Motorists dice with death at crossings

A STARTLING number of people on the Darling Downs and Ipswich are dicing with death around rail crossings, taking unnecessary risks and driving, or even running, in front of trains.

Rail freight company Aurizon revealed that in a 24-hour period, there were three near misses with trains – one at the Cunningham Street level crossing in Dalby, one at the Alexander St crossing in Toowoomba, and one in Goodna.

Aurizon regional manager Andrew Hack said Aurizon train drivers experienced “recklessness” every day on the job, which exposed them to potential injury or even trauma.

“While most people in the community do the right thing, it’s very concerning there are still people who continue to put their lives and the lives of our train drivers at risk,” he said.

“They are obviously not thinking of the drivers or their own family and friends who might lose them if something tragic happens by getting hit by a train.”

The messaging is simple: Always approach rail crossings cautiously and stop, look, listen and think.

“There are warning signs and flashing lights in place at level crossings for a reason and they shouldn’t be ignored,” Mr Hack said.

“Everyone needs to be patient and wait for the train to pass.

“It only takes two minutes for a train to pass through the level crossing and that’s a small price to pay.”