Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily. WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1915. LOCAL LEVEL CROSSINGS.

Northern Advocate, 12 May 1915, Page 4

Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1915. LOCAL LEVEL CROSSINGS.

FORTRANSMS UOS TKkOUGH THE POST AS A NEWSPAPER

If one had a record at hand of all the disasters that have occurred at railway level crossings ill New Zealand and the number of people who have lost their lives thereby or been more or less seriously injured, the total would probably cause a gasp of dismay, not unmingled with surprise that practically nothing had been done to minimise the risk of these calamaties. Suggested solutions we have had in plenty, and some twelve months ago it was understood, on the word of the new i general manager, Mr Hiley, that experiments were being made with mechanical devices, of which the best approved would be put to an early test. We are still waiting for that test, and in the meantime the liability to fatal and other accidents is being perpetuated by the same old, open invitation. In the local eases heard yesterday counsel for one of the defendants expressed the opinion that nothing would be done by the railway authorities until someone ! was killed. We do not suppose that anyone is prepared to offer himself or herself a willing sacrifice on the aliar of public safety.' but it is certainly a wonder that there has been no involuntary victim on one of the several crossings between the Whangarei railway station and the Bay of Islands road inclusive. That no person has come to a sudden and fearful end at one of these danger points is rather due to the restraining hand of Providence than to any special measures of human precaution. The Railway Department contents itself, and is exculpated in law. by the "stop" signal and the premonitory whistle. These are held to suffice under every varying condition of crowded town or sparsely settled

country, and the evidence given m yesterday's prosecutions shewed rliai these regulations might absurdly inadequate and vnhial>l" only as—regulations. An engine driver, for instance, testified that the regulations directed Inin to sound the whistle when not less than 300 yards from a crossing. and in the next breath mentioned that the three crossings over Walton. Duke and Water streets were all contained within a distance of 100 yards. That means. of course, that a road vehicle driver, when nearing one of these crossings, is given only a few seconds' warning, and may not even then exactly grasp the special sound amid the possible noise of wind and the rumble of other road traffic in conjunction. Further, there is concurrence in the view, including that of the railway officials and the magistrate himself, that the Water 'street crossing in particular is one of the most dangerous kind by reason of an intercepting twostorey building on one side: so

that the road vehicle driver, having complied with the rule to

: \stop and look out." would still have to be .sifted with curvature of vision before he could be quite sure that a train was aproaching down the line. And supposing that he has by some occult or intuitive means ascertained thai the up line is clear, he may find by the time that he has got on his way that a train has dashed into view and made him liable to the law's dictates. The trouble at this particular point is bound to become immeasurably worse as building grows moie congested and road traffic inevitably increases. It is to be hoped, therefore, that something far more practical and effectual than the present rote and rule will result J from the magisterial represeptai tions to the Railway Department.