The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-07-25
ADDRESS ON ACCIDENTS
AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS

That carelessness on the part OF
drivers and pedestrians is primarily
responsible for the alarming increase
in fatalities at railroad crossings, is
the gist of an address by Alex Gordon
of the California State Railroad COM
mission, made recently before the con-
yention of the boards of supervisors
of California.
California" said Gordon, with less
that four per cent of the population
and less than two per cent OF the
steam railway mileage, furnishes
nearly five per cent of the deaths and
injuries reported to the Interstate
commerce commission. During the
...ree years ended June 80, 1915, 249
people were killed and 1898 injured at
stade crossings in this state. The rec
Old is always much worse in the sum-
44er than in the winter"
There are over 10000 grade cross
.ngs in California and $4,000 would
1e low estimate of the cost of elm
mating one crossing. To separate
sfades at all of the crossings would
eo.t over $3,000,000,000 and it is, of
voarse, out of the question to consider
..uy such an expenditure at this time.
Neither the people nor the railroads
can stand it,"
Meanwhile existing conditions
must be met 1t has been suggested
lat the legislature pass laws requir-
lng all motor vehicles to come to a
Iud stop before passing over grade
crossing. To my mind better sug-
gestion is a law re- airing the drivers
OF motor vehicles 10 urlye slowly
wen approaching an intersection OF
4 track and highway.
personally l have not a great deal
OF sympathy for the careless driver
who gets hurt in grade crossing ac-
cident. But our figures show that
when a driver is hurt or killed, three
or four people with him are also hurt
or killed Last September may be ta-
ken as a typical month. Three auto
drivers were killed in the state that
lonth and ten occupants of the auto
mobiles were killed at the same time.
Nine drivers were injured and thirty
seven other occupants were injured.
These other occupants of the vehicles
possibly in most cases-relatives of
| drivers, often wives and children, and
| if the careless driver when left to
himself so far forgets the safety of
himself and those who are nearest to
him as to jeopardize their lives in this
fashion, it is time for the law to step
in and tell him what he must do to
| guard them"
THE popular impression is that
most grade crossings result from rail-
ways being opened across highways.
AS Commissioner Gordon makes clear
the fact that most of them are due to
highways being opened across rail-
ways and many of them are more of
menace than convenience to the
public"
With reference to trespassing. he
says:
"In 1914, 5,396 persons were killed
in the United States and 6.176 were in
jured while trespassing on railroads
and these figures are about the same
as those reported for the previous
years. During that same year there
were 165 trespassers killed and PIT
| injured in California. In the last 25
/ years tneT0 nave Deen over ZlL,UUU
people killed in the United States in
railroad accidents. and of this vast
number, over $4,000 were trespass-
ers. This record would be bad enough
if those who suffered were tramps and
'hobos.' but when we find that $4,000
of the total killed were citizens of
the locality in which the accident oc-
CURED, and $4,000 were children un-
der Is years of age we must admit
IL to be absolutely disgraceful."
"The grade crossing problem is one
which is met with. more or less, in all
countries, but trespass accidents oc-
cur only in the United States. In
Europe the property of the railroads
is no more used for public thorough
fares than are privately owned ranch
es and farms in this country and even
| Canada. with more excuse for permit
| ing trespassing i'm and around rail-
road tracks. has rigid anti-trespassins
laws which are strictly enforced.
referring TO the massage Of anti
| irespassing laws in this country, Com
| missioner Gordon adds. II believe the
1av viii come when it will be done
nd those of us who are compelled to