Nearly half of all Kiwi motorists make the split-second decision to dart out at level crossings, ignoring stop or give way signs – a finding rail bosses say is disturbing and taking a huge toll on locomotive engineers.
KiwiRail has released new research from observations of more than 3600 drivers and their behaviour at railway level crossings.
The research found 47% of drivers failed to stop at crossings controlled with stop or give way signs.
“The findings of this research are disturbing,” said KiwiRail acting chief operations officer Paul Ashton.
There were eight collisions at level crossings last year, compared with 17 the year before.
KiwiRail has shared a video of a collision posted by Tracksafe Foundation capturing the sickening moment a small black vehicle drives across the path of a moving train in the North Island.
Several other dash cam videos captured narrow escapes in recent years when vehicles drove across the path of oncoming trains.
KiwiRail said previous research found more than half of the deaths in serious level crossing collisions over a 10-year period occurred at crossings with stop or give-way signs.
The fresh research conducted by Auckland engineering consultants WSP “aimed to identify low-cost improvements that could be made to signage at crossings with stop or give way signs, particularly those where there was a short distance between the tracks and a state highway,” KiwiRail said.
Under current guidelines, not all level crossings need to have additional “Look for Trains” signs, but the research found the number of motorists who stopped to be significantly higher (93.4%) when they were in place.
KiwiRail said motorists were even less likely to show safe behaviours if only give-way signs were present.
The research found that stopping compliance was almost twice as high for truck and trailer vehicles (66.7%) compared with cars (35.4%).
TrackSafe manager Megan Drayton said that while the results of the research were concerning, the number of incidents at level crossings last year was an improvement on previous years.
“Disappointingly, recent analysis of incidents shows that 95% of collisions and 73% of near misses were at crossings that already have flashing lights and bells or barrier arms installed.”
Drayton said collisions with trains are very unforgiving.
“Trains and rail maintenance vehicles always have right of way and travel faster than they appear to.
“Locomotive engineers [train drivers] can blow the horn and put on the emergency brakes, but there is often little else they can do to stop the train in a hurry.”
Drayton said even close calls at level crossings take a huge toll on train drivers and those who narrowly miss collisions or injury.
Ashton urged drivers to take responsibility for the safety of everyone in their vehicles, and to follow the rules to keep themselves, other road users and KiwiRail staff safe.
“Level crossings are dangerous places. Protection comes from obeying the signs.”
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