The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-26
RAIL ACCIDENTS
 HAVE B|G INCREASE
 OVER POPULATION
Elimination of Grade Cross. ings Would Materially De- crease Great Harvest,
 Safety Experts Say

Under the auspices of the Ameri- can Railway association there will be inaugurated June 1. and contin- uing until September 3o a Careful Crossing Campaign its slogan being Cross crossings cautiously having for its purpose the prevention of or reduction in the number of highway crossing accidents involving railroad trains, vehicles and pedestrians. throughout the country.
 "Co-operation in the plan has been assured by the United States Auto mobile Chamber of Commerce, the National Highway Traffic associa- ton, National Safety Council. the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and other organizations.
 Such a campaign Is necessary and timely, as shown by the following facts In 80 years the countrys popu- lation increased 67 per cent. Cross ing accidents increased 345 per cent in fatal and e52 per cent in injury cases In 1920 automobiles were in yolved in 76 per cent of all crossing accidents. During that year, 1,79l persons were killed and 5.oT7 injured of the latter number 116 died sub sequently from injuries sustained at railroad crossings within the United States.
 Methods To RedHce
 There are two ways to reduce or entirely stop such accidents. The first in the public mind is. elimination of the crossings. This is impossi- ble. There are 251,9ss highway crossings on class 1 railroads alone trailroads with revenue of over s1.- 000,000 annually) in the United States. Of this number 399 were eliminated during 1919. At the same rate Of elimination 1t would take 629 years to dispose of these crossings if no more are added. All the men an1 money available, would not be suf- ficient to remove the crossings In a lifetime.
 Conservative estimates of the aver age cost of elimination fixed the fig ure at approximately S50,000 per crossing. This means si2,500, ,000,- 900.
 Crossings ReaI Cause
 It is evident the immediate ques- tion must be met by method other than the elimination of the cross- ings which latter work will undoubt- edly proceed as circumstances per nit
 Apparently the solution should be joint upon the part of the railroads and the public. It is the duty of the railroads to keep the crossings in good condition for travel; give req sonable notice of the existence of such crossings. and see to it that the railroad employees do their full duty in warning of the approach of trains.
 Railroads Value Safety
 Railrnadz ha o1tse of organized effort for safety, through the reduction of deaths of employees on duty from 1854 in 1907 to 2,57S in 1920, notwithstanding a larger force of employees In ser vice during the latter year. Rail- road employees as a whole have un- questionably attained a higher de- gree of care In the performance of their duties@
 As education in and discussion of safety matters are responsible for the gratifying results obtained in em- ploye cases. it is logical to assume that education of the travelling pub lie to the exercise of a high degree of care when approaching and pass ing over railroad crossings, will like wise have a good effect in reducing crossing accidents.
 Pedestrians Victims
 While it is true the railroads have direct interest In checking these oftimes most distressing accidents yet in the first and last analysis it is the public Itself which suffers the pain, the mutilation and the passing to the great beyond, in addition to bearing the financial burden.
 The railroads feel warranted in ex- pecting that rightthinking people throughout the land will lend their actual and moral supY ort to this hu- mane and laudable campaign.