Evening star., 1928-02-19
Federal Study of Crossing Accidents
Shows Ratio Is Increasing Rapidly
BY J. A. FOX.

BY J. A. FOX.
Striking such queer notes as the in
ability OF a Chinese to read caution
sign printed In English and the ill-luck
Of farmer who lost his life ''endeav-
oring to urge cows over crossing, a
study OF grade-crossing accidents has
Just been completed by experts OF the
Bureau of Public Roads of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. and the findings
published in an effort to stir interest
In what Is conceded to be one OF the
greatest of traffic problems, and one
constantly growing.
Among the principal ideas behind
the bureaus study vas TO discover
what part poor roads might play in
building up the toll of hundreds OF
killed and manned annually. It was
developed. however. that highway con-
ditions had little influence. but while
| the investigators were finding this out
they were discovering also that there
Is such an endless range covered by
the causes that to direct remedial
measures. at any one quarter in the
hope of bringing about radical improve
ment Is useless; that the real cure for
grade-crossing accidents Is obvious
the elimination of the crossings.
Survey 5000 Accident Reports.
The study was made b. A. B.
Fletcher. consulting highway engineer.
and William G. Eliot. I'd, associate
highway economist OF the bureau, For
their field they surveyed the records
OF approximately 5000 accidents al
gradc-cross;ngs reported to the Inter-
state Commerce Commission 70: 1926
by the steam railroads OF the country
accidents which cost nearly $500 lives
and injuries to about 1000 persons.
And this does not take in the electric
toll-lines which do not report TO the
!. G. c.. but whose crossing deaths, for
example. In 1926 totaled 237, to say
nothing Of injured.
Principally. OF course. these accidents
are crashes. but such miscellany also l.
included as mishaps 10 fiagmen struck
by vehicles. injuries To those jumping
from vehicles In anticipation Of col
lisions that do not occur, wrecking of
highway carriers In avoiding collisions
with trains and careless pedestrians As
the result OF Its study. the bureau be-
lieves that new light has been thrown
on the grade crossing problem.
Strangely enough. that cause which
is almost Invariably associated with
crossing accidents. racing with trains
at intersections. docs not show up so
strongly.
Reports Usually Opinion.
OF this the report had this TO say:
Attempts 10 beat the trains were
occasionally reported. but usually only
as the opinion OF the reporting Of
ficer."
Nor did the celebrated mixture OF
alcohol and gasoline seem 10 cut such
an important figure The investigators
summed up the situation thus:
"One hundred and three intoxicated
motor vehicle operators were reported
and IS intoxicated pedestrians. II is
not surprising to discover that of the
1903 drivers 81 were listed az having run
into the train. and only 30 as having
been struck by the train The high
proportion OF the former may bc due to
the desire OF the reporting officers 10
explain certain otherwise ineXplicable
accidents. whereas IN more ordinary
cases mtoxication might be passed over
without special mention" II may have
been only a coincidence that the mum
ber OF intoxicated pedeStrians~-25~-wa
the same as the number OF cases In
which the accident resulted from the
pedestrian walking into n train,
Defective brakes we're mentioned as
contributing causes In only 81 cases.
inadequate headlights In Ia and deaf
ness In "a. There we're $50 instances In
which the drivers apparently stalled on
the crossings. and OF these the report
says. significantly. "the reasons can
never be known" interestingly 1t adds.
that 'in no case was motor-vehicle
operator said TO have been asleep at the
wheel"
In one instance OF record however. II
car was stalled IN front Of a train when
the driver OF disabled car In tow ap~
piled his brakes auddenly "A helpful
neighb0r and several members OF his
family were killed" the report adds.
Panic Caused Crash.
A frightened womans passenger who
grabbed the emergency brake was the
responsible party In another case, and
In several Instances car owners gave
their lives IN efforts To get their We
hicles clear OF the tracks after stailing
The well known innocent bystander"
also contributed his share OF the cas-"
ualties. fying wreckage hurting some.
. and. In one instance, a car pulled ur
TO await passage of train was showed
into It's path when struck by u car In
charge OF an intoxicated operator,
Going into "A study Of physical con-
diti0ns surrounding accidents the In
vestigators found that they were divided
about equally between urban and rural
communities but that the latter we're
| by far the more serious. the mortality
rate being about 10 !, In this con-
nection too, they estimated that grade
| cr0ssing accidents constitute ID per cent
| Of the entire total of rural highway ac~
| stdents, whatever the nature. and that
rural highway accidents are 20 per cent
Of the national total
! As for the lower urban fatality rate
| n is considered that the slower speed nj
both trains and vehicles in the city u