Horrific near-misses caught on CCTVC as pedestrians stumble into paths of Yarra Trams

CCTV has captured the heart-stopping moments inattentive pedestrians stumble into the path of oncoming trams, as near-misses skyrocket across Melbourne.

An inattentive pedestrian was left with minor bruises – and most likely a bruised ego – after walking into the side of a passing tram in Melbourne, before ricocheting into the safety rails.

Heartstopping CCTV captured the moment a man, who does not appear to be using his phone, walked through an adjoining pedestrian crossing and into the path of the inner-city tram.

The heavy hit briefly knocks the unsuspecting man off his feet as bystanders watch on, before he moves slowly off the track seemingly in shock over how quickly the incident unfolded.

In a separate near-miss, a young woman comes mere seconds from being struck head-on by a tram as she attempts to catch up to a friend as the pair cross a city street, showing little disregard for any oncoming traffic. 

Near misses between pedestrians and trams in Melbourne have soared by 35 per cent in the past year. Picture: Yarra Tarms

It was only due to the quick action of the tram’s operator who slammed on the breaks that the woman, who appeared unfazed in a short clip of the incident, avoided potentially fatal injuries.

These horrifying close calls are just two of the 225 near-misses reported this year, while 45 people had actually been struck by a tram.

Failure to look both ways while crossing tram tracks and pedestrians who were distracted by their phones regularly caused such incidents.

Yet it still appears many had yet to grasp the dangers of a 62-tonne tram hurtling toward them – with near-misses between pedestrians and trams soaring 35 per cent in the past year.

Concerning new figures also revealed pedestrians were taking more risks when it comes to crossing tram tracks, with an estimated 367,000 people crossing outside designated pathways.

A woman steps out onto the tram tracks as an oncoming tram approaches. Picture: Yarra Trams

Yarra Trams CEO Carla Purcell said it was crucial that pedestrians also took responsibility for their own safety.

“Safety is our number one priority, and while our drivers are highly trained, it is important that pedestrians watch out for trams across our network,” Ms Purcell said.

“A tram weighs about the same as 30 rhinos and it’s not something you want to be hit by.

“We urge pedestrians to look both ways and do their bit to stay safe by not stepping out in front of trams.”

Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams said tram drivers did an “excellent job” while facing difficult obstacles of distracted pedestrians.

“It’s crucial that all pedestrians look up and ‘think tram’ when they see tram tracks for the safety of pedestrians, passengers and tram drivers.”