LEVEL CROSSINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1931, Page 5

LEVEL CROSSINGS

LAST YEAR’S ACCIDENTS

THIRTY-ONE LIVES LOST,

WELLINGTON, January 5. Level noising accident in New /ealand dining 1939 accounted for 3] deaths, and injury to 52 persons. The deaths were more than double the total lor 1929, and in the history of tlie railway system the yearly death j roll has never before exceeded *l4. The increase is out of proportion to any additions which might be expected

with increasing motor vehicle, usage. l’lie serious total of deaths last year was largely contributed to by. two accidents, each involving six deaths. At Hikurangi. North Auckland, on April sth, a train and motor-bus met--oh a crossing, and six deaths resulted. The other bad accident occurred at Sockburn. Christchurch, on June 16th, when live occupants oi a motor-ear. and the driver of the locomotive were killed.

One serious accident was at the Mokotuu ! Railway Station,, near Invercargill, where a special train, in which the Minister of Railways was travelling, struck a motor-lorry containing two men and a little girl. One ol the men was killed, and the girl died later form her injuries.

There were two fatal accidents in Auckland, a pedestrian being killed at the Lloyd’s avenue west crossing, Grey Lynn, on July 3rd, and another losing his life at the notorious Argyll Street crossing, only five days Inter.

Apart from these two accidents | there were three other level crossing accidents near Auckland, A motor* cyclist was injured through being [struck by a train while he was cross- ■ ing the railway line at May’s road, Te Papapa, and a child who was hit at the Eden View crossing escaped without injury. A motor-car was slightly damaged as a result of a collision at the Church street crossing I Te Papapa, the driver being uninjured. There were also smashes at Hamilton. Te Kuiti, Putaruru, Whangarei, and Otorohanga. Of the 3] deaths in 1930, 21 of the victims were drivers or passengers in motor-cars, two motor-cyclists, and; two drivers of horse-drawn vehicles. There were 65 collisions at level crossings between trains . and vehicles; and there .were some, instances of remarkable escapes from wrecked vehicles. Following is an official record of the killed and injured in level crossing accidents in New Zealand since 1909: Killed. Injured. 1909 7 4 1910 3 14 1911 4 8 1912 4 .6 1913 13 11 1914 4 10 1915 4 9 1916 ...... 5 10 1917 6 11 1918 4 1" 1919 5. 17 1920 4 19 3921 4 19 1922 14 3L 1923 9 32 1924 .:.... 13 98 r 1925 U ' 89 ' 1926 14 4-0 3927 13 31 1928 ...... 14 47 1929 14 36 1930 31 52 Elimination of Crossings. Improved warning signs and signals I were installed on crossings during | 1929 and 1930. The process of crossing elimination is necessarily slow, and it is stated that common sense will always be the only real safeguard on the majority of crossings in New Zealand. The total elimination of the 2650 crossings in the Dominion would coßt n prohibitive sum, which can be very approximately put at £10.000,000. Even the installation of flashing light signals on all' crossings would cost about £670,000, with an annual bill of something like £70,000 for maintenance.