Drinking, Carelessness Increase Holiday Auto Deaths
By JEAN MORGAN
Kansan Staff Writer
A recent automobile accident in which the passengers had been drinking resulted in the deaths of five persons who were killed instantly when thrown from their car. Patrolman said the automobile sped through a railroad crossing gate, which closed behind the car, as a train approached about 30 feet by the impact. Several beer cans were found in the wreckage of the car, patrolman said.
Drinking, not use seatbelt and other careless acts on the part of motor-vehicle drivers has resulted in the deaths of 10,355 people during the holidays of the three years 1984-1970.
Both traffic deaths and traffic rates average 15 to 25 per cent higher during holidays than during comparable non-working days. The rate of the greater Kansas City area National Safety Council (NSC), said recently. For traffic deaths, the number occurring was fourth of July, Labor Day, Christmas and New Year, over the three years of 1988-
1970 was 15 per cent higher than would have been normal for non-holdings at the
OVER THESE five same holidays, vehicle travel was estimated at three per cent higher. Because deaths increased more percentagewise than travel, death rates averaged 11 per cent higher during the holidays.
Of the five holidays, Labor Day had the highest number of traffic deaths over the 1968-1970 period, Ledgin said. Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Christmas and New Year ranked highest, in that order, of the other four holidays.
During Christmas and New Year, bad weather, drinking and early darkness are the causes of many traffic deaths, Peter Cox said. During the summer holidays of Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day, people are trying to travel too far, too fast.
Over holiday periods, as well as non-holiday periods, fatal traffic accidents happen mostly in rural areas. Ledgin sad, he said, that the number of accidents occur in urban places. In rural areas,
deaths occurred mostly on controlled access roads and county roads in 1971.
MANY OF the accidents that occur in rural areas involve motor vehicles that are being driven too fast or too fast for conditions, Barkley said. Two wawatomi, a vehicle accident killed a freeman, a vehicle accident on Franklin County, Kan., road. The two men were east bound at a high rate of speed and sidedwiped a westbound pickup truck. After the impact, the car veered into a ditch and traveled about 175 feet before it culvert and embankment at an intersection county road. The car was demolished.
One-third of the traffic is on interstates and turpikes, and conflicts, such as intersections, do not exist as they do in rural and urban areas, Barkley said. Therefore, the death rate is lower on interstates and turpikes, and most of the traffic there is driven by those who are going the wrong way because they are drunk or truva to take a short cut.
AN ACCIDENT that resulted in the death of a Browning, Mo, man involved in a shooting incident.
area. The man died in a one-car accident three miles east of Humphreys in Sullivan County. Authorities said he was killed when a car struck an intersection and crashed into an embankment.
The same states that rank high in holiday fatalities also rank high in nonholiday fatalities. The states in which the highest number of traffic deaths occurred in 1971 were California, Texas, New York, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Indiana and Michigan. The differences in the number of deaths among the states is due to similar actors as state population, differences between cities in the proportion of travel in urban and rural areas and differences in the completeness of reporting.
The statisticians at the NSC compute the number of miles that have been traveled over a holiday weekend by the gas tax collections, Ledgirn said. The rise in gas prices used as a basis for computing the increase in miles traveled over the holidays.
THE STATISTICIANS of the NSC,
Ladkin said, also prepare
the data and estimate the
estimated risk.
based on past records, expected travel and weather conditions. Because of the many variables involved, the deaths are not within a certain range, not an exact number.
The holiday fatality estimates are prepared and released because the NSC believes the estimates make people aware of the risks to safety in regard to traffic safety, Barkley thinks its campaign to inform and alert drivers to the increased hazard of holiday traffic is obligatory because of the higher risk of injury. During periods, Furthermore, publicity given to the council's holiday estimates provide an opportunity for the council to contact drivers they would not otherwise reach with an appropriate safety message
The holiday traffic death estimate, Barkley said, is a grim reminder that we are not doing enough in traffic safety. In addition to our own sense of responsibility behind the wheel, we should demand laws that permit licenses only to responsible, defensive drivers. We should demand motor vehicles designed for maximum
safety, and we deserve to be provided with safe roads.
THE NSC prepares a news release before every holiday weekend, which gives estimates as well as safety precautions. However, the media publicizes only the estimates. Therefore, in recent years, the data has been under question and criticism because media does not also say how motorists might prevent accidents, Ledgin said.
Two years ago, Barkey said, the NSC prepared no holiday estimates and received many calls from the media who wanted the statistics. The NSC does not prepare the estimates because of the use in automobile deaths that might occur.
The holiday traffic deaths usually come close to the estimates. If they didn't, Barkley said, the media wouldn't use the estimates.
NSC comifies its holiday traffic death toll from calls every two hours to the newsrooms of the associated Press and Worldwide News in Chicago, where the NSC is situated.
See DRINKING. Page 2
82nd Year, No.119
The University of Kansas—Lawrence Kansas
Depression Is Not New To University
Tuesday, April 11, 1972
See Page 8
Kansas Photo by PRISCHLA BRANSTED
Hurdlers Clear Third Hurdle in Jamboree Relays
The inclement weather at the first annual Jawkwamore, last weekend, held the crowd down. However, a few stallard runners participated in the Jawberone relay events. Some of the other events in the relays besides the hurdles were a chariot race, a
Friskie contest, a sack race, a 3-legged race and other standard track events. The events were judged by comparing the contestants' performances to the competition rules.
11 Senate Groups Ready to Confer; Two Still Lack Full Memberships
By HAL RITTER
Kansan Staff Write
Dave Dillon, Hutchinson junior and student body president, said Monday that only the Publications Committee and Student Council lacked enough membership applications.
All but two Student Senate committees have been filled with members, and, depending on the approval of the appointments at the Senate meeting Wednesday night, the committees are ready to begin meeting.
The Publications Committee needs three more members, but Dillon said there was no hurry about applying because the Committee could not begin functioning until the School of Journalism approved the Senate bill that created the committee.
At its first meeting, each committee will elect a chairman and draw up guidelines for its future work besides providing a meeting agenda to members to meet each other. Dillon said.
THE COMMITTEES were filled after the Senate Committee Board, that consisted of Dillon, Kady Allen, Topkea Perry, and Robert J. DeWalt president; and Molly Laflaun, Lawrence senior; Richard Mackenzie Hutchinson first year law student; and Les Schwartz, shelter Park junior; met Saturday and overnight applications and interviewed applicants.
Dillon said the University Events Committee needed two more members, and the Athletic Seating Board also needed more membership applications.
In the past a temporary chairman has been appointed by the Committee Board and is elected every two years.
Dillon said that either he, Allen or another person would attend the first meeting of each committee and help run it with a chairman was selected.
permanent chairman had been elected, Dillon said.
Finance and Auditing and Student Services will meet Thursday, Student Rights and Academic Affairs will meet Monday, April 17, and Housing and Communications will meet Tuesday, April 18.
Judiciary—Nick LoBurgio, Tim Boudewyns, Neil Shortlidge, Gary Schermm, Dave Agazarian, Mike Weiser, Van Spake, Chris Hofer, Todd Hunter, Rhonda Smith, Don Kinney and Ken Reeves.
HE SAID this procedure was not followed this year because the temporary chairman was elected permanent chairman so often that the Committee Board was, in effect, partially in control of the chairman's appointment.
"Following are the proposed committee appointments by the Committee Board: Becker, John Hoffman, Richard Mackenzie, Betty Adams, Doug Spencer, Jain Hockney, Ken Harton, Don Kinney, Warren Taylor, Pete Kanatzar, Debra McIntyre, Neil Shortlidge, Debbie Brooks, Lewis Gregory, Robert Everett and Bret Williams.
Communications--Sally Morgan, Cynthia Burton, Terry Dum, Randy DeMeyer, Debebee Eebeling, Linda Doherty, Steve Noll, Dick Johnson, John Beisner, Frank Chance, Les Schwartz, John Bailey and Nat Pulestern.
