Level crossing stupidity...

[kenw]

Quite a common arrangement; Wylam is one that springs to mind.

My local station - Tutbury and Hatton - is another example still in use today.  At least the LC gates are still worked manually by a signalman in his box overlooking it.

 

And at Wylam the LC with manually operated barriers is 'overlooked' by a signalman form a great height from a typically traditional NER overhead gantry 'box

Edited May 14, 2015 by kenw

[kenw]

One cure for the red light jumpers, an incident I heard of at a level crossing I know, some years ago.

The crossing's approached, on one side, on a long straight stretch of road.

Each day as the signaler's closing the crossing for a particular train, there's a motor scooter approaching, which always runs the lights, forcing him to pause the barriers.

One day, getting tired of this, the signaler continues to lower the barriers, the motor scooter still runs the lights and gets trapped on the crossing. It's a wide crossing though, with the two main lines and a departure line from the local quarry. The signaler clears the road for the approaching HST...

Each day as the signaler's closing the crossing for a particular train, there's a motor scooter approaching, which always stops at the lights!!!

[big jim]

http://m.yorkpress.co.uk/news/12952087.Train_crash_on_York_to_Harrogate_line/

 

I think the 150 won in this battle!!

[31A]

http://m.yorkpress.co.uk/news/12952087.Train_crash_on_York_to_Harrogate_line/

 

I think the 150 won in this battle!!

 

I hope the tractor driver, and other crossing users, learn a lesson from this.  There have been far too many reports of 'misuse' of that crossing over the years; as far as I know this is the first that has resulted in an actual accident.

[Reorte]

Lucky to be alive looking at those pictures.

[kenw]

http://m.yorkpress.co.uk/news/12952087.Train_crash_on_York_to_Harrogate_line/

 

I think the 150 won in this battle!!

 

Fortunate it was one, Pacers are often used on this line

[Edwin_m]

Fortunate it was one, Pacers are often used on this line

Would have made very little difference.  Although there are concerns in some quarters about their body strength, the Pacer sits on a solid underframe and it looks like the impact was at that low level. 

[SHMD]

Another one:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32771048

 

Why people enter a crossing without a clear exit - I don't know.

Why people are reluctant to 'push' obstacles out of the way but would rather hope (against hope) that the train will stop or some such - I don't know.

 

Human psychology must be factored in when designing level crossings and educating the populous.

 

 

Kev.

['CHARD]

Lucky to be alive looking at those pictures.

 

I'd like to believe his insurers are facing a bill for the damage to 150225 and the Schedule 8 penalties incurred.

[big jim]

Another one:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32771048

I wonder how many bus passengers, after calling 911 called the number on the side of the bus!!

 

Edited May 17, 2015 by big jim

[PinzaC55]

One way to separate a caravan from a car.  http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/12967959.Car_and_caravan_trapped_on_railway_line___UPDATED/

[Guest]

One way to separate a caravan from a car.  http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/12967959.Car_and_caravan_trapped_on_railway_line___UPDATED/

 

"Don't enter the crossing unless your exit is clear"... not exactly rocket science, is it?

[Gary H]

"Don't enter the crossing unless your exit is clear"... not exactly rocket science, is it?

I agree, Pete, it certainly isn't.

But don't ever assume that every so called "driver" on the roads has the same level of intelligence as us lot here,

especially in this day and age.

I'm bloody sure that the standard of driving in this country is rapidly going down pan year on year!

[kevinlms]

Another one:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32771048

 

Why people enter a crossing without a clear exit - I don't know.

Why people are reluctant to 'push' obstacles out of the way but would rather hope (against hope) that the train will stop or some such - I don't know.

 

Human psychology must be factored in when designing level crossings and educating the populous.

 

 

Kev.

Psychology? Nothing to do with it. The crossing needs to be completely clear before entering it. Very simple.

[SHMD]

Psychology? Nothing to do with it. The crossing needs to be completely clear before entering it. Very simple.

 

I agree but this aspect of miss-use of level crossings is continues to happen despite all logic!

(There are other aspects of human stupidity too. Racing to beet the lights, Weaving around the barriers....)

 

We know that with the current design(s)/layouts, of crossings, that these incidents WILL continue to happen.

 

 

Kev.

[melmerby]

I'm bloody sure that the standard of driving in this country is rapidly going down pan year on year!

The standard of driving instruction these days seems to be abysmal, (presumably because the test must be easier to pass than it used to be.)

 

The roads around where I live are frequently used by driving "Schools" (I put that in inverted commas because they don't actually seem to teach much driving ability)

 

Some of the corners, on junctions, are nearly blind due to high fences/shrubs etc. but it is not unusual to approach one and suddenly be confronted with a learner reversing, seemingly blindly, around them!

They also practice manoeuvres with parked cars adjacent, therefore completely blocking the road to other traffic.

Both as far as I know could be classed as "Driving without consideration for other road users" or in the case of the bend "Dangerous driving" as It could cause an accident.

 

It is not just one driving school which is doing this there are several.

