Location of Motor Vehicle Accidents Resulting in Personal Injury or Death in Down Town Boston for the First Ten Months of 1927. Click to enlarge. (Image copyright The City Record and Boston News-Letter, all rights reserved).
The recent hit and run accident which resulted in the tragic death of Linda Cruz in the South End jogged my memory about some historic Boston traffic statistics. The map above shows that in the first ten months of 1927 there were 23 or so fatal motor vehicle accidents in downtown Boston, a number which seems extraordinarily high. Does anyone have any insight into historic levels of traffic accidents in Boston? My hypothesis is that it is related to the number of people walking in the city and possibly streetcars as well--it seems to me that people stepping on and off streetcars into roads shared with automobiles is a recipe for disaster. Did it take a number of years for people to become accustomed to automobiles on city streets? I know that every time I go to London I have to double and triple check before crossing a street. If you have a thought, please leave a comment.
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