Motorists, pedestrians risking their lives with dodgy moves on level crossings

A growing number of drivers and pedestrians are dicing with death by ignoring lights and bells on the state’s railway level crossings. Why are they pressing their luck?

Impatient drivers are involved in a growing number of near-misses with trains as they ignore level-crossing warnings.

Hundreds of Victorian pedestrians are also narrowly avoiding hits.

Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator figures show 164 vehicles were involved in near-misses with trains last financial year — even though crossings had active safeguards like flashing lights and boomgates.

It was the highest figure in at least three years and comes despite the ­removal of almost 30 level crossings.

Pedestrians were involved in 155 recorded near-misses at similar crossings with active traffic control equipment. Public Transport Victoria’s Georgia Main pleaded for greater care around trains.

“Level crossings are inherently dangerous, which is why we continue to remove them from our network,” Ms Main said.

“Pedestrians and motorists need to be vigilant — never cross a train line when there’s flashing lights, warning bells and the boom gates are down.”

The regulator’s figures, obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun under Freedom of Information laws, show 195 recorded near-misses last financial year involving vehicles, while there were 210 ­involving pedestrians.

Near-misses totalled a whopping 1130 statewide over three years.

The state government vowed to remove 50 level crossings when elected in 2014, but has since added an extra 25 to the list amid increasing safety concerns.

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So far, 29 crossings have been ­replaced, including eight on the Cranbourne-Pakenham line, which resulted in the $1.6 billion Sky Rail. There were 518 near-misses involving ­vehicles and 613 involving pedestrians between July 1 2015 and June 30 last year.

Eighty vehicles and 136 pedestrians were almost hit at crossings with passive warning equipment, such as signs.

The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator is an independent body that encourages and enforces safe railway operations.

NEAR MISSES WITH TRAINS

VEHICLES

Active crossing equipment: 164

Passive crossing equipment: 28

Unprotected crossing: 3

TOTAL: 195

PEDESTRIANS

Active crossing equipment: 155

Passive crossing equipment: 55

Unprotected crossing: 0

TOTAL: 210

Source: Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator. July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018

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