Evening star., 1915-07-04
CAUSES Of ACCIDENTS
i AT RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Many Ascribed to Mistake Made by
the Operators Of Motor
Cars.
Safety Association Superintendent
Advises Against Speeding Down
to Low Speed on "High."

That 20 per cent Of accidents at rail-
road crossings happen because motorists
throttle down on high to such low speed
that at the crucial moment the motor
stalls on the railroad track. and that
these accidents would not occur if gears
were shifted to "intermediate" before
venturing across, is the opinion or
superintendent of safety of large east
ern railroad, who recently delivered an
address on this subject.
He called attention to the large num-
Der of motor car accidents at grade
crossings and to the fact that IN the
campaign for safety in motoring COM
paratively little attention is paid to this
great danger.
Comment on Safety Rules.
He said, in part:
I'VE hear a great deal about safety
We are urged to learn and observe the
rules of the road, to be considerate or
persons on foot and passengers getting
on and off of street cars. etc. But there
is one warming. more important than any
Of these, which has not been called
sharply enough to our attention-the
warning placed by railroads at the inter
sections of their tracks with public high
ways at grade: Danger. Look and
Listen for the Cars To look and listen
at the railroad crossing is so evidently
what ought to be done that further COM
ment would be unnecessary were 1t not
that failure to take this obvious pre-
caution results each year in death and
injury to hundreds of drivers on the
highways. OF all safety admonitions
which should ever be in the minds of
drivers. this one the most neglected
safety associations. is the most impor-
tant-Look and Listen at the Railroad
Crossings.
Suggests Use of Common Sense.
when we read in the papers about
accidents on grade crossings we some
times notice the idea Is conveyed that
the cause of the accident was the dam
ger of the crossing. All railroad cross
ings at grade are dangerous-to the
man who takes chances. But danger
to the driver on the highway may be
minimized. and, indeed. entirely elm
mated. by the use of ordinary caution
and common sense and a realization
that here is the place where foolhardy
acts must not be committed. Neither
the railroad company nor the highway
traveller owns the crossing. In neither
IL ownership vested, but each has an
equal right to 1t. The driver who
observes the swift approach Of train
knows that the engineer, in the very
crossing without stopping. while the
engineer takes it for granted that the
driver of the vehicle will look for a
safe opportunity to cross. 1t needs no
argument to convince any fair-minded
person that it is the business of the
driver to watch out for the engine.
Carelessness Of Drivers.
"The carelessness of drivers is the
cause of almost every automobile acci-
dent on railroad crossings. Selecting
any number Of these accidents at ram
don, we find that rs per cent can be
explained only by saying that the driv-
ers do not look or listen, evidently pay
ing no attention to where they are
going. About Is per cent are due to
drivers showing such faulty Judgment
that they fail to stop before the road
70 clear and actually run into the side
Of the train. Twenty per cent happen
because Of throttling down on high. to
such low speed that at the crucial
moment the motor stalls on the rail-
road track; these accidents would not
happen IL gears were shifted to inter
mediate before venturing across. Ten
to IL per cent are due to deliberately
disregarding the warning Of crossing
hagmen. In Is per cent of the cases
the drivers see the train coming and
try to beat 1t to the crossing, with dis
astrous results. Five per cent are the
result of trying to cross after the
crossing gates have been lowered. in
credible though such recklessness may
be-"