Street Traffic Bureau Report Finds That Clinic Tests Reduce Accidents

Now on the presses is a special report of the Harvard Street Traffic Bureau's findings from extensive driver clinic tests. Two facts are revealed: (1) that on the average, drivers who have had accidents do worse on the tests than others, and (2) that the tests themselves have reduced the number of accidents.

This second fact is important because it shows when drivers are told they have a certain handicap, they automatically compensate for it by extra caution, even without special practice or training, according to the report.

Visual defects in drivers, especially, are often corrected in this way. These who have accidents are often found to be suffering from "tunnel vision", which enables them to see only 40 or 50 degrees on each side of center.

When those suffering from "tunnel vision" know that they are handicapped, then they unconsciously keep more careful watch on each side when they are driving, the tests have found.

Wichita Police Have Clinic

The Wichita, Kansas, Police Department now uses one of these clinics developed by the Traffic Bureau. Chief of Police O. W. Wilson, who last year taught a course here in Police Traffic Administration, reports that every Wichita driver who has an accident is made to take the tests.

For the second year, the Traffic Bureau set up and operated a driving clinic at the National Auto Show in New York this fall. The staff of 25 men who operated the tests estimate that over 15,000 people went through the clinic.

Demonstration, rather than pure research, was the goal of the installation at the Show. The Bureau wants more people to know about these tests, and what they are doing to find the cause of accidents.

All the equipment which was used at New York is now in the Hemenway Gym, and in December will be operated from time to time by the Bureau in further research. The effects of alcohol will be studied, it is reported.