Safety


This spring ORR reveals its suggestions for making level crossings safer. John Judge believes prosecuting misuse alone as a means of controlling risks is not the best way forward


A


t the tail end of 2012 Network Rail and the British Transport Police introduced to a small number of level crossings, vans


equipped with cutting-edge camera technology to record and clamp down on level crossing misuse. They are ultimately there to change drivers’ behaviour, with each van housing nine cameras capable of instantly recognising a car’s number plate and issuing a prosecution. As part of its £130 million nationwide improvement programme, Network Rail


also hopes to improve level crossing safety through a number of other measures, such as replacing footpath crossings with footbridges that have warning lights; deploying 100 level crossing managers at designated level crossings and raising safety awareness in schools and communities. There is something in the region of 9000 level crossings in the UK. Around 7000 of these are managed by Network Rail, with the rest located on heritage railways, metro systems and industrial


railways. While I believe teaching level crossing safety is admirable and that the new footbridges and managers will marginally help improve safety, I am not convinced that prosecuting motorists is the right way to improve safety and eliminate risk at level crossings. Yes, the British Transport Police vans at those few locations will deter motorists from doing anything silly at that particular point, but what about when the vans are not there, and what about all the other level crossings? What ongoing cost would we


June 2013 Page 85


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