LEVEL CROSSINGS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18201, 27 February 1929, Page 9

LEVEL CROSSINGS.

A JUDGE’S REMARKS. By Telegraph—Preii Association. HAMILTON, Feb. 26. At tho Supreme Court to-day. Judge Blair, commenting on tho fact that three prost*cutions related to fatal accidents at railway level crossings, said it was very difficult to say what could be done to prevent such accidents. One cure that had been suggested was that there should be elaborate signals, or else that level crossings should be abolished, and overbridges, or subways provided. Warning signals were being provided gradually by the Railway Department on main road crossings, but there were many hundreds of crossings at side roads. No one would suggest that drivers wanted to cause the death of people; the most that could be charged against them was carelessness; but the law provided punishment for that, the idea being to impress on the minds of motorists generally, the absolute necessity for care . If the view at. the approach to a crossing was obstructed. said the Judge, it was the duty of the motorist to take more care than otherwise. The grand jury passed the following recommendation:— “That the Railway Department, in the case of flag stations having level crossings, be urged to instruct the porter, or other responsible person, to flag all trams in and out of stations from level crossing, excepting where aumomatic signals had been installed.”