This week marks Rail Safety Week nationwide, and RAA is reminding all road users to be attentive and obey the warnings at level crossings to avoid a ‘near miss’ or worse.
RAA Senior Manager Road Safety, Charles Mountain said four of the five worst level crossings in South Australia for near misses are in regional areas.
“These locations have been compiled from the perspective of train drivers who go over the same stretch of track day in, day out, and are the crossings where motorists fail to obey the road rules most often,” said Mr Mountain.
TrackSAFE’s Rail Safety Week runs from 11 to 17 August, with this year’s theme ‘Near miss… Near Hit’ aimed at raising awareness around the 1,000 near misses that occur in Australia every year.
“It’s very stressful for train drivers to approach a crossing where they’ve had multiple near misses, and these near misses can be easily avoided by road users being cautious and not taking risks,” said Mr Mountain.
“People need to remember that a ‘near miss’ is actually a ‘near hit’ and there’s only really a split second difference between the two.
“In regional areas some train lines might have a period of inactivity, but trains do still run along them, so it’s important for people to not become complacent and continue to check before crossing.”
The level crossing on Pym Street in Dudley Park was the only metropolitan location to make the “worst” list, but it’s important for motorists in Adelaide to still be aware of the risks if they fail to obey the road rules and warnings at level crossings.
Metropolitan motorists should also ensure that in slow moving or queuing traffic there is enough room for their vehicle to be accommodated on the other side of the crossing before moving forward.
“If you’re unsure of the space on the other side of the crossing, then don’t move forward until it is safe to do so,” said Mr Mountain.
“Pedestrians and bike riders are also reminded that when they encounter train tracks, they should only cross at designated crossing locations and always stop and check before crossing.”
Five worst SA level crossings:
• Pym Street, Dudley Park
• Railway Terrace, Coonalpyn
• Main North Rd, Winninowie
• Port Flinders Causeway, Port Pirie
• Monteith level crossing, Tailem Bend West
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