Evening journal., 1915-12-18
SATURDAY DEC. Is, 1915
GRADE CROssINGs AM sArErY.

n ELAWARE has hundreds OF grade crossings Al
- many of them distressing accidents have oc-
CURED They have been due in the main to the fail
ure Of pedestrians drivers TO STOP look and listen
before venurng upon the tracks Such accidents will
continue as long grade crossings exist and the prin
cpe Of safety first is trampled under foot by those
who would rather hirt with death than submit 10
few seconds few minutes of delay in reaching
their destinations
OF course the real cure for such deporable condi-
ton is the elimination Of all such crossings by plac-
ing either the tracks the roadways above or below
erade That practically possible but financially i'm
possible Experience has demonstrated that the aver
age cost of eliminating grade crossing is OO0O II
that standard be applied TO such crossings In Delaware
and throughout the Demarva Peninsula il will be seen
that it would cost millions upon millions of dollars TO
carry out policy of complete elimination. In short
for every twenty crossings eliminated an expenditure
OF Slooo00o would be required There is no railroad
on the Delmarvia Peninsula that could stand such
financial strain. The work OF elimination must be
fradual not because the railroad officials would have
II so, but because, like individuals they must make
their work t in with the money they have at command
The widespread public belief that there is no limit to
expenditures railroad company may make for i'm
proyement purposes is as falacous as are many
other public beliefs with respect TO corporations
IL Is folly for anyone 10 think that the railroad Off
cals are not interested, acuely and sympathetcally
IN the grade crossing question. They have triple
Interest in IT, The safety of trains and passengers
and Of pedestrians drivers is always In the oeica
mind We take it that If the public were equally in
terested in the matter safety first grade crossing
accidents would be few and far between
To what large extent highway crossing accidents
are due to carelessness by observations
made by the Southern Pacific the actions OF the driv
srs Of 1902 motor vehicles approaching railroad
crossings In number Of widely separated localities
or the total. 1885 drivers, 69k per cent looked
urft1a rt~. f-r4
per cent looked only way. and only 27s per cent
looked in both directions while 1901 or 1913 per cent
ran over the crossing at reckless rate Of speed and
only 30 stopped before crossing or 1889 drivers Of
teams 1914 per cent looked IN neither direction So
per cent looked only one way and only SO per cent
hooked IN both directions Similar observations taken
year later at the same places after the road had
gSen great deal Of publicity TO its efforts to reduce
TINS kind Of accidents and had appealed for the CO.
operation of local authorities and automobile clubs
showed considerable Improvement
we nave no doubt that the sort of a test we're
applied 70 the Delmarvia Peninsula similar per
eentages would be obtained Several distressing acct
dents have occurred in our own state recently LET
those who know OF them and their details ask them
selves the question Would they have occurred If the
victims had obeyed the well-known injunction to stop
look and listen? We think that II such a test be an
Piled II viii produce answer that viii not hear
heavily upon the railroads and their employees
~ ihs connection u may be we'll 10 that the
railroads Of the United States through the American
Railway Association, have undertaken a campaign for
he prevention Of accidents at highway crossings A
special committee of prominent railroad ofcias has
been appointed 10 have charge Of the campaign The
Railway Age Gazette says that the Importance Of the
problem is indicated by the fact that in the last ten
years for which the statistics are available the Inter
State Commerce Commission has reported a total Of
9i7s persons killed and 21si7 injured by being struck
OF run over by locomotives at highway cross
ings
The figures show Increase fairly consistent with
the development Of railway traffic although the in
crease IN the number Of persons killed is less in pro
portion than the growth Of the railway business: 6ut
since 1909 there has been steady Increase unafeced
by the falling on in tranic in 1914 This is doubtless
largely due 10 the increase in the use Of AUTOMOBILES
Especially IN rural districts and this phase cf the
situation will necessarily assume an important place
a the committees investigation.
II the campaign is TO he a success in Delaware or
elsewhere, the public must cooperate with the com
mee and ITS agents. because such campaign cannot
be made fooproof; give protection 10 those
Who refuse 10 accept protection Pedestrians and
drivers must be led 10 realize that the duty of stopping
looking and listening at grade crossing is M 10 the
pedestrian and the driver part Of the duty of
he locomotive engineer