Utah had 374 traffic fatalities in 1918, up from the 360 in 1977 and second highest toll in the states history. The all-time record year for fatal accidents was 1972, with a total of 383. In the early years of the 55 mph speed limit, fatalities dropped quite dramatically. But the to l is climbing again. Tragic as the highway fatalities are, they represent only part of the loss from traffic accidents each year. An interview with Bob Ingersoll, managing director of the Utah Safety Council, discloses the following: For 1918, there were an estimated 42,300 accidents, with untold injuries, and an estimated Economic loss exceeding $200 mil’on. In 1977, Utah had 41,400 accidents accounting for countless injuries in addition to the 360 fatalities, and economic loss figured at $190 million. Of the traffic deaths, 180 were speed related and 142 were alcohol related. Sixty of the victims were pedestrians. Indeed there were 922 accidents involving pedestrians and many of the pedestrian deaths were alcohol related. How does Utah compare with other states in fatal accidents? According to Mr. Ingersoll, in 1974 the state’s fatality rate was 3.1 per 1,00 million miles driven, ower than the U.S. average. In 1915 it was 3.5, even with national average; 1976, 3.0, below the average of 3.3; 1977, 4.0, higher than the national norm of 3.3 deaths per million miles. Utah has approximately 950,000 registered vehicles. In 1977 we had 850,000-plus licensed drivers. Each year 28,000 to 30,000 new drivers hit the highways. With the increase, and with speeds inching up despite the 55 mph limit and the enforcement program, the state’s rate of fata ‘ties per million miles for 1979 could exceed the 4.0 rate for 1977 when final figures are in. Re: speeds, Mr. Ingersoll noted that the higher the speed the harder the crash and the worse the injury. Interestingly, youthful drivers are involved in 40 to 41 percent of the fatal accidents. Frequently the judgment factor, a cohol, speed, and drugs have a bearing. What can be done to curtail accidents and fatalities? Mr. Ingersoll mentioned these points: – Driver training programs in the schools are effective. In this, Utah has a good system that is copied by many states. – The Safety Council recommends a defensive driving course (DDC) which is being utilized by many groups and results in fewer accidents, Legislation requiring high school young people to take the DDC program is being coordinated by the Safety Council. – Improved educational programs are recommended. – – Goodchlghways help in accident prevention; some roads need to be improved. – Control of speed, courtesy in driving, and more driver’s education are the “best insurance you can get for operating a motor vehicle. The schools are doing a good job in this respect.” – Many companies are offering incentives to take the DDC training, and police, emergency medical training personnel and other such groups are giving it a priority. The cost of accidents is high in human life, in injuries, in economic loss, in boosting insurance costs, in anguish and frustrations. Let’s concentrate in ’79 on positive programs and safety measures that will reduce the cost. Time Oscillutes What oscillates 9,192,631,770 times a second and is responsible for adding one second to 19787 An atom of cesium, a silvery metal that resembles mercury in that it melts at just above room temperature, Its atoms, because of their extreme regularity of oscillation, are used as the regulators of atomic clocks, the world’s most Erecise recorders of time and of w ich there are about 100 in use around the world. They are used in such areas as ship navigation and flow control in electric power grids where extreme accuracy is essential. We are indebted for this timely information to a National Geographic Society release. What makes it timely is that as superprecise as they are, some 100,000 times more so than traditional time keeping based on the earth’s rotation on its axis, atomic clocks nevertheless are subject to a bit of slippage. Without adjustment, a year would not come out as a complete year. Consequently, in an infinitely refined version of the familiar leap year’s extra day, cesiumregulated atomic clocks are cranked ahead an additional second every December 31.