HAS SOCKBURN SMASH BEEN A WARNING?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19119, 11 July 1930, Page 9

HAS SOCKBURN SMASH BEEN A WARNING?

[TRAFFIC POLICE AND CROSSING MEN SAY " NO.” Traffic inspectors and railway cross-ing-keepers are agreed that the recent disaster at Sockburn has made no difference to the way in which motorists approach railway crossings. The Chief City Traffic Inspector, Mr 11. Macintosh, said to-day that two instances had come under his notice this morning. He had occasion to go out of the city on business, and went over two crossings. “Although I stopped, nobody else did,” said Mr Macintosh. “And one of the crossings had two compulsory stop signs on it.” On this crossing, Mr Macintosh said, a man whom he happened to know went over at quite twenty miles an hour. He stopped the driver, and gave him a friendly warning, as the place was outside the jurisdiction of the City Traffic Department. “No,” said Mr Macintosh, “the Sockburn smash has not made any difference. In -fact, next Monday I have some cases in the traffic court which I have got since the smash.” Pedestrians Blamed. Crossing-keepers were also of the opinion that motorists were no more careful now than they were before the Sockburn disaster. “ They come on to the crossing just as they did before,” said one keeper, “and they apparently rely on us to guide them right. They almost always will come on to the crossing when the bell is ringing, unless they see that the train is near.” that motorists and motor-cyclists were not the worst offenders on crossings. “It is the pedestrians and cyclists who give the most trouble,” he said. “They seem to think that because they can walk, they are safe. We can’t get their names, so they take no notice of us.”