The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-05-31
Manu- Organization to Aid
Careful Crossing Campaign
C. c. HinkIe Directing Work
for B. & O. Here in
National Drive.
cross CROSSINGS cautiougly.

cross crossings CduttSu9t-
| Shat is the slogan adopted for
the Careful Crossing Campaign
which begins here and elsewhere
July / and ends September 80.
Announcement has Just oeen
| made that the Baltimore q ONO
Railroad and the Monon gahela
Power Railway Co. will be
among the concerns to join IN ~ae
| ing the nationwide campaign.
| Handsome safety First" posters
have already been put up in varl'
! Gus parts of the city and other 1T
erature is being prepared for dis
trlbution. C. c. Hinkle is direct
| ing the work for the B. & Q. anc
expects to effect noticeable re
| ductiou in the number of accident
in and about Fairmont.
Traction company officials &c
clare that here as elsewhere auto
mobile drivers are careless OF. their
| own safety and that coed results
i should obtain from the campaign.
During the four months cam
paign period. the American Rail-
way Association which is fostering
the movement, plans to educate:the
public to think and act SAFETY
! First" Backing the campaign are
! the United States Automob;ls
| Chamber of Commerce. the Ma
tional Highway Traffic Association
the National Safety Council aro
number other organizations.
| Tremendous increases in the
number of fatal accidents at rail
road crossings, in most of which
automobiles were involved. brougb'
about the campaign of education
( Accidents Increase.
| Since 1890, statisticlans OF the
| American Railway Association
point out, the population of the
| country has increased 6S per cent.
while crossing accidents have in
creased 345 per cent in fatalities
and $50 per cent in injuriesi
I The United States Bureau OF
| Standards has not yet announce
! the figures for 1921. But in 1922
automobiles were involved IN ~
! per cent of all crossing accidents
| Persons killed death resulting II
"a hours totaled 1881, while 5,07'
were injured, 116 of the latter dying
subsequently.
Here are the figures for automo
bile accidents at crossings:
Accidents Killed Injured
1918 ..... 1870 1131 3109
| 1918 e571 1882 1855
| 1920 3O12 1878 1917
Railroads are concentrating or
public education because they de
clare total elimination of crossing!
is impossible.
/ Preventive Work Costly.
There are Isl ,939 highway cross
incs in the country. OF this num-
Der only 3s9 were eliminated in ont
4 year. Each elimination cost $4,000
making the cost of eliminating al
crossings s12.50O,000,000
The association pledges co-opera
! ton by the railroads in keepins
crossings in good condition TO-
travel, giving reasonable NOTICE o
the existence of crossings, and see
ing to it that flagmen do their ful
duty in warning of the approach o
trains.
The value of safety first cam
\ paigns is shown. railroad offlclal'
4 say, by the reduction in death:
from accident among employees
; from 1854 in 1907 to ISIS in 1920.
: Safety engineers urge AUTOMOBILE
: drivers to form the habit 81 sh1ft
ing gears into low speed at al
i crossings. This practice cause:
drivers instinctively to pause
: crossings. and also reduces to
J minimum the risk OF stallins on th'
tracks.