SAFETY IN TRAVEL.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18622, 28 April 1932, Page 3

SAFETY IN TRAVEL.

RAILWAY'S RECORD.

It Is very seldom realised to what a great extent the public Is protected by the railways in comparison with any other type of transport or other pub’.ia service, and it is probable that nowhere has such protection been carried through to a greater extent or more successfully than upon the railways of this country. Certainly the figures hear this out. There are no records available which Indicate suon an extraordinary success in the transport of passengers as that achieved •by. the railways of this country in the last six ycai-s in carrying 150,000000 passengers without one fatality. In order to convey to the public mind some general Idea of the many factors and personal safeguards provided In achieving this result, it may be well to run over some of the main features. In the first place, all equipment Is under constant inspection—something which Is not to be found in any other form of land transport—and all trains are under immediate control, both within themselves and by means of a highly developed signalling and safety device system. Tablets, signals, brakes, train control, are all brought to hear upon the problem of securing safety first, for passengers. The driver and fireman, the guard, 'the train examiner, Ihe Wesfinghouse brake and the Westinghouse brake inspector, the ganger and surfaceman, the bridge inspector and the signalman, all contribute to the quota of care and service of safe conveyance provided to the multitudes, in ono way and another, travelling upon the Iron Way.