All road users are reminded to ‘Expect the unexpected – watch out for trains’ when approaching level crossings, particularly when driving in regional areas where a large proportion of crossings are passively controlled without flashing lights or boom gates.
This Rail Safety Week (5-11 August), the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is again supporting the TrackSAFE Foundation’s annual rail safety initiative to positively influence driver behaviour by increasing their awareness of safe actions at and around level crossings.
“A moment of distraction while driving or riding can significantly impair safety and can lead to serious injuries or have fatal consequences,” ATSB Director, Rail Kerri Hughes said.
“Given the size and weight of most trains, the onus to take action to avoid a level crossing collision rests almost entirely on the road user.”
In March, the ATSB published a safety study into the risks associated with level crossing collisions, in particular involving heavy road vehicles. The study set out to compare the severity of level crossing collisions involving heavy road vehicles to those involving light road vehicles.
“Our study found that in a large majority of accidents at passively controlled crossings, the heavy vehicle driver did not detect the train, or detected the train too late to avoid a collision,” Ms Hughes said.
“Safety at passive level crossings relies on road users looking for and identifying trains, which can pass through a crossing at any time of the day or night, including when you are least expecting them. No matter where you are driving, riding or walking, if you are using a level crossing always expect the unexpected and watch out for trains.”
Rail Safety Week website: Rail Safety Week - TrackSAFE Foundation