New-York tribune., 1908-08-14
TO PUBLISH SPEEDERS
L. I. RO4D'S NEW TACTICS.
VII Take Doun Numbers of Autos
Recklessly DriUen at Crossings.

Every other expedient tried having failed
Ralph Peters president of the Long Island Rail-
road Company. intends to see if publicity will
stop reckless driving of automobiles over the
crossings of that road. 1t is his plan to sta
ton men at all the crossings where reckless
driving occurs, to take down the license numbers
on the machines and make public through the
newspapers the names of the registered owners.
This course is to be adopted because of many
accidents this summer, which Mr. Peters says
We're due to speeding the railroad tracks.
In view of these accidents. the company made
count few days ago of the number of auto
mobiles proceeding over crossings at reckless
speed. Three hundred and ten automobiles were
reported as passing over crossing on the Mer-
rick Road which is protected regularly y
hagman. OF this number 121 crossed the tracks
without any regard for the crossing signal or
fagman. Several of this number barely escaped
being crashed into by trains. and man
driving cursed the f1agman for trying TO
stop him. One hundred and seventy-two slowed
down, but didn't stop, and seventeen came to
full stop OF the latter number. however. eleven
were prevented from crossing by trains standing
the track.
THE method to be employed by the Long
Island Railroad to obtain the identity of those
speeding recklessly over grade crossings" said
Mr.. Peters yesterday, '-s have specially
qualified men stationed at crossings over which
automobiles are accustomed to drive at reckless
speed. These men will measure a course, one
half of which will lie each side of the tracks,
over which all automobiles will be timed The
license numbers will be taken and special nota-
tions made of those going at unusual speed, and
also of those who uly cautious The num-
Der of persons in each car will also be noted.
These checks will be continued regularly by
the company with a view to keeping itself and
the public informed to reckless driving on
Long Island The names of the registered own
ers of automobiles driven at dangerous speed
will be supplied to the newspapers, in the hope
OF bringing home to the public the actual dan
ger involved in this situation
The Long Island Railroad has gone to enor-
NOUS expense in recent years remove grade
'ngs on its lines. 1t has expended some
S10,500OO0 to this end, and $50 crossings-or y
per cent of it's total numbe--have been elimi-
mated. This is better than the record of any
other railroad in New York State The Della
ware & Hudson has rc.,IoVed 10 per cent. the
Delaware LaCkaWanna & Western IS per cent,
the Erie 13 per cent the Lehigh Valley l. per
cent the New York Central 19 per cent and
the New York Ontario & Western Is per cent
The Long Island has % per cent of its cross
ings protected by gates fagmen or bells, in
comparison to 30 per cent on the Delaware &
Hudson 43 per cent OH the Delaware. Lacka-
wanna & Western. :36 per cent on the Erie, 20
per cent on the Lehigh Valley, fl per cent on
the New York Central and 80 per cent on the
New York, Ontario & Western.
THE State of New York appropriates an
nuaIIy 100000 as its share toward eliminating
grade crossings on all roads. bat as there are
& 1913 grade crossings in the state, II will be
many years before all crossings over which there
is frequent travel be done away with 1t is
evident, then, that in the mean time greater
care must be exercised by those running auto
mobiles if the number of accidents is to be de-
creased.
..Of course conditions on Long Island pc
culiar In spite of all that has been DONE 429
crossings remain unprotected by gates, fagmen
or bells In view of this, the Long Island Rail-
road has doubled the number of watchmen at
many important crossings used by automobiles.
but 1t is financially impossible for this to be
done at all crossings
There is a large signboard warning at
every crossing, in the form prescribed by the
Railroad Commission. These signs have been
placed with great care to make them conspicu-
GUS AS matter Of fact the entire Long Island
Railroad was gone over, and all signs placed in
particularly prominent places. and the trees
were trimmed when they obstructed the view OF
the sign from any direction. The crossing sig
mails are especially evident at night when il
Illuminated by the lamps of the automobiles.
Upon the sign is the legend Railroad Cross
ing Stop Look Out for the Cars Those who
do this are never hurt: those who disregard it
disobey the law. and some of them have met
with frightful accidents, for which the railroad
company was in no sense legally responsible"
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