RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20598, 24 June 1930, Page 12

RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

Sir,—l read in Friday's Herald a letter by Mr. E. A. Dargaville, dim-ting attention to u rule in Canada to the effect that every motor vehicle coming from a side road on to a main arterial road must become stationary before crossing the main road, and that it had tho effect of considerably reducing the number of accidents. What a fine rule that would bo to apply to motor vehicles ap-' proaching railway crossings. Another correspondent tho other day suggested that, tho Railway Department should put some sort of signal or notice some distance from crossings to draw the enginedrivcr's attention to the fact that lie was approaching a crossing. Would it not be much wiser for the motorist to take heed of the notices posted at almost all railway crossings in New Zealand as a warning to him that ho is approaching a crossing? I think every engincdriver knows all his crossings by heart, as he has to cross them hundreds of times yearly, bv both day and night, and ho also knows of the largo number of motorists who ignore his whistle warnings, even when an accident seems certain, and of tho large number who just get over in front of bis engine and turn and laugh at him. The railway driver has only the one track to go on and with the weight of his train and speed to keep his schedule time bo can only keep to his rails and go straight on. In his endeavour to stop in tho event, of approaching danger at ;i crossing, what chance has ho with the motorist who dashes up to the crossing and either pulls up short or turns to the light or to tho left, or continues his dash and gets over, being missed by inches. My sympathy is with the driver of the locomotive every time. Why should he bo the only one to keep a look-out? Why should the driver of the motor vehicle not bo required to keep just as sharp a look-out for danger? Our railway crossings arc well enough protected. Kach crossing is there as much for the use of tho railway passenger aS the motor passenger, therefore let each look to bis own safety and make the motor driver realise the danger when approaching a crossing to the same extent as the railway driver has to do, as the railway passenger and the motoi passenger are, to a certain extent, one and tho same person at different times. Ji'srici;.