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Level crossing stupidity...


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40 minutes ago, mozzer models said:

I think the driver of the black Ford will need a change of pants. Look's like they did not see the stop line of traffic & almost hit the white van 

 

Worrying that the queue, whilst not on to the tracks, had still tailed back to the wrong side of the barriers.

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30 minutes ago, Hobby said:

Just out of interest what is the speed limit over the crossing as that black car was certainly motoring (and not looking where he was going as he missed the brake lights right in front of him!)?

Built up area no more than 40 more likely 30 

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1 hour ago, mozzer models said:

I think the driver of the black Ford will need a change of pants. Look's like they did not see the stop line of traffic & almost hit the white van 

I think he found out that at speed over a slight hump there is very little traction available for braking, he is lucky he had enough space and reaction time to steer around the traffic queue.

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24 minutes ago, peanuts said:
55 minutes ago, Hobby said:

Just out of interest what is the speed limit over the crossing as that black car was certainly motoring (and not looking where he was going as he missed the brake lights right in front of him!)?

Built up area no more than 40 more likely 30 

 

According to Streetview dated March this year there are NSL repeater signs as you approach along the A137 from the bridge over the River Stour to the north of the level crossing.  The 30 limit signs don't appear until you've passed over the crossing and taken either the Station Road or Cotman Avenue exit from the roundabout beyond the LC.  So, difficult as it may be to believe, it actually seems to be a 60 limit all along that stretch of the A137.

 

If you look at the Streetview images you can see that the crossing is on quite a hump, so visibility of the far side isn't good.  Remember that the Streetview car's cameras are on the roof of the vehicle, so actually have a better view over the hump than a car driver would.  All of which is actually a far better reason than a speed limit not to tazz over the crossing at stupid speeds.

 

There is a quite a lot of discussion about these incidents on another forum, including comments from locals who know the site well.

Edited by ejstubbs
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1 hour ago, Hobby said:

Just out of interest what is the speed limit over the crossing as that black car was certainly motoring (and not looking where he was going as he missed the brake lights right in front of him!)?

60mph....

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Trouble with camera technology is, with the number of false [or illegible] plates around. Ideal if every driver actually complied with that bit of the law, which makes them [or their car] identifiable.

 

I like the russian idea of raised surface barriers [like some southern car parks..up here we simply have potholes].......but I can see the downside, of a vehicle not being able to escape at all.

Perhaps if the 'barriered' portion of a level crossing were situated further back from the tracks, that might leave a 'margin for error?'

Or, start equipping trains with something like those redundant brake tenders.....to take the brunt of such [potential] collisions?

[In the USofA, this was a reason put forward for accounting for the N&W's tendency to have their engines 'long hood forwards'....]

 

I witnessed, many years ago now, a lady crossing Bridlington [Quay Rd.] level  crossing....and turning sharp left right inthe middle of it....to end up on the tracks outside the signal box.

{The ''Railway Station'' thattaway sign I suppose could have been misleading....even though it meant, the next turning left [before town hall]...

So there's no accounting for idiocy.....and some would say, is idiocy a reason to allow folk to become casualties?

I guess the cameras actually only make many of us more frustrated, the more we watch them?

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2 hours ago, ejstubbs said:

 

According to Streetview dated March this year there are NSL repeater signs as you approach along the A137 from the bridge over the River Stour to the north of the level crossing.  The 30 limit signs don't appear until you've passed over the crossing and taken either the Station Road or Cotman Avenue exit from the roundabout beyond the LC.  So, difficult as it may be to believe, it actually seems to be a 60 limit all along that stretch of the A137.

 

If you look at the Streetview images you can see that the crossing is on quite a hump, so visibility of the far side isn't good.  Remember that the Streetview car's cameras are on the roof of the vehicle, so actually have a better view over the hump than a car driver would.  All of which is actually a far better reason than a speed limit not to tazz over the crossing at stupid speeds.

