New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-17
WORK FOR SAFER
GRADE CROSSINGS
Safety First Society Will
Appoint Committee to
Take Up Work.
PLAN TO EDUCATE
VEHICLE DRIVERS
Senator Mills VIII Name Mem
bers Who Are to Undertake
the Novel Task.

grade-crossing committee is to be
appointed by Senator ogden l.. Mills.
president Of the Safety First Society,
and an active campaign inaugur.ted TO
reduce the annual toll Of lives taken
a. the dangerous grade crossings IN
this vicinity, by instructing the thou
sands OF motorists, pedestrians and
drivers OF all other vehicles. who have
occasion TO cross them daily, to be more
careful.
The Safety First Society, through
this committee. will endeavor to secure
more practical, adequate and uniform
installation OF safety devices and sig
mails at the approaches 10 grade cross
ugS by cooperating with railroad off
clsls and Public Service Commissions.
compilation Of statistics srelative TO
grade crossings will be made. includ-
ing a tabulatlon Of accidents during
the last year as compared with previous
years. which will be incorporated in a
report 10 be presented to the Legis-
iature, recommending an appropriation
Tor the elimination of some Of the
most dangerous grade crossings in
greater New York. Long Island and
Westchester County
The plan 20 be followed by the
grade crossing committee will be SINH
lar TO the campaign inaugurated by the
Public Safety Commission OF Chicago,
according TO Frederick II. Elliott. gen
oral secretary OF the society. who states
hat IN cooperation with the railway
officials this commission accomplished
most beneficial results through An IN
yestigation which covered a period OF
only few months.
Accompanied by state and county
highway commissions, railroad and mu-
nicipal officials. the Chicago commits
sion Investigated grade crossings al
which accidents had been most fire.
quent. secured consent Of owners Of
private property adjacent 70 the cross
ings 10 cut doUn or trim trees and
70 remove shrubbery or other obstruc-
tions 10 the view in order to secure
a high degree Of safety At these cross
ings.
The railway companies replanked
many crossings. making them "a wide
as the roadways. put IN plankS be
tween the rails so a. 10 prevent any
depressIOns between the tracks which
ere so common IN this vicinity and
which are dangerous TO automobllists.
The approaches to the railroad
crossings were levelled OIL and made
smooth. permitting motorists 20 cross
without materially reducing speed.
thereby eliminating the possibility OF
stalling their motors.
Coroner Peter W. Hoffman, OF Cook
County. Illinois. estimates that 90 per
cent of the grade crossing accidents
are caused by stslline Of motors. and
H. is predicted that grade crossing ac-
cidents will be reduced at least 20 per
cent The splendid results in Chicago
should be an incentive 70 the Grade
Crossing Committee IN planning a
comprehensive campai gn to safeguard
human life at the grade crossing
graveyards in Greater New York and
vicinity.
A campaign Of education, together
with better safeguards. should ne
strong factors in reducing the num-
her of fatalities which are so frequent
in the metropolitan district, with the
hone of ultimately eliminating the
more dangerous crossings. now a con
slant source Of danger TO yehlcular
traffic and pedestrians.