Rail industry campaigns for level crossing safety

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The International Union of Railways has spoken of their aim to reduce incidents at level crossings.

They say that whilst ‘there is no doubt that the train is the safest form of land transportation’, when another form of transport is added into the mix that the risks for rail increase.

The interface between road and rail at level crossings is one of the most significant risks and one that the rail sector is not able to control without support from other key players.

Level crossings are an inherently easy way for people to cross the railway and are completely safe if the rules are followed by those using them, the UIC say.

It is the users ‘neglecting traffic rules at level crossings’ that not only put themselves at risk but also people travelling or working on trains.

It is statistically clear that most of the accidents that occur at level crossings are ’caused by road users and pedestrians mainly because of their misbehaviour’.

That is why it is so important to highlight this issue and bring these risks to the attention of level crossing users and make them aware of the risks they run by not taking care.

This is of course not a problem that can be uniquely addressed by the rail community, it has to be handled as one of shared concern amongst several players, including the road and rail sectors, police forces, road users and those with responsibility for licensing those users as well as with pedestrians including cyclists.

It is a general misconception that level crossings are a rail problem when in fact it has always been and remains very much an interface between two modes and each has its role to play.

It would be quite easy for those companies responsible for rail infrastructure and national safety authorities to simply engineer-out the problem by closing level crossings. This is of course not a realistic solution for a number of economic reasons.

As with any risk situation it is far better to get to the root of the problem and develop a campaign of education of the users and the partners on the other side of the interface so that people are learning to appreciate the risks and respecting the traffic rules. Changing the behavioural approach will decrease the number of accidents at level crossings.

It is as a significant contribution to this educational approach that ILCAD was born.

The International Level Crossing Awareness Day on 9 June 2011 focuses on educational measures and the promotion of safe behaviour at and around level crossings.

It is built around a range of national events held jointly at various locations in every participating country; focussed on a common message of  ‘Act safely at level crossings!’

In addition to regular or permanent activities held throughout the year, many special communication actions have been planned throughout the world: flyers handed out at level crossings, in schools, driving schools, to scouts.

Posters will be displayed in railway stations and other central places, the video ‘Just in time’ (funded by the European Commission) will be shown on screens in railway stations and on the internet and there will be special messages broadcast on radio and television as well as at press conferences organised with national and local press.

 

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