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Show Precaution Needed at R. R. Crossings make them as conspicuous as possible. But no system lias yet been devised, or can be invented, which is "fool-proof." What should be organized at once is an "Auto Drivers' Careful Club." Its dues, a few seconds' wait at grade crossings, an occasional ' ten-foot walk across tracks, and the physical exertion of an arm swing. Its benefits, long life and freedom from injury. Its motto, "More Weddings, Less Funerals." Los Angeles Examiner. By Howard Elliott. Secretpry Safety and Efficiency Committee, Commit-tee, San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake R. R. If auto drivers were as careful as street car drivers, collisions between automobiles and trains would be as rare as those between be-tween trains and street cars. Before a trolley car crosses steam road at grade, where there is no human flagman, one member mem-ber of the crew goes forward, looks both ways and listens. If the road be clear he gives the "come ahead" signal. If not, the car must not move until danger is past. Suggest this procedure to the auto driver and he smiles. "Unnecessary," "A waste of time," and "too much bother," are some of his excuses. Yet this one simple precaution would, if followed, practically eliminate the grade crossing horror Even if the conductor did not. go ahead and flag across, the motorman would still be more apt to effect a safe passage than the auto driver, who oftentimes is talking and does not have his mind concentrated on the business busi-ness of driving. Another thing. To the street car employe the passengers are so many "persons." Perhaps he could call none of them by name. If one should sicken and die, he would not shed a tear. Yet he protects his charges with extraordinary care. The law demands de-mands it, the rules of his company com-pany require it, and his best judgment dictates it. The auto driver's passengers are usually his kith and kin. Their lives are as precious to him as his own. If one should die, his heart would bleed. Yet he races across a railway track looking look-ing neither to left nor to right and then calls unreasonable and unnecessary for his adoption, those precautions which street railway companies take to safeguard safe-guard the lives of those in whom they have only a passing interest. in-terest. It is not a matter of damage. If you think it is, how much, Mr. Automobile Driver, will you take for your daughter or your son? It is a rule or law in nearly every state in the Union that the highway traveler at a railroad rail-road crossing must LOOK AND LISTEN at a place where he can look and listen effectively; that he must look and listen 'both ways, and that if by so doing he could have seen a train and avoided collision with it, and a collision co-llision occurs, the presumption arises that he either failed to look and listen, or was heedless of what he saw and heard, in either of which event he would be guilty of negligence barring recovery, re-covery, In the following States, the Courts hold that in addition to looking and listening the traveler on the highway must STOP: Oregon, Maryland, Massachusetts, Massachu-setts, Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey, Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan, West Virginia Vir-ginia and California. What the railway companies want, and what all students of the problem believe desirable, is that c.rivers of vehicles on reaching reach-ing railway crossings shall be even more careful than appears necessary, not because any rule or law compels it, but because the love of life for themselves and others should impel them to habits of extreme care. The railway companies are taking the lead in an endeavor to eliminate accidents. In most parts of the country they represent repre-sent the only organized effort to combat the evil. The Auto Club of Southern California has done a most wonderful work in plac ing sign posts at points of danger. It is a pity that like work cannot be done by the automobile organizations orga-nizations everywhere. The Long Island Railroad is employing vigorous tactics to bring home to the public the dangers of reckless automobile driving on Long Island. In Southern California the railways have installed, at a great many crossing?, wigwag or moving signals, lighted at night. They have proved very effective. But it is noted that many auto-ists auto-ists ignore the signal, and at places where the railways have lowered the gates in the face of approaching trains it is not infrequent in-frequent for drivers to crash through the gates before they notice that they are down. The Long Island Railroad, tired of having autos driven through the gates, is- now experimenting with gates made of heavy wooden wood-en spars the size of a large telephone tel-ephone pole. They are painted in black and white stripes to |