The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-11-05
CROSSING SIGNAL
OFTEN SIGHTED
Result Always Fatal When
Motorist Fails to Heed
Warning Sign.

whenever mOtOIlSL AdllS " ASc0
a warning sign at railroad crossing
and a collision occurs, the result al
most always is fatal" says a bulletin
issued by the accident prevention de-
partment Of the Chicago Motor club.
yet this is the easiest kind Of acct
dent to avert. The motorist who
slows down or stops at all railroad
crossings and who looks both ways
will never have any trouble.
1.-THE very presence Of railroad
track is danger signal and the op-
orator cannot afford to, relax his eau
ton or depend upon signals visible or
audible, to warn him Of the trains
approach. Signals sometimes fail to
work; gatemen sometimes fall asleep !;
the cautious motorist places no de-
pendence upon these safeguards. A
fog tends to deaden the sound Of an
approaching train and Of danger sig
nails; the noise Of the motor, or a
high wind may also prevent the driv-
er from hearing.
Whistle Not Heard.
"a report recently made to the de-
partment Of motor vehicles of Con-
necticut emphasizes this aspect Of the
embarrassing problem. A truck was
nearing a railroad crossing at which
view Of the track to the left was
hidden by curve and hill. On the
right-hand side of the road was trac-
tor and road scraper moving slowly
up the slight grade that led to the
tracks. The driver of the truck was
giving his attention to the tractor In
order to pass it safely. The combined
noise of the tractor and his truck
drowned out the sound Of the whistle
and bell signal Of train rounding the
curve, and the truck was upon the
crossing before its driver saw the
train which cleared by barely SO
feet.
'In placing the responsibility for
caution 1t is necessary to consider
these facts: The train engineer is In
charge of mechanism which is neces-
sarily limited in its course by the fact
that 1t runs on rails. His burden of
care, therefore, lies in the regulation
of Its speed and in the giving Of
timely warning signals-by bell or
whistle-of its approach to crossings.
The operator of an automobile or
truck, on the other hand, is in charge
of q vehicle which is limited in its
course only by the confines of the
highway, and he is responsible for
keeping his car in this course, as well
as for its speed. A well-known au-
thority on automobile law makes the
statement that although the motor
vehicle driver has an equal right with
the railroad company to use the cross
ing and Is under the same duty to ex-
ercise all reasonable care to avoid
collision, he never has the right-of-
way over the train. This seems rea-
sonable since the train has IT, main
tain the safety and convenience of the
travelling public and its course is con-
fined to the rails and cannot be de-
Elected, and also. because Of its SUI
perior size and power, it is more diff
ficult to stop.
More Caution Needed.
"From the standpoint Of public well
fare, the more ponderous the motor
vehicle operated at the crossing the
greater should be the caution of its
operator, since 1t is capable of caus-
ing injury to passengers on the train
as we'll as to Its own occupants, even
though in a less degree. Where a
street railway crosses a railroad track
1t is customary for the conductor to
go ahead to the crossing, and from
there signal the motormen to proceed.
That course is impracticable for au-
tomobiles, but even though the motor
list does not always stop on approach
ing a. crossing he should reduce the
speed of his car to a degree that will
enable him to stop suddenly If neces-
sary, and it is the more incumbent
upon him to 'look and listen" not
only from one vantage point but con-
tinuously, and not to relax his vigil
lance, until he Is safely over the cross
ing. No one drives over so many
crossings in day that he cannot af-
ford the time lost by slowing down,
or, II necessary, stopping before pass
ing over the tracks"