Successful prosecution of a level crossing light jumper

[Not Captain Kernow]

_{At Farncombe signal box we used to keep a "trophy cabinet" of all the car parts that had been ripped of cars as they dodged the barriers.  It included hub caps, arials and even a sun roof!}

[MJI]

We (trainspotters) did not see that many try to get through, we parked near by, bikes next to gates (and owners), a car just down the road.

 

The best was the barriers nearly hitting a car roof. We used to take the pee out of the mods who frequently went through on their scooters. None of the spotters were mods, but a couple were metal fans and bikers.

 

But there once was a 47 parked at the depot which had hit a tractor a few miles away.

[big jim]

there is a thing in our local paper about an elderly woman who was hit on london road crossing in nantwich (half barrier crossing) a couple of weeks back, she was walking across it and recieved a "glancing blow" from a passing train, very lucky indeed not to have been killed!

 

edit: linky linky

 

http://nantwich-news.co.uk/wordpress/2013/01/22/woman-hit-by-train-on-london-road-level-crossing-in-nantwich/

[PhilJ W]

_{At Farncombe signal box we used to keep a "trophy cabinet" of all the car parts that had been ripped of cars as they dodged the barriers.  It included hub caps, arials and even a sun roof!}

Did anyone come back to claim the missing bits?

[Not Captain Kernow]

Never in my time!

[TheSignalEngineer]

there is a thing in our local paper about an elderly woman who was hit on london road crossing in nantwich (half barrier crossing) a couple of weeks back, she was walking across it and recieved a "glancing blow" from a passing train, very lucky indeed not to have been killed!

 

 

 Not much changes except the crossing is now hemmed in by houses. Is it still officially known as "Newcastle Road" crossing?

 

Several incidents come to mind during the three months I spent on that line, althougth they were one a week at least. A woman in a traffic queue stopped on the crossing then backed up smashing a barrier when the gongs started to sound, a would-be weaver in a sports car pulled out of a line of standing traffic and stopped just short of a 47 on a Plymouth - Manchester, a bus collected a lot of splinters and an artic ended up with a barrier between the cab and the trailer. The lorry driver was in a bit of a state after that one. The Inspectorate wouldn't let us withdraw attendance as they were so frequent. 

[pete_mcfarlane]

Does this reflect poor understanding of the laws of physics?  Angular momentum for barriers; kinetic energy of 1000 ton train when it hits lorry at 60mph?

.

I'm not sure about their understanding laws of physics, but it does illustrate some of Mr Darwin's theories quite nicely.

[Belsay Lad]

_{At Farncombe signal box we used to keep a "trophy cabinet" of all the car parts that had been ripped of cars as they dodged the barriers.  It included hub caps, arials and even a sun roof!}

 

I like 'Not Captain Kernow' - no multi line signature taking up page space unlike his anti name-sake!

 

But seriously what is the problem with humans on 2 feet, 2 wheels, 4 wheels (or more!) obeying basic road signals? Red light equals STOP...  and I am not going to point out the majority of 'road users' as opposed to motorsists from the above who don't think that the Highway code applies to them...

 

And by the way amber means 'stop unless it is dangerous to do otherwise, not 'accelerate to get through before it turns red'!

[phil-b259]

Its worth noting that the application of cameras to some crossings makes very little difference. I recall talking to a MOM about the shared Sussex / Kent / Wessex mobile camera van (lots of camera symbols on it and parked in a pretty prominent place to ensure the road lights are in the photo) and he said the amount of motorists that jump the lights even with the camera van present was amazing, well into double figures and that was for just a few hours of the day.

[The Stationmaster]

Its worth noting that the application of cameras to some crossings makes very little difference. I recall talking to a MOM about the shared Sussex / Kent / Wessex mobile camera van (lots of camera symbols on it and parked in a pretty prominent place to ensure the road lights are in the photo) and he said the amount of motorists that jump the lights even with the camera van present was amazing, well into double figures and that was for just a few hours of the day.

I'm not surprised - a few months back I was approaching Thatcham CCTV crossing from the Greenham Common side which is along a quite twisty road and the number of vehicles coming the other way and flashing their lights was beginning to get me worried.  But when I came to the level crossing all was revealed because there was the BTP/NR camera van as plain as plain could be, clearly visible before you even reached the crossing (it was on the far side) plus a local police car and a couple of coppers on foot.

 

The only reason I could see for the flashing of headlights was that more than a few locals clearly not only ignore the lights on the crossing but are also too blind or daft to notice a camera van parked in full view.

[Edwin_m]

Might have just thought it was a speed trap? 

[The Stationmaster]

Might have just thought it was a speed trap? 

The level crossing monitoring vans are completely different in appearance, and stickers etc, from the speed trap vans - maybe the drivers were even less observant??  

