Cities Receive Awards In AAA Pedestrian Protection Contest
Berkeley has won a First Place Award in the 16th annual nationwide Pedestrian Protection Contest conducted by the American Automobile Association and sponsored in northern and central California and Nevada by the California State Automobile Association.
Berkeley received the award for its outstanding reduction in pedestrian deaths.
A Third Place Award went to San Leandro for its reduction of pedestrian fatalities and excellent pedestrian protection program.
Honorable Mention Awards were won by Sacramento and Richmond for the over-all excellence of their pedestrian protection programs.
Twenty cities were awarded Special Citations for various individual phases of their programs. They were:
Oakland, Alameda, Hayward, Stockton, Modesto, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Hanford, Tracy, Grass Valley, Sausalito, Ross, Manteca, Sebastopol, Fairfield, Red Bluff, Mount Shasta, Lakeport, Sutter Creek, and Reno, Nevada.
In addition to the above awards, 37 cities received Commendation Certificates for no pedestrian deaths during the year. They were:
Albany, Arcata, Belmont, Benicia, Burlingame, Carmel, Ceres, Chico, Concord, Daly City, Dunsmuir, Fairfax, Fowler, Hillsborough, Livermore, Lodi, Martinez, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Mill Valley, Oroville, Piedmont, Pittsburg, Roseville, Salinas, San Bruno, Sanger, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Susanville, Turlock, Ukiah, Vacaville, Willows, Yreka, and Elko and Sparks, Nevada.
The cities were judged in their respective population groups on the basis of pedestrian safety activities and fatality and injury records.
The nationwide contest spurs direct action in cities to insure greater pedestrian safety. The results are obvious; fatalities are declining despite growing motor vehicle registration. Before the contest began in 1939, as many as 15,500 pedestrians were killed a year, compared with the 7,900 killed in 1954.
SAFE DRIVING PRACTICES
Three-lane highways have a reputation as accident breeders—the middle lane often being referred to as the no-man’s land of the open road.
When using the middle lane of a three-lane highway for passing or turning during daylight hours, a sound driving technique is to turn on your headlights.
The lights serve as a warning to oncoming motorists not only that the middle lane is in use but also, and more important, that your car is approaching them in the middle lane.
Many motorists are confused by the general appearance of modern automobiles; and instances have actually occurred where drivers thought the other car in the middle lane was going in the same direction they were, until it was too late to avoid an accident.
There is no law requiring drivers to turn on their headlights under these circumstances, so don’t depend upon other drivers to have their lights on if they are in the middle lane. If yours are on, you are not only being courteous to other drivers, but also protecting yourself by alerting them to the fact that the middle lane is occupied by an approaching car. Also, remember to turn off your lights as you pull out of the middle lane.
Curves AND Crossroads
Sign at entrance to a crossroads town: “Gas killed 3,029 people in this state last year—2 inhaled it; 27 put a match to it; 3,000 stepped on it.”
The difference between a straight-eight and the V-eight is just a matter of whether you like your troubles strung out down the line or all in one place.
Mrs. Jones (on telephone): “This time you really got yourself out on a limb!”
Mr. Jones: “Yes, dear. I drove off a cliff and was hung up all night in a tree.”
Modern automobiles are getting so free and easy to drive that we need power steering and power brakes to keep them under control.
Traffic Officer: “Your honor, I followed this man and he drove clear through town with an arm around this woman.”
Judge: “Something’s wrong. It’s not logical for a man to drive through town with his arm around his wife.”
Parking conditions have improved in some localities—you only have to climb over one car to get into your own.
“With all the gadgets the automobile people put in their cars, it’s a wonder they wouldn’t think of a garbage disposal unit.”
—Courtesy George Lichty and the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate.