traffic and leval crossings are as soapy said 'natural selection' if u really cant cross without using your eyes then sadly im sorry but its nighty night.
When I worked on the Medway Valley Line at Wateringbury & East Farleigh signalboxes, it happened all the time.
At Wateringbury we controlled 5 level crossings and a lot of little manual crossings. We would always get reports of near misses from train drivers. At CCTV crossings, we would watch as the barriers were going down. You would see the cars pull onto the crossing even though they couldn't get off, just so we wouldn't lower the gates until they were over and not get delayed going to/from work!
Not long after I left, a man who used a small crossing everyday was killed when he drove into the path of a train. Every day he'd ring up and ask for permission to cross, then let us know when he was clear. If it wasn't clear, he could wait up to about 5 minutes. Anyway, one day, it seems he was running late for work, and didn't ask to cross, and must have assumed it would be clear, but it wasn't, he drove straight into the path of a train doing about 40mph. The car burst into flames, and he was killer outright.
Another time, a car salesman decided to jump the crossing at Yalding, and drove into the side of a loco pulling a freight train. He trashed his car, but wasn't worried, as it was one of the showroom cars. Mind you, he was very angry when several weeks later he received a bill for damage to the freight loco!!
Ive always momentarily put my foot down when Ive crossed railway lines.....was bloody murder up in far Nth Queensland with all the little freight lines criss crossing the sugar cane fields.....didnt know which way to look half the time
[cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]Anyone else get momentariliy terrified when driving over a level crossing ??
I don't get scared ........ but I do look both ways ........ as if that would be of any help if there was a train coming.
In a similar vein, why do people break into that stupid low-speed, stiff-legged run when crossing a road when there is a car coming? I mean, here is a life-threatening situation, and yet people choose to adopt a style of 'running' whose main purpose seems to be to try to look cool.
"Anyone else get momentariliy terrified when driving over a level crossing ??"
I nearly had a heart attack when I was crossing one in France last year. We had the hood down in fairly slow moving traffic and as I got onto the crossing a bloody loud bike overtook me on the inside (drivers side) and sh*t the life out of me.
I hadn't seen it coming and literally jumped in the air and nearly crashed into the car in front.
My old man though it was hilarious but I thought it was a train and I'd met my maker!
Just saw it FFS those few seconds/mins after the train went over the pram and then they found out baby was ok must have been horrific--- mind you the poor train driver ---- must have been awhile before he knew that the baby was alive.
Comments
The two drivers as well.
still makes me chuckle..
At Wateringbury we controlled 5 level crossings and a lot of little manual crossings. We would always get reports of near misses from train drivers. At CCTV crossings, we would watch as the barriers were going down. You would see the cars pull onto the crossing even though they couldn't get off, just so we wouldn't lower the gates until they were over and not get delayed going to/from work!
Not long after I left, a man who used a small crossing everyday was killed when he drove into the path of a train. Every day he'd ring up and ask for permission to cross, then let us know when he was clear. If it wasn't clear, he could wait up to about 5 minutes. Anyway, one day, it seems he was running late for work, and didn't ask to cross, and must have assumed it would be clear, but it wasn't, he drove straight into the path of a train doing about 40mph. The car burst into flames, and he was killer outright.
Another time, a car salesman decided to jump the crossing at Yalding, and drove into the side of a loco pulling a freight train. He trashed his car, but wasn't worried, as it was one of the showroom cars. Mind you, he was very angry when several weeks later he received a bill for damage to the freight loco!!
No, but I don't like the noise of going over cattle grids.
For those who like to read about stupid people doing very stupid things and then dieing
http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/
I don't get scared ........ but I do look both ways ........ as if that would be of any help if there was a train coming.
In a similar vein, why do people break into that stupid low-speed, stiff-legged run when crossing a road when there is a car coming? I mean, here is a life-threatening situation, and yet people choose to adopt a style of 'running' whose main purpose seems to be to try to look cool.
I nearly had a heart attack when I was crossing one in France last year. We had the hood down in fairly slow moving traffic and as I got onto the crossing a bloody loud bike overtook me on the inside (drivers side) and sh*t the life out of me.
I hadn't seen it coming and literally jumped in the air and nearly crashed into the car in front.
My old man though it was hilarious but I thought it was a train and I'd met my maker!
Absolutely amazing really that the child was okay.
Tragic.
why investigate how it happened. It happened because the dozy cow let go of the pram. Jeez, why do you need an enquiry for that.
Level crossings used to be always properly gated across the road/tracks but to save money were replaced by unmanned barriers.
Economy maybe, but what price life?
Surely in the 21st century they can gradually re-instate proper sized gates and remotely operate them ....?
Full sized gates across the roadway electronically remotely operated, would go a long way towards resolving the problem.
Completely agree Large. What a waste of time & resources an investigation will be.