1913 Safety First Movement in Fort Wayne Launched and Carried Forward in Interest Broadened Humanity

8, 1913, THE FORT WAYNE SENTINEL "Safety First" Movement In Fort Wayne Launched and Carried Forward In Interest of Broadened Humanity KEY TO THE ILLUSTRATIONS. No. 1.- Right way to alight from car. No. 2.-Wrong way to alight from a car. No. 3.-- Riding bicycle on the "devil strip." No. 4.-Auto being, carelessly driven between cars approaching from opposite directions. No. 5.- acquaintance and walking in front of car approaching on opposite track.' No. 6.-Child breaking away from parent. and running in front of car hidden by one from winch it has just alighted. No. 7.-Auto: driver, carelessly running into. crowd as passengers are entering and leaving car. N. 8.-Hooking on "blind", side of car and riding bicycle on the "devil strip. No. 9.-Auto driver short turn on dead end of street and failing to observe traffic regulations. No. 10.-Boys stealing ride on front end of car, where they can not be. seen by members of the crew. No. 11.-R. R. Ritchie, supervisor of safety of the Fort Wayne and Northern Indiana Traction company. Tas Divine power, modern civiliza11 or some other, equally potent breathed souls into the corporagency cons ? Have the big business interests that have always been characterized 88 grasping, grinding and soulless monopolies looked upon the broad field of charity and taken up the raving basis? of life and limb on a humanitarian So far as the Fort Wayne and Northern Indiana Traction company note concerned it has organized and has in good working order a safety first department, and from General Manager S. W. Greenland, on down through the list of local officials to the office boy in Auditor Harry, Vordermark's department, everybody has been asked aid in this movement. It is contended that if only the sordid desire to save were involved. that this company could, like other common carriers and public service corporations, set, aside a given sum every year to take care of the personal and property injury claims and this would save the cost of maintaining. a separate department. designed solely to prevent accidents. Can Figure Probable Cost. Accidents preserve from year to year a, general and it is possible for. experts to figure with comparative accuracy just how much each railroad and traction company will be called upon to pay out in injury: claims and, while it can not be denied that it is hoped to, reduce the number. of accidents by impressing upon employes particularly, and caution the that public will make generally both n more careful, it is the chief aim to save life and injury to humanity. Another element that enters into this departure is that improved service will SOME HISTORIC 3) 2 to accidents •by shooting their machines. between care Approaching from opposite directiona, by turning corners at high speed and by failing to observe traffic regulations. Motormen have a right to anticipate that drivers will. observe the trathe rules, and if there is failure to do this the employes of the company are not to blame. Somehow, according. to. traetion officials, never remember that a drivers, can not turn out. It must follow the rails and depend upon vehicle drivers to give the right: of way to which it is entitled under the franchise granted it by the city. Getting Off and On. Cars. Statistics compiled by traction actuaries show that twenty per cent of the accidents' happen to persons getting on an off cars, forty-five per cent involves accidents to vehicles and their occupants and thirty five per cent that can not be classified. Under. the head of vehicles the stat ticians embrace wagons, buggies, automobiles auto and horse drawn trucks, bicycles and motorcycles. some reason or other most people regard it AS an infringement on personal liberty to be compelled to turn out for a street car, unmindful of the fact. that the parcar they are delaying, may contienlar tain thirty forty either rushing to get to work. in time or to get home to their meals and to rest up after their day's labor.' Most All Can be Avoided. Persona whose duties include the investigation of personal injuries and causes leading up to them say that the first exclamation of the injured person is "I did not think." It is held that ninety three per cent of accidents can be avoided, because they are due solely to thoughtlessness. There is always around every acci- feated by the Indians before reaching 3 7 5 5 be given. Formerly, the crew. entrusted with a car just took it out of the barn. every day without, any examination to see whether or not it was in good condition. Now the men look them. over. and if there are any defects they are promptly. reported to the proper official. Duties of the Officers. Primarily the duties of the safety de: partment are educational and although it has not. extended its soope the public up to this time it is proposed through the medium of the newspaper columns, in meetings, by pamphlets and through any, other channels that may suggest themselves, to inculcate into | patrons that without their aid much of the good sought by the company: can not be brought about. Probably the first installment of safety first literature will go. into the schools. Just what plan will be adopt: ed. for getting the attention of the students has not been worked out by Supt. J, N. Study, who has been consulted and has