118 State Papers and Addresses

truck inspected promptly. Make sure it is in good condition to meet the extra
hazards of Winter driving. Remember always, that if your car or truck fails
to perform satisfactorily in any emergency, it may cost you your life, or the
lives of some who are near and dear to you.

I have said little about the pedestrian up to now, but he or she deserves
quite a lot of attention in any discussion of street and highway safety. Un-
fortunately, for every careless or reckless motorist, there seem to be two or
three careless or reckless pedestrians. You've seen them, I'm sure, just as I
have, walking serenely across busy highways, sometimes with arms interlocked,
apparently not giving a thought to their personal safety. Too often pedestrians
seem to take the attitude 'Let the motorist beware. '

And sometimes the motorist doesn't beware, to the everlasting injury of
the pedestrian. There's no reason in the world why pedestrians shouldn't take
even more care than motorists, for the pedestrian can be sure that, in any
conflict with the motorist, he or she is certain to come off second best.

Particularly during the Winter months, when driving conditions often are
bad, pedestrians must be on the alert to take care of themselves, and not trust
to the diligence of the motorist. When walking along country roads at night,
a flashlight or lighted lantern would seem to be only a reasonable precaution.
Walking towards oncoming traffic seems to have acceptance among Safety
experts as the safest procedure. All simple rules; and rules that you would
think any pedestrian would be glad to remember, to preserve his or her own
life. Too often, as we all know, pedestrians do not take the trouble to take
even these small precautions.

I'm going to close on a thought that I've mentioned before, but that surely
bears repetition. More than 20, 000 people have been killed on our streets and
roads since January 1. During November and December, when the rate
is usually higher because of ice and other conditions, the grim prospect is
possibly 5, 000 more deaths, some of which, —100 or more—may occur in Mary-
land during these months, unless our combined efforts prevail.

Is. it worthwhile, rushing about at high speed, inviting death, when usually
we haven't any urgent reason for so doing? Is it worth endangering your
own life, and those of your family and friends, just for the satisfaction of
getting to your destination in a hurry ? You know the answer as well as I do.
We don't have to travel at the rate we do. Usually, there's no sense to it.
Let's stop it for a while, at least, and see if we can't save lives. Remember,
that yours may be one of the lives saved by this extra care!

I make this appeal with an urgent request that as worthy citizens you
respond by thinking of your fellow-citizens and considering their welfare,
their future happiness, their lives. We want your cooperation just as you
would cooperate for health and fire protection in our State, because highway
safety is a form of health protection just as much as measures for water and
milk purification. The American sense of fair play and good sportsmanship
could never be better exemplified than in this united effort for public Safety.
I earnestly bespeak your aroused interest to make Maryland a Safer Place in
which to live.