The six standing committees of the senate will meet within the next week, December 16.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS—Dave Sanford, Bill Neidt, Kirk Varn, Bob Mowry, Whalan Wheaton, Mike Schoenleber, Ann Friau, Alex Thomopoulos, Thane Hood, Rob
Union Operating -Paul Rankin, Dave Hull, Susan Goering and Dave Murphy.
Following are the proposed committee appointments by the Corporate Boards.
Ramsheer, Jim Burgess, Tracey Egbert, Jeff Southard, Carolyn Olson, Ed Seibert, Steve Hughes, Brad Mayhew, Mary Johnson, Santucci, Joe Landolt and David Johnson.
STUDENT SERVICES—Mert Buckley, Pat Green, Mary Lotus, Cindy Steineger, Danhy Burton, Diane Beecher, Rich Mclaughlin, Deborah Daniels, Ken Kuibtschek, Jim Winfield, John Ortlew, Scott McFadden, rhonda Summon, Julie Bolem, Jesse Caselman, Bob Holmes, Debbe Rutterben, Larry Tatlock, Ann Diller, Natalia Rolph, John Miller, John Wulf, and Susan Goering.
Elections-Mike McGowan, Kirk Bradford, Tom Foster, Cynthia Buxton, David Miller, Sally Morgan, Claudia Mozur and Mert Buckley.
Concert Series-Gayle Sanctucci, Thomas Gorton, Bruce Biech, Dave Murfin, Andrew Tsubaki, Elene McCulhough, Kirk Brardham, Ken Smith, Steve Beck, Claudia Mozur, Peter George, Ray Stuhil and Georgia Becker.
University Events-Dave Hull and Cameron Jones.
Finance and Auditing—Ellen Reimers, Rick McKernan, Bill Russell, Laura Davis, Cathy Reinhardt, John Thomson, Mike McGowan, Gary Lascase, Bill O'Neil, Deidre Kraft, Jerry Slaughter, John House and Barbie Dower.
International Film—Deborah Daniels, Craig Walker, R. L. Bailey, Tom Foster, Eileen McCullough, Gene Dorris, Peter George and Bruce Fiebak.
Publications—Steve Morgan
Housing—Steve Moe, Greg Cochran, Mary Bem, Ken Reeves, Kevin Harris, Craig Parker, Steve Treater, Rhonda Johnson and Mike Zimmerman.
Nixon Blasts Soviet Support
U.S. Widens Air War; Enemy Offensive Slows
WASHINGTON (AP)—As the North Vietnamese offensive appeared to have slowed, American fingering at Soviet support of the current North Vietnamese offensive continued Monday when President Nixon publicly indicated his belief that Moscow violated one of the "great principles of peace."
The presidential thrust came while the United States was deploying more naval ships.
With Soviet Ambassador Anately Debrynin sitting some five feet away, the President told a group of diplomats at a sign of war. He said the germ warmare that ending the threat of war particularly requires the great powers to encourage other nations to use force against them.
There was no direct mention of Vietnam nor of the Soviet support for Hanoi's attacks into South Vietnam. But administration officials said Nixon was not aware of the support from Moscow that the United States believes made the attacks possible.
The President and Debrynm appeared together along with British Ambassador Lord Cromer and Secretary of State William R. Rogers for the signing of a declaration of germ warfare weapons and providing for the destruction of existing stockpiles.
Debrynna remained impassive during Nixon's remarks and the two exchanged brief words afterwards and shook hands. She did not report on what they said to each other.
Later, at the White House, presidential press secretary Ronald L. Tieger declined to respond to questions about Nixon's comments at the treaty ceremony.
Shortly before the signing, Laird told a women's group at the Pentagon more
KansanNames Staff Heads
Scott Spreier, Jetmore senior,
was selected Monday to serve as
editor of the University Daily
Kansan for fall semester 1972.
Spreier has been the Kansan campus editor this semester.
