RIDER’S SUDDEN STOP

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 531, 7 December 1928, Page 1

RIDER’S SUDDEN STOP

ESCAPE AT LEVELCROSSING WHY DEPARTMENT PROSECUTES (From Our Oicn Correspondent) HAMILTON, To-day. While riding a motor-cycle in Victoria Street. Hamilton, on October 4, a young man named Robert Parsons narrowly missed a serious accident on reaching the level crossing. A train passed over the crossing just as Pai'sons applied his brakes with a force which threw' him from his machine. On a charge of failing to keep a vigilant look-out, Parsons was fined 40s and costs in the Police Court to-day. A charge of crossing the line while it was engaged was dismissed. “There has been much criticism of the Railway Department in failing properly to safeguard level crossings in the public interest,” declared Mr. H. T. Gillies during the prosecution. Counsel said there were 2,000 level crossings in the Dominion. It would cost about £2,000 to construct a subway or an overhead bridge at that spot, and to render the whole of the level crossings safe would involve an expenditure of £4.000,000. The country was not in a position to stand the expense, and the department did the next best thing in the public interest, making regulations requiring those who use crossings to keep a vigilant look-out. Prosecutions were brought with the object of causing people to be careful when approaching a crossing. It was a remarkable thing, added counsel, that most level crossing accidents occurred at simp’e crossings and not at dangerous ones. The department had not brought prosecutions under the Statute requiring a vehicle to stop when approaching all crossings, and perhaps it would be better if it did. The prosecution.-: it did bring, however, were entirely in the public interest, and to draw motorists’ attention to observing due care.