What price safety? - Suggestions of a practical nature for improving safety on streets and highways

Sep 21, 2026

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What price safety? presents practical proposals to improve safety conditions on American streets and highways, emphasizing that reform must overcome business and personal interests that resist change. It argues for early public training through schools and homes, sustained pressure via magazines and newspapers, and clear rules for pedestrians, children, and the elderly. Focusing especially on unprotected railroad crossings and street crossings, it advocates engineering measures such as a dip and hump and behavioral instructions like “Stop, Look, and Listen” to prevent avoidable accidents.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

What price safety?

Practical Safety Suggestions

Railroad Crossing

Street Crossing

97-84072-12Fagan,James Octavius # What price safety? [Boston] [c1927] # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISIONBIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED-EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 308
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Fagan,James Octavius,1859-
Box 232
What price safety?Some practical suggestions,
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ED | | | | | Reproductions may not be made without permision trom Columbia Universlty Lbrarles. RESTRICTIONS ON USE: TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 35mm 9:/ IB IB MAGE PLACEMENT:IA REDUCTION RATIO: DATE FILMED: 55/97 INITIALS: TLM TRACKING\#: 23734 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. # INTENTIONALSECOND EXPOSURES DUE TOPHOTOGRAPHS ANDFADE CHANGES Wakeup,■ 度“鸡ere's a-knocking,inoeeù!Knock,knock,knock.9bo's tbere,i'the name of弱elzebub?自ark!more knocking: 由ake组uncan with tby knocking;3 moulà tbou coulost!..." # INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE308ook2乙乡2 员A211,32 t Copyright,1927 JAMĘs O.FAGAN THE AUTHOR AS THE RAILROAD SIGNALMAN # What Price Safety? 《《《《《《《+》》》》》》》》》》》》》22>>>>>》 QUGGESTIONS of a practical nature for the improvementof safety conditions on streets and highways in Americais the urgent call of the hour.Unfortunately,however,business,pleasure,and hurry are still fighting shy of anythingand every-thing of this description.If reform or betterment is likely tohit the pocket of business or the pursuit of pleasure,the axiomattached to all such measures nowadays is“Cut them out.”These deep-seated financial and other interests,all over thecountry,would like to reap the benefits of improved safetyconditions and still retain their initial offense of fast and care-less operation.In this way,by correspondence in newspapersand otherwise,appeal is now being made to safety councils,to commercial bodies,and to the press of the country,to studythe problems and to work them out in this altogether incom-plete and unsatisfactory manner.As the Worcester Telegramhas it:"The work must start in the schools,continue in thehomes,and receive constant agitation in magazines and news-papers.”Exactly-in short,our children must be drilled andentreated to stick to the sidewalks,the old and the feeble mustbe warned or coaxed to stay at home,while pedestrians ingeneral must sharpen their wits,quicken their pace,and getout of the way of the traffic,or sufer the consequences. Ghe Railroad Crossing To improve this very one-sided and selfish situation andto provide pedestrians and careful drivers with some ghostof a show in the matter,suggestions of a practical nature,I repeat,are imperatively in order.Some time ago the writerof this communication suggested that a“dip”and a "hump,"properly aligned and constructed at unprotected railroadcrossings,would practically eliminate accidents of a carelessnature at these danger points.No end of people,from dayto day—yes,and from night to night—who steer their machinesfrom the street over the sidewalk and into the home garage,know exactly what I mean by a“dip”and a"hump."Atthese particular points,with absolute certainty,this methodmeans slow and careful driving.Similarly,at unprotectedrailroad crossings,this same dip and hump would very practi-cally mean a compulsory“Stop,Look,and Listen.” ## Qanted:Practical Safety Suggestions This suggestion,and others to follow,may upon furtheranalysis prove to be unadvisable or inoperative.Very well,then;and if so,will critical readers please supply the situationwith another suggestion in its place?That is the great idea,the crux of the safety problem in

FAQs

Why does the author say safety reform is resisted in America?

The author argues that business, pleasure, and hurry still avoid reforms that could affect profits or habits, so improved safety is sought without giving up fast, careless operation.

What does the author propose for unprotected railroad crossings?

The author suggests constructing a “dip” and a “hump” aligned to force slow and careful driving, effectively creating a compulsory “Stop, Look, and Listen.”

How does the author think pedestrians and families should be guided?

The author calls for drilling children to stick to sidewalks, warning or coaxing the old and feeble to stay at home, and encouraging pedestrians generally to sharpen their wits, quicken their pace, and get out of the way of traffic.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Oliver