Statement by the President on Traffic Safety.

JUST AHEAD of us is Labor Day, a great American holiday. As usual Americans will be traveling the highways by the millions-visiting, sightseeing, recreating.

This enjoyable opportunity also brings into sharp focus the traffic accident problem-the problem of nearly 40,000 deaths and more than a million disabling injuries in traffic accidents each year.

This is a most acute problem in our modern society. It is a problem resulting in needless economic waste of millions of dollars and of untold hardship and sorrow to families of America.

Certainly we appreciate our freedom of movement in this country. We should also appreciate the right to live as long and as well as we can and respect this right for others.

I express the concern of the government, the President's Committee for Traffic Safety and of the entire safety movement in asking every American to drive this holiday time with patience and a clear head, with consideration for the rights of others, giving exemplary support to effective traffic enforcement.