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BORONIA LESSON
MUST BE APPLIED
DISTURBING conclusions reached by the Coro
ner (Mr. Burke, S.M.), who inquired into
the Boronia level crossing tragedy in June, when
nine young people lost their lives and 17 were
, Injured in a. collision between a bus and a train,
must act as a strong spur to active measures in
the, Interest of greater road safety.
: The Boronia fatalities were only the most
recent of a long series of disasters at this par-
ticular spot, not to speak of collisions at many
. - other places. A return presented in the. Legis
lative Council yesterday showed that from Janu-
' ary, 1941, to June this year, 169 people were killed
and. 482 injured in Victorian level-crossing acci
dents. ,
"Pie Coroner found that the Railway Commis
sioners had contributed to the Boronia collision
by faiilng to , Install an effective road device
would indicate the approach of trains, and that
structures in the vicinity obstruct the vision of
road drivers who happen to stop at certain posi
tions near the crossing. -
v If the appalling toll of death and injury is
to.- be stopped or reduced, it is clear that we must
aim "at the eventual abolition of level crossings
in and near the metropolitan area, so that road
traffic can be served by under-passes or over
passes. But until these things can be done, no
question of expense should be alowed to stand
in the way of installing clearly visible or audible
warnings at all busy road-railway intersections.
Since crossings In the country bear less traf-
fic, but still involve risk, a renewed educational
campaign among road users is necessary to instil
the need of stopping at every crossing, and taking
the .utmost. care to avoid tragedy.
In the areas round Melbourne, where enor-
..mous streams of traffic fill the roads at week
ends and on holidays, there should be no cross-
.,7 ing without either gates or conspicuous warning
.devices and clear visibility of railway tracks in
both directions. As long as it is found imprac
ticable to have either gates or an under or over-
- pass, the most efficient warning signals should
be installed.
' It is a pity that the decision to install a
flashing signal at Boronia, announced by the
: _ Railway Commissioners yesterday, was not made
. many years ago. The time has certainly arrived
. for. revised thinking by those responsible for the
railways, and for abandonment of the old idea
that , trains have some inherent right of way
In relation to other surface traffic. With 3787
; rail-road crossings about the State, and increas-
. ing volumes of road traffic, the peril is ever pre
sent, and demands vigorous counter measures over
a wide front.
Although railway time-tables must be ob-
served, a lowering of speed when nearing level
.crossings of major highways could make, a con-
. .tribution to reducing the danger. The distress
ing features of the Boronia tragejiy deeply
shocked the public conscience. In the light of
Mr. Burke's findings, there is a strong demand"
. :that the utmost be done to prevent other trage-
. dies in future.
If . the cost of equipping every crossing be
prohibitive, what is now to be "done at Boronia
should be reproduced at other near-metropolitan
...crossings which have been the scene of fatal
v accidents, Past arguments to justify failure to
install warning devices as busy intersections can
no longer be accepted as valid.
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