New Research Identifies Disturbing Behaviour At Level Crossings

Nearly half of New Zealand motorists do not always stop at level crossing Stop signs or prepare to stop at Give Way signs, a new study has found.

KiwiRail commissioned the research through WSP to monitor motorist behaviour at railway level crossings.

From observations of over 3600 drivers, 47 per cent failed to stop or prepare to stop at crossings with Stop or Give Way signs.

Earlier research had found more than half of the deaths in serious level crossing collisions over a ten-year period occurred at crossings with Stop or Give Way signs.

The new WSP research 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.

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 per cent) when they were in place.

Motorists were even less likely to exhibit safe behaviours if there were only Give Way signs. The research recommended Stop signs be used instead of Give Way signs to improve safe driving behaviour.

Stopping compliance was almost twice as high for truck and trailer vehicles (66.7 per cent) compared with cars (35.4 per cent).

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“While the results of this research are concerning, the number of incidents at level crossings last year was an improvement on previous years,” says TrackSAFE Manager Megan Drayton. There were eight collisions at level crossings last year, compared with 17 the year before.

In support of International Level Crossing Awareness Day on 5 June, KiwiRail is sharing the research in the hope that motorists will take the NZ Road Code more seriously.

“Disappointingly, recent analysis of incidents shows that 95 per cent of collisions and 73 per cent per cent of near misses were at crossings that already have flashing lights and bells or barrier arms installed,” Ms Drayton says.

“This emphasises how important an individual’s behaviour is when it comes to safety around railway tracks.”

Collisions with trains are unforgiving, she says. “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.”

Ms Drayton says even close calls at level crossings take a huge toll on train drivers and those who narrowly miss collisions or injury.

“The findings of this research are disturbing,” says KiwiRail Acting Chief Operations Officer Paul Ashton. “KiwiRail urges 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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