 

There is a quite a lot of discussion about these incidents on another forum, including comments from locals who know the site well.

 

I use the crossing fairly regularly both as a motorist and cyclist, it bypasses an underbridge alongside which is single-track so cars have to wait for a gap leading to tailbacks at busy times, particularly as there can be extended closures of the crossing if main line and branch movements are close together.   

 

There is very poor visibility over the crossing as it's quite a steep hump, but under normal circumstances there would never be anything queuing at the exit of the crossing, cars heading north have right of way over cars emerging from under the bridge.    There have been roadworks beyond the crossing over the last few months, starting about half a mile north of the railway with the work site slowly moving towards the crossing over time so I would think the queue is held at temporary lights.

 

Not condoning the actions in any way, you should drive to the conditions and not assume the road is clear if it's not visible.  I suspect it confirms it's a local driver who is familiar with the crossing and had never before met stationary traffic.

 

Martin

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Having watched traffic at that crossing at Manningtree from the station platform on a few occasions that incident doesn't really surprise me as the road always seems to be very busy and if you arrive at the crossing at the wrong time you'll get two trains in succession with, I presume, no time for the barriers to rise between them passing.  While the delay is only going to be a few minutes at most those 'few minutes' can be like a red rag to a bull to some motorists so there is probably a temptation to take a chance, especially if you've been stuck there in the past.

 

This articular bloke was a prize idiot or seeker after a Darwin Award but I bet he wasn't the first to try it although others have probably been not quite so loony.   Quite how the level. crossing could be replaced by a brifdge is a difficult one in view of teh topography and site that can probably only be tackled by building a bypass to the west of Manningtree (which might not suit a lot of the traffic flows?).

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8 minutes ago, LNERGE said:

It isn't just level crossing's that can't be used safely..

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-50138592

 

(There is a level crossing at this location too)

What’s needed there is a height gauge, one made of massive I beams which are hinged enough to avoid damage to the gauge but not enough to avoid big damage to the vehicle, put one each end 30 yards away and watch the idiots pile up!

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What’s needed is a driving ban for a suitable length of time and a requirement to re-sit an extended driving test at the end of the ban period. 

 

Incidents like this are no different in implications to the Great Heck rail crash caused by Gary Hart. 

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1 minute ago, 4630 said:

What’s needed is a driving ban for a suitable length of time and a requirement to re-sit an extended driving test at the end of the ban period. 

 

Incidents like this are no different in implications to the Great Heck rail crash caused by Gary Hart. 

Unfortunately that won’t stop the idiot who just ignores signs and drives without attention.......

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Very rare to hear local residents asking for a bridge to  be closed & all traffic to use level crossing.... :scratch_one-s_head_mini:

As boxbrownie says, a robust beam well before would stop damage to the bridge. Then wait for complaints about collateral damage to traffic in the other direction!

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3 hours ago, LNERGE said:

It isn't just level crossing's that can't be used safely..

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-50138592

 

(There is a level crossing at this location too)

That van must have been going at quite some speed to do that. The front part of the roof has either been ripped off or crushed. (Note damage to top of windscreen.)

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7 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

What’s needed there is a height gauge, one made of massive I beams which are hinged enough to avoid damage to the gauge but not enough to avoid big damage to the vehicle, put one each end 30 yards away and watch the idiots pile up!

What happens when some clart hits the beam hard enough that it is dislodged into (or onto) a car coming in the opposite direction?

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10 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

What’s needed there is a height gauge, one made of massive I beams which are hinged enough to avoid damage to the gauge but not enough to avoid big damage to the vehicle, put one each end 30 yards away and watch the idiots pile up!

 

You mean like this?

 

https://youtu.be/9k319Qfm01A

 

This is the shortest of several compilations of incidents at this bridge.

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Different country, but on the occasions I've rented trucks here, both the rental contract, and big, prominent signs in the cab have made it very clear indeed that any damage caused by ignoring maximum height warnings is the renter's responsibility. 

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