Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-22
RAI-CROSSING TOLL GAINING.
DESPITE SAFETY CAMPAIGNS
Too Much Trust in Improved Equipment
Seen as One Cause for 1926 Accidents,
698 Fatal. In Four-Month Period.

reil~-the steam railroads.&c. the Unit
ed States is but twenty billion dollars
IL can be seen that such a program, on
its face, is impossible In some places
municipalities appalled, BY the toll OF
| lives taken at particularly dangerous
grade crossings, have contributed their
share toward elimination OF the danger
point. But in the main the burden
! Of such a move would be borne by the
railroads themselves. IF ever anything
was impossible, elimination of all grade
crossings without aid from some such
source as the Federal Government is
impossible.
Although there have been many Sc
we're and fatal accidents at grade cross
ings in and near Washington. the cross
ings here are gradually being done away
with. The Baltimore &, Ohio Rail-
road within the past four years has
eliminated two Of the most dangerous
those at Lamond Station and at Silver
Spring The first Of these is within
the District of Columbia. near Takoma
Park. while the second is stones
throw from the District line.
Family Wiped Out
Another crossing which took toll
Of five lives two years ago is still IN
existence. Early one Winter morning
an entire family was wiped out at this
danger spot in Kensington, little VIII
lage few miles north Of the Capital.
Washington itself, or that territory de-
fined as the District of Columbia, has
been free of fatal grade crossing acct
dents for more than two years now.
The Kensington accident comes under
the Maryland total, which showed II
ftH Iva nf
Baltimore a. Ohio Railroad in 1927
against 81 in 1926,
After all and in view of the iinpos-
sibility of eliminating all grade cross
ings, 1t appears that the major part of
the responsibility rests with the driver
OF the automobile himself. There are
few records of fatalities occurring on a
train struck by an automobile. and 1t is
not reasonable to assume that a rail-
road train weighing hundreds of tons
will be seriously injured by contact at
high speed with motor vehicle weigh
ing two tons at the outside. Grade
crossings are danger spots, and all mo-
florists know it. The fact that 1000
or more are killed each year seems TO
point to very elear-eut case OF reek-
lessness or failure to heed warning signs.
John @. Motorist himself is to blame,
meet death each year through collisions
with moving trains should be sufficient
warning in itself to the rest of his kind
State highway departments are fully
awake to the situation, in so far as II
lies within their province To reetify II.
and there are numerous danger spots
throughout the country where hills
which ohstruct clear view at grade
crossings have been cut away. foliage
trimmed and everything possible done
to give tbs automobile driver fair view
of the danger spot. But the carnage
still goes on, Not week passes but the
juggernaut takes its toll. And will con-
tinue to do SO until the nntorist needs
literally the warning words Stop,
look, listen"
Attempt Education.
For the past FIVE years the railroads
have conducted campaign Of publicity
intended to educate the American mo-
toring public to the danger of grade
crossings. They have increased their
warning devices. experimenting the
usual warning bell with watchmen. uSu-
ally superannuated employees practically
pensioned off. to guard the crossings.
But when automobiles-as they have
been known to do--crash through
guarding gates directly onto the tracks
in the path of approaching trains, the
railroads can do no more.
The carriers are fully alive TO their
financial responsibility in the grade
crossing accident also. Millions of dol
lars in accident claims have hung In
the balance in lawsuits brought against
the railroads where motorists have
thought negligence on the part of the
railroads has been one of the causes of
an accident Naturally the carriers do
not want suits filed against them, and
also naturally they protect themselves
TO the limit of their ability. Perhaps
grade crossing accidents will 60 on as
long as there are automobiles and rail-
road trains.
And perhaps after while the death
toll! will drop. But probably it will only
begin to drop after Mr.. John @. Motor
list has learned the big lesson--that the
responsibility is his, and his almost
alone