LEVEL CROSSINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19298, 10 April 1926, Page 9

LEVEL CROSSINGS.

Sir,—l heartily agree with all that "Safety First and Last" says in his letter of Bth inst., dealing, with the motor traffic and loss of life. As a motorist I wish to point out two otiier very dangerous level crossings—one leading from the Great North Road (concrete road) to Glen Eden, and the other at Huapai, just , alter passing the hotel there, on the way to Helensville. Both are on very awkward curves and hidden to the motorist by tea-tree and overgrowth. Neither has any signals and one of these days a very serious accident, I fear, will "be reported, . as hundreds of people pass over these same crossings at week-ends. Only the other day I myself saw a very narrow escape, as a goods train came along from Waimanku with scarcely a sound and did not even blow a whistle when approaching the crossing. Of course one may stop and look, as the warning says, but it is very difficult to see a few yards ahead, owing to overgrowth. -Surely something could be done to avert this serious danger to life which nowadays seems to be counted all too cheaply. Satety Evert Time. Sir,—lt is with deep concern that I have read frequently in the. daily newspapers of the dreadful accidents caused mainly through motorists not having patience to wait until a train has passed before trying to cross the railway track. Might I suggest in the interests of the safety of the pifolic in gneral that the method adopted in the few rural districts of England where level crossings are still in use, should be made use of in this country. Large gates, the width of the road, are placed either side of the railway track, beside which are smaller gates for pedestrians. There is a raised signal box close to both in which a man receives signals of approaching trains. He then, by moving a lever, doses all gates so that no one can open them and traffic has to wait on either side of the gates until the train, or trains, have passed, after which the gates are opened again by the same method of moving a lever. Surely the expense of the gates and signal man would be infinitesimal compared to the value of lives, not to mention vehicles, involved in the deplorable accidents one reads about. Londoner.