The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-10-19
REDUCING ACCIDENTS.
At GRADE CROSSINGS

At GRADE CROSSINGS
That grade crossings accidents
caused by automobilists crossing
ahead of passenger trains, may be
reduced to minimum the North
ern Pacific railway has started a
campaign in states through which
it operates. Under the CAPTION
"a word of caution to motorists"
printed circulars embodying ways
and means for the avoidance Of
such collisions have been sent to
all secretaries of state in the
Northwest with the request that
these be distributed when new lie
ense plates ARE sent out.
with the number of automobi-
les coming into use rapidly in
creasing it cannot be too strongly
emphasized that caution should
be observed by drivers when ao-
preaching grade crossings" says
the circular '.'Daily reports show
accidents that could have been
averted had the driver of the mo-
tor carsstopped, looked and lis
tened before attempting to cross
ahead of all approaching train"
Government statistics show
the number of. persons killed I'd
injured in the United States at
grade crossings to be as follows:
During 1914, l147 persons killed
1885 injured during 1915, 997
persons killed, % SO injured. The
reduction in casualties during
1915 as compared with the pre-
vious year are due to warning
notices posted by railway COM
panies and automobile clubs who
are endeavoring to provide effec-
tive means for eliminating the
hazard as musA as possible.
But the real measures of avoid
ing such accidents are to be fou nd
in the care observed by individual
drivers themselves. Let your
slogan be-sTOP, LOOK LISTEN.
DRIVERS owe'this to themselves
and to the passengers riding in
their automobiles. They hold as
great responsibility toward their
families and friends as do the el-
gineers of rapidly moving oassen-
ger trains to the patrons whose
destines, they are scharged with.
All the signs, notices, bells,
whistles, gates and flagmen hire
to protect the public are of 10 av-
all unless they can have the CO.
operation Of the motorists.
Observations have been made
to record the care shown by au-
tomOblie drivers and in $4,000 in
stances the following results
were noted: SO per cent looked
neither way before passing over
a grade crossing; per cent look
ed one way only; and ia motor
car drivers, "about half of one, per
cent" actually stopped their mach
ines beofer proceeding to pass
over the crossing. These figures
show that few men of undoubted
intelligence display the necessary
caution that may save their lives
limbs and property, by SIMPLY
waiting moment or two to allow
the train to pass.
Trains have no choice of
routes; they must run on the rails
and their patrons require that
they be on time, if possible. On
the contrary. motor car drivers
can choose their own routes and
the occupants of such machines
usually are not pressed for time.
"1f automobile drivers would
make it a habit to associate the
sight Of a grade crossing and it's
advance notices with the sight of
traffic policeman. and control
their machines accordingly, grade
crossing accidents would cease.
No man is immune to the con-
staHtly growing use Of the auto
mobile.
Trains moving at speeds from
25 to 40 miles an hour can, under
ordinary conditions, stop in about
1900 feet. Motor cars running
at the same speed can be stopped
in about 80 feet. The train often
weighs as much as 5000 tons
while the automobiles weigh!
rarely exceeds two tons. 1t can be
readily seen. therefore. that th,,
greater weight, once under way, is
much harder to stop. Every
motorists should himself adopt a
policy of carefulness that will
render him immu le from such
collisiOHs.''