DANGEROUS CROSSING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21396, 20 October 1934, Page 14

DANGEROUS CROSSING

NGARUAWAHIA BRIDGE NEW SIGNS PROVIDED Motorists unfamiliar with the locality complain of narrow escapes at the Jesmond Street level crossing at Ngaruawahia. The main highway curves at this point, and in darkness the white railings alongside the railway sometimes mislead strangers. Motorists travelling north have been in the habit of running off the highway on to the Railway track and then having to reverse back on to the road. If this happened when a train was approaching a fatality could easily occur. From the opposite direction the danger is not so pronounced, although motor drivers suffer the inconvenience df taking the wrong road. The corner is a difficult one to signpost owing to its width. The touring manager of the Automobile Association, Mr. R. E. Champtaloup, visited Ngaruawahia yesterday and conferred with officers of the Railway Department and the Ngaruawahia Borough Council in regard to minimising the danger. It was decided to erect signs to warn traffic approaching from Auckland and from Hamilton, and to replace the existing signs directing motorists on to the one-way bridges. Patrols from the association erected the new warnings yesterday afternoon, these being of the new type with luminous lettering which glistens brightly when reflecting the light from car headlamps at night. In order to be effective the signs required final adjustment and testing in darkness, the correct angle being ascertained by the reflection from the lights of an approaching car The patrols remained on the spot and carried out this portion of tlie work last night. Luminous signs have been erected by the Automobile Association in several localities and have effected a very great improvement, especially for night driving. They will be a feature of signposting in the coming year.