Rail crossing madness: how NI public dices with death
THESE are the shocking moments when drivers and pedestrians diced with death at train level crossings.
Translink NI Railways released the footage yesterday as they warned that unsafe behaviour at level crossings is putting members of the public at risk of serious injury.
The video aims to remind people to pay attention to warning lights and notices and never try to “beat the barrier”.
The shocking footage shows people engaged in a series of near misses at train barriers, with many becoming trapped after the red light shows and the barrier lowers.
In one incident a woman flees a car after becoming trapped behind the barrier. She walks around the side of the vehicle before pulling out the driver and abandoning the car.
Another shows a man running through the crossing with a pram after the red light has shown.
One of the clips shows a car driving straight through the barrier, smashing it into multiple pieces, while another driver destroys two barriers while traveldriver ling at speed. In another, a man lowers his bike over the side of the barrier and hops over it before walking over the crossing while the warning light flashes red. One man pushes the emergency button causing the barrier to lift even though a train is just seconds away.
An oil tanker is among the vehicles to ignore the red warning light and keep on driving, the driver then exits his vehicle and lowers the barrier through the emergency switch causing an oncoming train to slow down and eventually stop.
The most dangerous clip shows a driver just seconds from disaster. The motorist speeds through a narrow crossing missing a train travelling at speed by seconds. The train passes through the crossing before the has fully pulled off.
Another driver gets trapped behind the lowered barrier and is forced to perform a U-turn under pressure to get out of the way of the oncoming train.
They are forced to perform the manoeuvre in a small amount of space with another car waiting behind. The driver manages to get clear of the barrier just before the train passes through.
Translink’s director of infrastructure John Glass said that a number of people had been prosecuted for level crossings misuse with approximately £2,000 in fines, costs and offender levies being issued as well as cautions.
“We will actively pursue those who do not follow the safe procedures,” he said.
“People can put themselves and others at risk by not using crossings properly. We urge drivers and pedestrians to heed notices, understand warnings and stop until it is safe to proceed. Any temptation to ignore lights and try to rush the barriers puts lives at risk.
“People should never assume a train will be slowing as it passes through a crossing. Express trains can travel at speeds of 90 mph. If a driver has to apply the emergency brakes, it can take over 900m for the train to stop.”