MOTOR-CARS AND TRAINS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1046, 8 February 1911, Page 4

MOTOR-CARS AND TRAINS.

——-♦ —■ .' ACCIDENTS AT RAILWAY'" CKOSSk ■ • vKGS. - .; (By Telegraph—Press-' Association.)'. Christcfiurch, February 7. 111 view of the accidents to: motorist! at railway.' crossings tho-Canterbury;Au-tomobile Association last month wrote to the Minister for. Railways urging "'. tho erection of .elcctric signals and, the cut-. ting of trees obscuring the view. At' tonight's meeting of .the association a letter was read from Mr. T. Ronaync, general manager of New Zealand railways,.;. who wrote that there were a large numher of level crossings throughout the Do-. . minion'and the establishment of automatic signals at all such crossings would involve very considerable expeisliture, which could not be undertaken. He proceeded: ;*As a matter of fact, tho_ Department ho* already gone to considerable expense in imploring the view at many of the existing crossings by ~ cut- • ting down trees, etc.; but in some cases a difficulty has been experienced in coming to terms owing to tge exorbitant; demands of the adjoining land-owners. So far as electric bells "arc concerned,. I . would point out' that such appliances ar« at all times liable to go out of order, and for that reason they are unsuitable except at crossings where they are directly under the .control of signalmen or . crossingkeepers. If such bells are established at crossings where no crossing-keepers -are in charge drivers of vehicles and others would r'-lv implicitly on . the warning bells and'in the event of the apparatus failing the bell; would bo a. source .of danger rather than a safeguard. 'As. ft matter of fact, even in the larger centre* where crossing-keepers are. appointed, and where automatic signalling appliances ,'ar» in uso it is frequently noticed that (infers 0 f vehicles and pedestrians persist in. crossing the line in. the face of appraachiii" trains despite the warning bells and. the crossing-keepers' signals, and if has also been noticed that tho. drivers of 'motor-cars are particularly reckless ili approaching crossings, no doubt relying on the fact that as a general rule their vehicles can be checked and brought to a standstill within ;.i very.'short distance. So far as the accidents that have actuallv occurred to motor-cars are concerned the drivers appear to have'lost control of their machines.'' Ha added that he was making inquiries as to the view of the railway crossing at Styx.