[Edwin_m]

Googling for LC monitoring van pictures, the most prominent markings are the camera symbol, "Police" and blue/yellow day-glo rectangles.  The Network Rail logo is much less visible.  Unless someone was knowledgable about the type of vans used I think it would be quite easy to confuse them. 

[PGC]

Just found this thread. Well done Beast, I've never done a like or dislike before, but I will this one!

 

With so many CCTV cameras in the country and such a good infrastructure to support them, I don't understand why they can't be installed at level crossings to catch the offenders. We could always fund them by removing the cash cow speed cameras like the one at the bottom of the M11 that caught Chris Huhne and diverting the maintenance funds to cameras that save lives etc.

 

PGC

[The Stationmaster]

Googling for LC monitoring van pictures, the most prominent markings are the camera symbol, "Police" and blue/yellow day-glo rectangles.  The Network Rail logo is much less visible.  Unless someone was knowledgable about the type of vans used I think it would be quite easy to confuse them. 

Here's an LC monitoring van in action (sorry it's in the distance but I was waiting at the barriers on the opposite side of the crossing) - completely different, and larger, vehicle from those used for traffic speed checks

 

[RedgateModels]

Forgive me, but if you see a cop van don't you slow down irrespective of where you are? or is it okay to go over s level crossing with the lights flashing as long as it's at 30mph

[RedgateModels]

[The Stationmaster]

Well it appears that some would actually spend time determining who owns/operates the camera vehicle rather than just paying attention to driving safely.

It is rather difficult to do any sort of driving while you're stationary at a level crossing with the vehicle in neutral and the brake on  (in fact at that one it would probably sometimes pay to turn off the engine to avoid wasting fuel as 10 minute waits are not unknown )

[Edwin_m]

But the people doing the flashing of headlights might have passed the crossing without having to stop, and therefore wouldn't have been able to give the van more than a cursory glance. 

[MJI]

If it is level crossing only there should be big stickers saying this rather than let it look like a Talivan.

 

The average driver hates those type of vans but would whole heartedly agree with LC vans

[beast66606]

Gentlemen - we are wondering far away from my original posting !

 

My biggest head shaker is the "professional" who mocks me for doing this.

[royaloak]

Forgive me, but if you see a cop van don't you slow down irrespective of where you are? or is it okay to go over s level crossing with the lights flashing as long as it's at 30mph

I dont, but then I keep an eye on my speedo so dont speed, well not enough to get bothered anyway!

 

Edit-

 

I do wonder why these vans cannot be plain white (or any other colour) instead of having to have all the day-glo signs all over them, I mean it isnt like anyone sees a (day-glo) van and speeds up is it?

Most of those that would have broken the law if they hadnt seen the (day-glo) van will have slowed down, which to me defeats the point of these vans, everyone who would have jumped the lights (if they hadnt seen the day-glo van)  should be allowed to instead of being warned by the sight of the van, that way we would know exactly how many people jump the lights instead of just the idiots that get caught.

[DLT]

Well done.  Although the culprit may not thank you for the penalty points and fine, I hope they will have leared a lesson that might save their, or their passengers', lives.

The motorist can't blame Mr. Beast for getting penalty points, its his own fault!

When are drivers going to take responsibility for their own actions?

Well done Beast,

Dave.

[Gary H]

Beast, can I ask how you done it?

Was it simply just a case of taking a fot as the car drove through the reds?

Im surprised in a way as some folk say that digital images are not  submissible by the public as they can be altered and so are not considerd reliable,  that theory is obviuosly BS!!

Well done anyway, good work!

[The Stationmaster]

I dont, but then I keep an eye on my speedo so dont speed, well not enough to get bothered anyway!

 

Edit-

 

I do wonder why these vans cannot be plain white (or any other colour) instead of having to have all the day-glo signs all over them, I mean it isnt like anyone sees a (day-glo) van and speeds up is it?

Most of those that would have broken the law if they hadnt seen the (day-glo) van will have slowed down, which to me defeats the point of these vans, everyone who would have jumped the lights (if they hadnt seen the day-glo van)  should be allowed to instead of being warned by the sight of the van, that way we would know exactly how many people jump the lights instead of just the idiots that get caught.

The idea of the vans is twofold - one is to catch offenders but the other is to discourage them from crossing abuse.  Note in my pic the very clear signing on the van that it is a camera van - you'd have to be blind to miss that great big marking on it and note also that it is parked in a conspicuous spot.  The worrying bit about it is that these vans apparently do catch offenders. Mind you if someone is daft or blind enough to miss umpteen red flashing lights what chance does a marked van stand?

 

But it's a bit like that with our friendly neighbourhood AOCL as was - it has had monitoring cameras on it for several years and they are clearly visible to road users especially pedestrians.  Yet it still had one of the highest abuse/misuse rates in the country.