LEVEL CROSSING RISKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18317, 6 February 1923, Page 5

LEVEL CROSSING RISKS.

• v - " ;i .://;.-///; : ;/>/--v. . ♦, . ,;:./;.>/,:a; : ;;;-, :: --. : :--;^.//.: AVOIDABLE ACCIDENTS. ■ y " " j THE ENGINEDRIVERS'. VIEW Discussing : ; the large. number of. acci- / dents on railway level crossings, the' Locomotive Engineers' Journal> says there ,is no doubt that some drivers of motor-cars V are criminally careless and reckless. "Accidents have happened on crossings which :■; have an unobstructed view either way 'and it has happened that motor-cars have been , driven/into the (side/of v trains. 'Drivers ;V have been observed to race a train to a crossing, which is a most reckless action. 5 ' Pleading for consideration for the nerves ''. of the locomotive drivers,'v; the journal : says: —" It is a most: nerve-raking experi-; : ence for an engineer when he crashes into / ' a vehicle of any;description. ' The ■' helpless s human ' cry of. the 1 ' occupants of the vehicle blended ■ with * the grinding,' crashing/.; noise as r . the locomotive -j tears :its --i way ■. through '"■ or . ; over the vehicle • affects '.the strongest nerves <of any i engineer.• The cries '■■ of ! agony of the , injured;' <• the, moans of the . ■ •' dying together with ■: the sight of mangled • ; people almost drives the engineer ? distraction. '• He sees the whole ghastly busi- *. ness from start to finish and the sight re-, mams in his mind. for days and weeks> afterwards. j. . - ~ " Why should the people so careless ? and recklessf/Why do/ they riot have some ; feeling for the / engineer whose work, demands a strong!/ nerve. One or two of such / accidents completely unnerves " «n" engineer arid; is the , cause of many giving .: up ; their pobs on main line work. Why / do the public ignore the'./."-'Look out for. the engine " sign? Why do they ignore the. /wig-wag signals or :• any other sign » j erected to draw their attention to a train .; approaching. . If .drivers, of 'vehicles l feel .-•> : inclined to • take ; risks/ why I not/ take them /// where they will:be the only persons con- ' cerned? Taking risks or being reckless on a level crossing ; may cause : the death of many more besides the motor driver/'