Accidental deaths in the United States decreased during 1943, for the second successive year. However, the decrease amounted to only 1½ per cent, leaving a death total of 94,500 for the year. There were, in addition, 9,700,000 non-fatal injuries during 1943, of which 320,000 involved some degree of permanent disability, and the remainder caused at least one day's temporary disability.
The reduction of 1,500 fatalities, as compared with 1942, was made possible by a reduction of 5,000 in motor vehicle deaths and 500 in occupational fatalities. These decreases were partially offset by increases in home and public (not motor vehicle) fatalities.
The reduction in motor vehicle fatalities, amounting to 18 per cent, was matched by a similar decline in the amount of motor vehicle mileage. In the first six months of 1943, deaths decreased appreciably more than would have been expected from the decline in travel, but this favorable showing was offset by advancing figures during the latter half of the year.
The reduction in occupational deaths was achieved under wartime conditions that included not only increased employment and many more man-hours of work, but the added hazards of top speed production, new and untrained workers, and the introduction of increasing thousands of women to industrial jobs.
Accidents are estimated to have cost the nation $5,000,000,000 in 1943, including wage losses (present and future), medical expense, overhead costs of insurance, production delays, damage to equipment, and property damage from traffic accidents and fires. The enormity of the nation's accident losses during 1943 impressed itself more forcibly than ever before on civilian and military leaders. This was largely because man-power shortages in almost every branch of production focused attention on the seriousness of work absences resulting from accidents.
Recognizing the importance of safety to the nation's war effort, President Roosevelt called upon 'the National Safety Council and all other safety forces of the nation' to renew their efforts in the 'battle against carelessness.' The armed services translated the President's orders into action. Many branches of the Army, the Air Forces, the Navy, and other military units put into effect full scale safety programs, both for their own personnel and for the private industries furnishing war materials. In arms plants, in plane factories, in shipyards, and every other war production industry, there was clear recognition of the need for conserving man power through correcting the unsafe conditions and unsafe practices responsible for disabling injuries. In the armed forces, too, positive efforts were made to avoid casualties in training that would prevent men from reaching the fighting front.
Leaders in every phase of safety activity joined in the 32nd National Safety Congress and Exposition, held in Chicago in October. The National Safety Council reported that this convention was the largest in its history, with an attendance of 10,000. One hundred seventy-five different sessions were held, dealing with industrial, traffic, home, school and farm safety. In addition to this national congress, there were some 40 regional safety conferences in various parts of the country, bringing together safety directors and other interested persons in their respective areas. Continuous year-round safety programs were carried on in most of the larger cities.
A feature of the year's activity was the regionalizing of organized safety efforts. The National Safety Council established regional offices in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Atlanta, and expanded its field force for the purpose of establishing community safety organizations. The Council also inaugurated a 'chapter plan,' making it possible for community groups to become integral parts of the national organization.
Safety received greater attention through the radio, newspapers, magazines, and other educational media than in any previous year. This expanded publicity brought home to an increasing number of citizens the importance of constant attention to safe practices. American industry, which has pioneered in the safety movement for the past 30 years, made possible an enlarged program of public, home, and school safety through its contributions to the National Safety Council's War Production Fund. This financial assistance was the means whereby the Council's educational efforts on a nation-wide scale were greatly enlarged. Industrial support of programs for non-industrial safety was felt to be well justified on the grounds that in most industries four industrial employees are killed in accidents which occur off the job for every three killed on the job.
While recognizing that safety during the war had to be considered primarily as a campaign to 'save man power for war power,' the National Safety Council and other organized safety groups did not lose sight of the importance of planning for postwar safety.
This safety planning pertained to industry, traffic, and other fields of safety effort. While the return of peace will reduce accident exposure in some fields, it will be greatly increased in others. The Council's committees are developing programs for coordinating the efforts of industry, government agencies, and other groups so that preventive efforts can be quickly directed at those hazards which may be inclined to increase when the war ends. The needs of war have driven home the fact that accidents represent a needless waste of productive power. It is the hope of the National Safety Council and of safety authorities, generally, that the nation will continue the same vigorous efforts to curb accident losses in peace as have been developed during the war.
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