Chance to Lose, The (1940s)

[Applause] [Music] nobody has ever invented a system for beating the law of averages but it's human nature to try at least once the mon Carlo Casino reaps most of its Golden Harvest not from professionals but from thousands of one-time gamblers like like you and me suckers yes of course but while they may lose their shirts they at least save their hides they're pikers compared with the millions of Americans who every day try their luck in another unbeatable game and gamble with their lives every year more than a million motoring accidents occur on the streets and highways of America and in 85% of cases the victims of these motoring tragedies are first offenders gamblers yes indeed sucker gamblers betting a few minutes of time against a lifetime of regret [Music] are we a race of heedless gamblers let's ask a man who lives constantly behind the scene of the traffic problem the captain of the traffic detail every motorist thinks he's a careful driver and in most cases he is it's when he doesn't think that he's in danger during the past few years daytime accidents have been reduced but night driving accidents have increased why largely because of what motorists don't know about night driving wow what a night just the night for an accident you might say yet comparatively few accidents occur on nights like this driving is too dangerous that sounds like a paradox just listen to this do be careful dear it's such an awful night that's right old fell take it easy anything can happen on a night like this you don't have to be nervous honey I'm taking no chances and that's just why there are relatively few accidents on such a night under circumstances so obviously dangerous everyone plays safe but on a perfect night such as this with driving conditions at their best accidents are at their worst why well judge for yourself isn't it a glorious night it's perfectly [Music] thrilling come on step on it it's perfectly safe show her some speed the grams are only a couple of minutes ahead let's beat them into town oh David be careful my hair blows so she loves it come on step on the gas hard po oh sort of it was a grand party wasn't it there go David and Connie let show them they're not too Speedy for us oh no you don't let them go if they want to say how fast are we going well I don't know not so very fast well it seems awfully fast to me this car isn't wide open show her some real speed you know the road David be careful oh I know every inch of the road why I go over it almost every day well I suppose David and con are home by now I don't care if they are I'm not going to have nervous prostration while you show off oh look well well well poor David of course he knew the road in daylight but at night at high speed he was into a curve and off the road before he realized it only the best of luck and a convenient Pig Pen saved him from tragic consequences well cheer up David it might have been much worse and in time maybe Connie will forgive you night driving is always deceptive even the best of headlights have their limitations and while the road ahead may appear perfectly clear in daylight that very same stretch of road reveals the need for Extreme Caution in driving the answer is never overdrive your headlights never drive so fast at night that you can't can't stop in the visible clear distance ahead safe speed is always dependent upon conditions in daylight on a smooth open road this car races The Wind in comparative safety at night over this Winding Road half that speed might be dangerous but this driver is in a hurry why are you in such a hurry Jean you don't know this road I know I know but if we don't get to Middleville by 10 there won't be a room at any price and Lord knows where there's another decent hotel but you're always so careful I don't see why yes dear but tonight we're in a hurry oh there's nothing to worry about I've never had an accident in my life but there's always a first time for believe it or not the period of most accidents is the period of lightest traffic from 1:00 to 6:00 in the morning it's hard to believe that this car is in danger he has the whole street to himself maybe he is driving a little faster than usual but what of it here's a stop signal but why bother to stop nobody else is up at this hour and yet look out too late on any road at any speed fatigue is a deadly enemy during the early morning hours your mind wants to go to sleep at best you're only half awake and when you're guiding a ton and a half of automobile down an 8ft Lane it's no time to catch up on your rest for he a a good fellow at least that's what his friends say and probably he is in a night club or at home but behind the wheel of an automobile on the Boulevard or on the highway this man is a potential murder murderer or suicide of course he thinks he's able to drive his car but would you want to ride with this man no indeed nor would I cocktails and gasoline are a deadly mixture take the word of those who day after day are face to face with traffic tragedy if you drink don't drive if you drive don't drink remember way back when you were a kid there was always a neighborhood bully who by sheer strength of muscle and pure ugliness of disposition spoiled the fun for all the smaller boys but there is always a day of Retribution for the bully the two-fisted bully of yester year is driving a car now and how he's the fellow who holds up all traffic on one entire side of the street until he can find an opening to suit his convenience he's the fellow who comes busting in ahead of you after you've been standing in line patiently waiting for the traffic light to change discourteous of course and very dangerous when the bully turns the corner it's ampe man for himself pedestrians must take to their heels or take the consequences of his unreasonable selfishness this type of driver ought to have a special license but by his driving you shall know him of course he pays no attention to stop signs they were meant for other people uh-oh look what's coming and look out and of course in the last chapter the villain gets his just dessert and in the end everyone is happy except the villain why does a chicken cross the road well why do intelligent human beings take their lives in their hands and dart across a congested Street against the traffic life even a child knows better stop look and listen before you cross the street use your eyes and use your ears and then use your feet nowadays youngsters are learning how to be good pedestrians in fact the average school child of today is a far more intelligent and better behaved pedestrian than his parents the school boy Patrol has saved thousands of lives among school children and if we only had sense enough to allow a little child to lead us it would be the means of saving thousands of adult lives too young fellow our hats are off to you you're doing a grand job and while we're about it let's give credit to the peacetime Army in constant service battling to send us on our way in safety it's no easy job keeping you and me safe in traffic hundreds yes even thousands of this peacetime Army have given their lives in this service it never occurs to us to thank them or even to give credit where credit is due but on the open road they're the best friends we have the best accident prevention insurance is safe certain stopping and tests show that only 68% of cars on the road have safe brakes some brakes provide only fair weather safety for example this car stops safely enough under ideal road conditions but now let's water the roadway duplicating the effect of rainy weather pavement and see how well this car performs all right driver now try that again here he comes he slaps on the brakes ah it took a wet slippery pavement to reveal the fact that these brakes were not properly equalized and a wet slippery day is a mighty poor time to discover that brakes need adjustment with positive equalized braking pressure this car stops safely without a skid even on this wet pavement Motorcar manufacturers are utilizing every resource of science to build stauner safer Motorcars through their unceasing research and testing new metals have been developed new methods devised to make certain that your car is completely Dependable beneath their exterior Beauty the most modern of the new cars provide the protection of a steel floor welded together into a single unit of tremendous strength indeed the modern car can endure without injury punishment which would have completely wrecked any car of a few years ago considered alone the modern Motorcar is the most dependable and safest medium of Transportation the skill of man can devise but the final factor of safety lies in the hands on the steering wheel yours and mine and remember the the smart way to drive is the safe way to drive we can beat those one-time accidents by driving safely all the time [Music]