LEVEL CROSSING FATALITIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4467, 19 June 1930, Page 4

LEVEL CROSSING FATALITIES.

19 PERSONS KILLED IN PAST SJi MONTHS. With a death-roll of 19 persons killed in level-crossing accidents, the first six months of this year present a formidable total which is already far ahead of the number of deaths recorded in any previous year since .1920 (says the Auckland Herald). Last year such accidents accounted for 14 deaths and the same number of deaths from this cause was recorded in 1928, 1920 and 1922. The most serious of the earlier accidents this year occurred near Mikurangi, on April 5, when sis persons were killed while ira-velliny iii a motor-bus from Hikurangi to WUiangarei, as the result of a collision with a train. Another serious accident, occurred in Southland in January, when a special train carrying the Minister of Railways became involved in a collision with' a motor-lorry at Mokotua, with the result that a man and his little daughter lost their lives. Three level-crossing accidents have occurred in the vicinity of Christchurch since January of this year. In one case a crossingkeeper lost his life while attempting to prevent a cyclist from crossingl the line in front of the electric train from Lyttelton. In another ease a passenger bus collided with the Little River train and the occupants suffered serious injury, although no deaths occurred. Monday’s tragedy at Christchurch brings the total number of deaths as a result of crossing ac eidents for the past 21 year's to 177. The following table shows the

number, of persons killed and injured in level-crossing accidents in New Zealand during the last. 10

In earlier years such accidents averaged only (wo or three a year, owing to the smaller use of motor vehicles. There are 2651 levelcrossings in New Zealand and less than 100 of them are equipped with signal devices. Of these 51 have warning hells, 33 have wig-wag signals and half-a-dozen have automatic flashing lights. 11 is roughly estimated I lull ii would cost U]) lo £10,000,000 to eliminate all crossings, and the in-

stallation of flashing signals would cost approximately £070,000, with an annual hill of about £70,000 for mainloii.uiieo. There are, of course, hundreds of crossings which present such good visibility flint anything more than a warning notice would never he justified.

ye.i is : — Killed. Injured 1920 4 19 1021 •I 19 1022 1-1 31 1923 9 32 1024 13 9S 1925 11 SO 1020 14 40 1927 13 31 1028 14 47 1929 14 30