DON’T PLAY WITH TRAINS

Safety at railway level crossings is very important for road users, train passengers and crews. Every year in Australia an average of 37 road users, vehicle occupants and pedestrians, die as a result of collisions with trains at railway level crossings. The National Railway Level Crossing Behavioural Strategy seeks to develop ways to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities at railway level crossings through consistent education and enforcement programs aimed at modifying vehicle driver and pedestrian behaviour.

With strong support and cooperation from the rail industry and government authorities, the events conducted since 2006 have been a tremendous success in raising media and public awareness of railway level crossing safety.

Risk taking at level crossings, whether you are a motorist, cyclist or a pedestrian, is hazardous. Actions like queuing at level crossings, not expecting or looking for a second train, not paying attention to the railway level crossing signs or signals, running warning lights and evading boom gates can result in serious injury or death.

South Australia is the first State in Australia to roll out a ‘More Than One Train’ warning system. In all, the warning signals will be installed at 17 sites across the network. The (More Than One Train) warning signs that read “caution more than one train” will illuminate and sound an audible alarm to alert pedestrians when multiple trains are approaching at the same time.

To support understanding of the new warning system a DVD has been produced for distribution to local schools and community groups. The DVD explains the new signals and reinforces the messages about safe pedestrian behaviour when crossing rail lines. View the DVD below:

Using incident statistics to identify pedestrian and motorist ‘hot spots’ SA Police are supporting Rail Safety Week with a traffic enforcement campaign targeting the behaviour of all road users (heavy vehicles, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians) at level crossings.

The highly effective and award winning “Don’t Play with Trains” television advertising campaign was shown in South Australia for four years.

Click here for advertisement one and here for advertisement two – (2.2MB WMV files).

In 2009 a new national railway level crossing safety campaign was released in South Australia ‘Some Things are Worth Waiting For’

All Adelaide Metro trains and trams are operated by TransAdelaide.