Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-16
CROSSING DEATHS
2Q,427 IN DECADE
57,625 Serious Injuries Also
Listed on Major Steam
Railroads.

During the past 10 years 20,427 per-
sons have been killed and S7.625 Sc
riously injured in highway grade cross
| ing accidents on major steam rail-
roads. The figures do not include grade
crossing accidents occurring on smaller
steam railroads or on electric and oil
! lines.
These figures were made public yes
terday by the American Road Builders
Association as part of its national
highway safety campaign. The ssso-
citation points out that while the num-
Der of fatalities has increased steadily
since 1918. the comparative number Of
deaths has been decreased. In 1918 a
total of 1852 persons were killed in
these accidents. as compared with ash
| in 1927. In 1927 there were "a persons
killed per 10000 motor vehicles. as COM
pared with LA persons in 1918.
Education Helps.
The decrease in highway grade cross
ing fatalities has been the result of ed
ucstional measures taken by railroads
and cooperating organizations. the
American Road Builders Association
declares. "A continued reduction is de-
pendent upon the practice of caution
on the part of mo- vehicle drivers.
Courtesy and caution ere the two
fundamentals which will eventually
bring noteworthy decrease in all types
of highway accidents.
THE two major factors which will
| contribute toward better conditions at
the railroad grade crossings are cross
rli,Naif, Of :A,1 NJ it,rj i1,{i al,
ton. There are approximately 100000
unprotected grade crossings on ma ior
steam railroads alone. It is econcm-
ically impossible for the complete CHM
nation of these crossings within the
very near future. It is possible. how
ever to eliminate the more dangerous
crossings and at the same time con-
tinue the education of the motoring
public in the value of courtesy and eau
ton when approaching these hazards.
ut is a. regrettable fact" the Ameri-
can Road Builders Association con-
tinues. that 238 persons were killed at
grade crossings last year as a result of
running into the side of moving trains.
This demonstrates the gross negligence
on the part of some drivers when ap-
preaching dangerous CROSSINGS. Most
ineXcusable deaths result from at
temptS to beat trains to a crossing or
approaching at a high speed where the
view is INSTRUCTED in some degree.
Urge Elimination.
The association urged highway de-
partments and railroads to continue
the elimination of grade crossings as
fast as economic conditions permit.
More important" the association
adds. lis the practice of the simple code
of courtesy and caution on the part of
every individual. The engineer of a
steam locomotive is virtually powerless
to avert an accident when a motor car
obstructs the right-of-way. The avoid.
ance OF accidents Is the duty of the
driver of the motor car"
In summarizing grade crossing con-
ditions on major steam railroads the
American Road Builders Association
stated that at the beginning of 1927
there were 206,533 unprotected cross
ings in the United States; 6,148 cross
ings were protected by gates, 1850 were
guarded by watchmen, 6,42l had both
audible and visible signals, 5,308 were
guarded by audible signals only, and
2,204 had visible signals only. OF the
235.138 grade crossings in the United
States only 27,747 had any kind OF
protection.
The above figures do not include
crossings located on electric, gas or oil
railroads. or on steam railroads of Sec
ond. third and fourth grades.