RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15063, 9 February 1911, Page 6

RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

The correspondence which has taken place between the Canterbury Automobile Association and the general Manager of Railways respecting the proposals of the Association for reducing the risk of accident at railway crossings treats of a subject towards which public attention is constantly being directed. The dangers of the level crossing have necessarily ira-' pressed themselves on the minds of the community, and they have unfortunately received some accentuation in these days of motor car popularity. But while it is possible to sympathise with the request of the Canterbury Automobile . Association that automatic signals should be installed at these crossings, it is necessary to admit the reasonableness of Mr Ronayne'a reply, unfavourable as it is to the petitioners. Apart from the ground of the very considerable expenditure which, general provision of this kind would involve, itself no doubt ■ a matter for serious consideration, thero seems to be veal weight in other grounds upon which departmental objection to the proposal is based.. The plea that the adoption of the suggestion would entail a heavy expenditure would certainly lose force if it could be shown that tho outlay involved in the general installation of automatic signals at railway crossings would prove an absolilito safeguard against accidents to the pittilic and possibly to motorists in particular. But when the general manager of BKtorays pronounces upon the automatic sijoui system as unreliable except at cro.vSJKgs where there is a signalman or keeper in charge his verdict commands respect. It is a fair conclusion- that the installation of a signalling system anytiling lass than absolutely reliable would possibly be fraught with greater danger to tho public than its absence produces. And if. accidents occurred, as would ba quite pcasiblo, through tho misplaced confidence ft motorists or others in signals ■upon which.they had become accustomed to depend, &'e position of the Department would not bo enviable. In tho circumstances it only remains apparently for motorists to $0 more circumspectly on their way. OaSfinary observation suggests that motoring .is a practice that is not conducive to )the exercise of special caution on tho part of all its votaries, and no doubt mentor-car drivers occasionally take risks which it were bettor they should avoid. Tlsmgh it may not have been the cause of accidents which havo taken place, this :fact only tends to increase the norma;! danger associated with the railway crossing. It seems fair to suggest that by their own exercise of care motorists could ttosmselves do something to lessen the .prominence lately given to the railway crossing menace.. The request that so far as possible the Department should take steps to see that an unobscured view of crossings is obtainable, by cutting down trees and' so forth, is a reasonable one, and & is certainly desirable that it should be furthered. It is satisfactory to note that tho Department is prepared to take action in this matter, which is ono in wWch landowners concerned ought, in fi.to public interest, to be quite prepared to' meet it halfway.