Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-15
CROSSING COLLISIONS.

CROSSING COLLISIONS.
Why are there collisions between trains and
automobiles at railway crossings? There are such
collisions, and they are shockingly numerous. Any
!, thing that can be done to lessen them merits sup
port and cooperation. Obviously one Of the Nirst
steps toward betterment is to ascertain why such
accidents occur. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad
company has analysed the record of crossing acct
dents on its system for the past year, and its sum-
mary of the investigation of the 1884 crossing COLI
sions presents some interesting facts. W
Forty-eight per cent, or 1873 Of these accidents,
resulted from drivers not waiting a few moments
to allow trains to pass. Failure to do SO brought
death to IS persons in the automobiles and injury
to IS others.
In many of these cases the attempt to beat
the train was caused by failure Of drivers to realize
that fast trains and swiftly moving automobiles ap-
proach one another with great rapidity. In some
cases, of course, the desire to boast of ability to
"bcat" an express train might have impelled drivers
to take a chance"
If it were possible to reach all automobile driv-
es who try to "beat" the train over the crossing
and make them realize the f~utility and needlessness
of such a course, it would be possible to eliminate
nearly half the crossing accidents that occur.
The second leading cause for accidents was
Stating of motor on tracks" which resulted in 8
deaths and 20 injuries, contributing 10 per cent of
all accidents. This is a sharp decline, however,
from the leading cause of trying to beat" the train.
The majority Of these cases resulted from drivers
either attempting to change gears while crossing
the tracks or pressing the foot brake instead of the
accelerator.
Crossing gates are usually regarded as the best
protection possible at highways travelled with fire.
quency. Yet there were so instances, or 13 per
cent OF the years accidents, where automobile riv-
es failed to note the presence OF gates and drove
into them. This cause is third in the list. Fortu-
nately only one person was injured in these half
hundred accidents, but many had narrow escapes.
= There has been scarcely a week in recent months
but that a gate was reported destroyed or broken
by some careless motorist. The gates are painted
with alternate white and black stripes, regarded as
the best form and colors for long visibility, and at
night, in addition, there are red lights hung on
them.
The fourth leading cause which gave 10, per
cent OF the total accidents, was running into side
OF trains" There were 40 such accidents, with four
persons killed and five injured in the year. Some
OF these accidents happened while the train was at
a %standstill, proving that at times some drivers pay
little or no attention to what is ahead of them. It
seems unbelievable that a motorist would drive into
an engine or cars, but records show that it has been
done.
Three per cent of the total accidents happened be-
cause OF defective brakes ON automobiles, and an
other three per cent because automobiles came to a
stop too close to the track and were struck by the
sides OF locomotives or cars. Eight persons were
injured in automobiles with defective brakes and
five persons killed and FIVE injured in those which
stood too close to the rails.
Eight drivers, or about two per cent of the 3s4
automobiles involved, were under the influence of
liquor. In these cars four persons were killed and
16 injured. The small proportion OF accidents of
this nature attributed to intoxication will surprise
many readers, for it is almost certain that the aver
age reader would have placed alcoholic stimulation
close to the top Of the list among the causes of
collisions. 1t is presumed, however, that the rail-
road people have been careful in the collection of
their statistics.
1t will be seen that at least rs per cent of all
the accidents investigated were due either to mat
tentions on the part. OF the driver or to the daredevil
spirit which leads one to take a chance, even if the
q hazard involves death, not only to the driver, but to
s utterly helpless persons in his care. And only a
very small number of the remainder can properly
IN he aclassed as unavoidable.