORITATIVELY STATED. DEFINITE INFORMATION ON THE RELATION OF INTOXICANTS TO HIGHWAY HAZARDS MUST BE SECURED. /AUTHOR/
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- Vol 17, ParT I, PP 455 - 466, 1 TAB. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Authors:
- Crum, R W
- Holland, M
- Johnston, C M
- Publication Date: 1938
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Washington, D.C. November 30, December 1, 2, 3, 1937. Part I
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Serial:
- Highway Research Board Proceedings
- Volume: 17
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Age; Behavior; Crash causes; Crash rates; Drivers; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; High risk drivers; Highway safety; Night; Prevention; Safety
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00221012
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Aug 15 1971 12:00AM