Safety Notes from 1951

A Fast 50

In the past 50 years the automobile has progressed from an unreliable, nosy novelty to a sleek engineering marvel that has become an integral part of our lives.

But, in this same period of time it has killed more people than did all of our wars! Last year, pedestrian fatalities alone numbered 8,700. This is 3,700 more victims than were claimed by major hurricanes and tornadoes in all of our country’s history! ~Branding Iron

50 Years for First Million

It has taken a little more than 50 years to kill the first million. If traffic deaths continue at the present rate, it will take only 30 years to kill the second million. We can only hope that this terrible day of seven-figure reckoning will become a safety milestone-not just another gravestone-on the road to more responsible use of the automobile. ~National Safety Council

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