Don't say report it to the police, they aren't interested in such things.

 

Keith

Edited May 26, 2015 by melmerby

[kevinlms]

I agree but this aspect of miss-use of level crossings is continues to happen despite all logic!

(There are other aspects of human stupidity too. Racing to beet the lights, Weaving around the barriers....)

 

We know that with the current design(s)/layouts, of crossings, that these incidents WILL continue to happen.

 

 

Kev.

Until the crossing is eliminated, people will try to get through before the train. The DESIGN cannot prevent it, as a road vehicle isn't easily stopped, due to its mass & inertia (OK neither mass or inertia or significant compared to a train). A horse and cart probably was able to be stopped by a hinged gate, but that hardly applies to modern road vehicles, that perhaps could be legally driven towards the modern crossing at 80+kmh. What sort of barrier would be required to stop that?

 

Setting up quality camera surveillance, would seem the obvious solution (properly backed up by court action, including loss of licence & jail time for repeat offenders). But then the problem is that its expensive & why should the whole community pay for it, when its really only a small percentage of idiots, that even think of jumping a level crossing?

[Reorte]

Setting up quality camera surveillance, would seem the obvious solution (properly backed up by court action, including loss of licence & jail time for repeat offenders). But then the problem is that its expensive & why should the whole community pay for it, when its really only a small percentage of idiots, that even think of jumping a level crossing?

Ditto for the inconvenience of having it closed, or the expense of replacing it with a bridge. Unfortunately it's often the small percentage that costs everyone, since you can't remove them, educate them, or put the costs on them (since they probably won't have anywhere near enough). Edited May 26, 2015 by Reorte

[The Stationmaster]

Until the crossing is eliminated, people will try to get through before the train. The DESIGN cannot prevent it, as a road vehicle isn't easily stopped, due to its mass & inertia (OK neither mass or inertia or significant compared to a train). A horse and cart probably was able to be stopped by a hinged gate, but that hardly applies to modern road vehicles, that perhaps could be legally driven towards the modern crossing at 80+kmh. What sort of barrier would be required to stop that?

 

Setting up quality camera surveillance, would seem the obvious solution (properly backed up by court action, including loss of licence & jail time for repeat offenders). But then the problem is that its expensive & why should the whole community pay for it, when its really only a small percentage of idiots, that even think of jumping a level crossing?

Trouble is that the community don't pay for it (well not directly anyway) as it is paid for by NR and thus added to their operating costs.  And the mobile units are operated by BT police so they are added to the total railway industry cost although the local police might well be on hand in order to apprehend serious offenders immediately after they have transgressed.

 

No doubt the biggest cost is in taking offenders to court but what alternative is there to that, especially when some will argue that black is white and come out with a list of excuses a yard long to justify their law breaking?

[Welly]

It's not just level crossing barriers that some drivers dodge/ignore - this driver in a pickup ignored the barrier before a lifting bridge! I have no idea at all whether or not the driver got out in time... 

 

http://i.imgur.com/0cRFvoi.jpg

[Colin_McLeod]

Psychology? Nothing to do with it. The crossing needs to be completely clear before entering it. Very simple.

In addition to the crossing being clear, there must be enough space on the far side of it for your vehicle and any caravan/trailer that you are towing.

[Reorte]

In addition to the crossing being clear, there must be enough space on the far side of it for your vehicle and any caravan/trailer that you are towing.

I've seen people end up in box junctions often enough when following traffic through without leaving a gap and the traffic in front of them stops unexpectedly. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens on level crossings. People should know better, but...

[bigherb]

I've seen people end up in box junctions often enough when following traffic through without leaving a gap and the traffic in front of them stops unexpectedly. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens on level crossings. People should know better, but...

Level crossings often have roads running parallel to the tracks as well. It only need a vehicle to nip out from one in front of you when there would have been enough space for you and your stuck there. 

[JDW]

As a very experienced and skilled professional driver, I get very annoyed at videos like these on YouTube, especially the "stuck on level crossing" type clips - though I've managed at least to refrain from commenting so far.  Even from the low driving position of my average saloon car, I can see that traffic (not just the one car) in front is slowing and stopping, and I can see they're starting to back up to the crossing/box junction/etc, and I stop before it.  Yet so many people seem to be entirely unaware of whats going on, and keep ploughing on regardless until they can go no further, and are blocking the junction/crossing... Why is it so hard?! 

I think there is a strong argument for the driving test to be harder more thorough, and all drivers should have to undertake advanced driving courses. 

...and don't even get me started on the ones who think its OK to overtake a stationary bus around the wrong side of a traffic island...

[martin_wynne]

As a very experienced and skilled professional driver

 

I'm not one of those. I'm just an ordinary fallible human being. I try my best, but sometimes I make mistakes, have things on my mind, get distracted. Sometimes I do something and wonder afterwards how I could be so stupid. Generally I assume other drivers are in the same boat, and make allowances, try to be helpful.

 

Should people like me be allowed to drive? Or only experienced and skilled professional drivers?

 

Martin.