stated that if, the methods r.dopted do not interfere too. seriously with the regular working of the schools he will lend his aid to education of the boys and girls in the "safety first" crusade. Illustrate the Dangers. In number of posed pictures The Sentinel has endeavored to portray Beveral of the most common causes of •accidents, It has been shown by #tatistics that getting off the car the wrong way, riding bicycles and motorcycles on space between the tracks, known as the "devil strip," and walking in front of one car on the opposite track after alighting from another result in most of the injuries reported to the 'officials of the traction company, Careless automobile drivers and driv. Ters of other vehicles contribute largely of the order of St. Louis, was sent to deg 18] | making up. the long. list: of. accidents that are reported daily by the .car crewe. These men are in, better. positions than the heads. of the department to work out the remedies and. the most valuable suggestions that have ever en: tered into this work have come from the working force. which tiA becoming intensely interested. At the time that the only considernthat entered into accident preven• tion was the company' coffers and the company rolling stork, n certain class of employes were not particular to avoid them because had the in: teresta of their employers at. heart. Under the new scheme everybody has become interested because there is man difo nt, there, Are opportustake. bunittes, has to •been' prevent A great untold incentive, suffering and. AB it appeals immediately, to men who could not be reached through other channels. Investigations Carried On. All accidents, no matter how trivial they may be. are reported to the proper. department and in the course of regular business they reach the safety dis vision. This is followed by an inventigation that has. for ite primary object scenting where out the causes and. rectifying them it is tound possible. that may arise. The investigation is This has no reference to any, claims started and carried out. with A view of ascertaining whether or not some warning, some suggestion or some change in rules might have prevented the accidenta. Pennsylvania, enlisted and served 10) dent 11 coinbination of contributing cir: ;cumstances and the absence of any one: telement would ordinarily be a preventative, and this. one element is failure to think quickly or' to use ordinary judgment. It is proposed to bring reformation | about by a system of educational work and the undertaking is a tremendous one, but the companies are determined to surmount it and an excellent start has been made in that direction. Employe Comes First. In the dissemination of the principles that underlie the new system it' becomes first necessary •to educate the employe. Then he must be depended upon to transmit his knowledge to the public whenever opportunity is offered. It would be useless. for any. publio service corporations to expect of itA patrons that they Inko the initiative in the prevention of. accidenta. It must first demonstrate by watching its equipment carefully instructing its employes and in a dozen other ways that it is earnest and sincere in the undertaking, and when this has been proven the pub-| lie will take it up and help it. along. Precept and example, will exercise, it is believed, a wide influence upon the public, and regular meetings are held with the employen in which lessons are being learned not only by the men charged. with operating cars but by the officials themselves. In Daily Contact With It. Men in service are daily in contact with the elements that go toward white child born in Kellonga, Feb, 25, Appeal to the Public. If thin movement is successful the public, must help. Those who are againat corporations contribute their aid in the interesta of their fellow men and the most intelligent type of citizenship is expected .to be frat, to rempond to the appeal of the com• pany. Example in a most potent. factor. Few people like to attract public notice by adopting ideas that are new, and - pecially where they involve care for their own safety. The majority of men and women gamblers to the extent that they "take a chance," and most of them had rather. rink an arm and a leg by being grazed. lby n car than by showing ordinary care in avoiding accident.: Just why this feeling exista in A mya- tery that humanity can not solve, but there is opportunity to eradicate it and* this is just what the anfety department proposes to do. People will not accept, this at. once, and unfortunately, some of them will not be they see some memher of their family, some friend or pomwibly A stranger subjected *o horrify m ing injuries that might have bien avoided by the exercise of just. the degree of caution "that the traction company in asking for. Crutches and wooden legs Are not attractive. Maimed men. and women. ATA deprived of some of life's most pleasing enjoyments and it in proposed with the aid of the general public to put a big crimp in the crutch and wooden leg industry 'and to preserve patrona the ability to enjoy life with sound limbs.

The Fort Wayne News And Sentinel

1913 Safety First Movement in Fort Wayne Launched and Carried Forward in Interest Broadened Humanity

1913 Safety First Movement in Fort Wayne Launched and Carried Forward in Interest Broadened Humanity

The Fort Wayne News And Sentinel