Dale Pipergerdes, Bartlesville, Okla, senior was selected to serve as the fall semester business manager.
Piepergerdes has been the national advertising manager for the Kansan this spring.
The Kansan Board met Monday afternoon to interview candidates and to select the new editor and business manager.
Spreier said he hoped to interview and select the staff next week.
News staff applications are available from Crews in the Kansas newsroom. Young has business staff applications in the business office and applications are in the offices of the dean of me and the dean of women.
Applications for editor and business manager for the Summer Kansan are due 3 p.m. Friday and should be given to Chip Crews, Kansan editor, and Carol Young, business manager.
American air and naval units will be sent to Southeast Asia as part of the U.S. effort to maintain control over the region.
THE 12-DAY North Vietnamese drive appeared to have slowed significantly Monday after major weekend battles on Saigon, which brought victory claims for Saigon's forces.
The United States widened the air war by sending B52 heavy bombers deeper into North Vietnam than ever before in their first major enemy operation, a major enemy airfield. Officials said Strategicfortresses near Vinh, 145 miles north of the demilitarized zone, was a calculated show of strength by President Nixon. None of the bombers was reported hit in the attack and no Americans were a high risk that one or more of America's mightiest飞机 may be shot down.
President Nguyen Van Thieu also was running a major calculated risk, the commitment of two regiments of infantry from the Mekong Delta to the current worst trouble spot, the siege of An Loc, a province in northeastern Vietnam where 10,000 government troops are surrounded by a far larger enemy force. Fighting in this sector, however, had
tapered off enough that helicopters could take in supplies. The two Delta regiments are part of a 20,000-man government force pushing up Highway 13, the main route from San Jose. The column reported little fight and little progress toward An Loc.
THE MEKONG DELTA was comparatively quiet with only scattered major enemy push, with the loss of two regiments of the government's better troops. As in past days, there were many casualties on the rice land of the Delta south of Saigon.
U. S. officials, in attempting to evaluate the pluses and minutes of Hanoi's second largest offensive of the war, said a couple appeared to be in effect at the moment.
Casualties in the current fighting are said to be heavy on both sides. The government, however, has refused to give over-all casualty figures.
The U.S. Command said three Americans have died, 23 are missing and 10 have been wounded since the start of the invasive. Also, 19 U.S. aircraft have been lost.
Nomination to Voter Board Provokes Alien Teacher
By MIKE MOREY
Kansan Staff Writer
Juan M. Fernandez, instructor in Spanish from Seville, Spain, was nominated to serve on the National Voter Advisory Board of the American Security Council, according to a letter he received recently.
Fernandez, who is not an American citizen and therefore cannot vote, says the letter is an insult to his intelligence and an invasion of his privacy.
Fernandez was notified of his nomination by John M. Fisher, president of the United States.
The nomination came, according to the
letter, as a result of the fact that Ferner is an "opinion leader in霖
Juan Fernandez
Fernandez was not the only foreign teacher to receive the letter. He said that he only knew of one American born man who had received the letter.
FERNANDEZ SAID he wondered why most of the people who received this letter were foreigners, because it constantly referred to "concerned Americans."
A P.S. was included at the end of the letter. I said, "We believe that most Americans support a strong national defense against Communist agression, but we can't prove it without your cooperation in this poll."
In the brochure which accompanied the letter, the American Security Council was defined as "a non-profit research and advisory group that issues affecting our Nation's security",
The brochure said that one of the American Security Council's principal projects was the Freedom Studies Center "for citizen leadership training."
Concerning the center, the brochure said, "The center is located on a 684 cmre retreat in the footballs of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just 70 miles from Washington, D. C."
"IT ALREADY has one of the finest seminar facilities in America. Over 1,000 opinion leaders have attended its seminars, many of which were co-sponsored by the American Security Council.
"The Freedom Studies Center is planned to become a private freedom academy or Cold War College" to fully train dedicated students who can be leaders in defending our freedom."
See NOMINATION, Page 8