Highway safety public service advertisment, "Death takes no Holiday", Telegram-Tribune December 31, 1963.
The old classic cars are wonderful to look at but you wouldn’t want to crash one.
A popular myth is that solid iron will protect you in a wreck.
The solid construction transmits much of the crash energy to the occupants. Without crumple zones, seats with headrests, seatbelts, airbags, anti-lock brakes and a host of other improvements these cars were not the place to be in an accident. In addition highways have been upgraded though with the growth of the state it is a never ending process.
The then Telegram-Tribune of the 1950s would publish a running tally of traffic fatalities on the front page each year. As the year closed out the number was often between 20 and 30 highway deaths.
Our annual fatality numbers have fallen even though the number of cars on the road have grown exponentially.
No reporter I have worked with enjoyed writing stories based on tragedy. That probably accounts for the preachy quality of this advertisement published December 31, 1963. Road rage, unsafe driving, impatience has been with us since the beginning. I can’t claim to be a saint but every time I cover an accident I am reminded that we take a lot for granted.
Please don’t give me an unexpected story to cover, be safe this Friday the 13th and in the futture.
Twenty local business owners sponsored the ad, some are still around today.
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I think most reporters and photogs who have covered fatal crashes become much more conscious of safe driving habits. I imagine it’s the same for EMT, fire and police. It’s crazy how many people will risk their lives — and the lives of others — just to get where htey’re going a minute sooner.