New TollNZ Campaign - Level Crossing Safety

**janno** · 17th July 2007, 16:47

Originally Posted by terbang

Though I had an aunt who stalled and flooded her Humber Super Snipe on a level crossing back in the late 60's. She got pushed 1/4 of a mile down the track when a train came along! They repaired the car.

That's only because it was called a Humber Super Snipe. If it was called a Humber Rather Average Snipe the consequences would have been a lot more dire . . .

**SPman** · 17th July 2007, 16:59

At the risk of offending some people (again), it is not always stupidity, speed, incompetence, etc etc. (although that would make up a lot of incidents) - lack of effective concentration on the road and your surroundings would probably be the main one.

There is the factor of recognition of perceived danger affecting the brain while you are concentrating on other things - a phenomenom seen often at intersections - the "I didn't see you" syndrome!
They often don't see you, not because they didn't look, but because the brain did not recognise incipient danger - movement out of the ordinary relative to the background. Not expecting to see anything dangerous, the mind will often just relegate it to a "not important" sector of the brain, not pulling it out until to late!

How can you not see a train, 4m tall x 3m wide x however long? Same thing - get used to an unregulated crossing, for example - cross it lots of times with no sign of a train and the brain goes into sleep mode - it's a low risk area and complacency can set in. Then, one day, yoiu may be thinking of something else,(as you do), your brain just doesnt bother to tell you it's there, you barely slow or check and BOOM! - just happens to be a train there.

Unless you cultivate a habit of slowing / stopping and checking regardless, being aware of your surroundings, so that you form a habit of overriding the "slackness".
It's almost happened to me twice - once in Bell Block at night, where it was only my son who said "theres a level crossing ahead", which had slipped my mind, I slowed and a freight train slammed across, just about where I would have been if I hadn't stopped - my brain had just not seen the flashing crossing lights!!!! Scared the crap out of me! And over here on a road with just a stop sign at the crossing - no visibility until you're right on the crossing due to bush - months without seeing a train, getting a bit slacker , but, in the light of the earlier scare, having made a habit of, at least, slowing right down as I approached the crossing and - sure enough - freight train at 100kph flashed across just in front of me where, if I had subconciously thought, no real danger and carried on at normal speed ........!

Many years ago, a friend was hitching to Welly. The car driver and he were having a conversation, down Levin / Otaki or thereabouts on SH1 and he noticed a train on the line alongside. This was before they had overpasses . They gradually passed the train, but, to his horror, as they approached the level crossing ahead, it was obvious, the driver was neither aware of the train, nor slowing for the crossing. Said driver only noticed the train was just behind him, when me mate yelled out, but by then it was to late to stop, so they sailed over the crossing, luckily, just front of the train. Lack of concentration on surroundings by the driver. He didn't even notice the trains horn!

At an unregulated crossing, in particular, it is concentration on driving and the awareness of your surroundings,that is important (as everywhere really) - and how often do you see that on the roads. You can have all the rules, laws and regulations you want, but, unless you completely seperate the two carriageways, you are still going to get collisions.

**sunhuntin** · 17th July 2007, 17:12

i feel sorry for the kid, but have almost no sympathy for them or anyone stupid enough to get hit by a train. [except in the case of car failure, but even then you generally have time to get your ass out of the way.]

i spent my teen years across the road from a train station. wasnt often used during the day [mainly shunting] but still had enough there to make it interesting. i used to walk our 3 dogs there every day. only ever had one near miss, but it was miles away. ended up with me and the dogs sitting in the ditch, while the train did its thing 2 tracks over.

there are 2 level crossings on that street, both are signed, have bells and arms. i saw several cars go through the arms.... idiots. trouble is... the school kids can somehow mess with the box that controls the bells and set them off even when there is no train anywhere.

i dont know the crossing, but there is one somewhere up north... between taupo and bulls. very very sharp s bend, with tracks running through. sign posted low speed limit, plus warnings of tracks. even if you are looking at a hundred different things, youd have to be blind not to notice.

that poor girl is gonna have to live with the simple fuck up that destroyed her parents!

**kro** · 17th July 2007, 17:32

The licensing system concentrates heavily on what a persons eyesight is like, and there are declarations, and eye tests to pass. If you cannot see a train, there is a problem.

If you yap to people in the vehicle, or on your cell phone, and you tune out the rest of your environment whilst driving, you are basically begging the Reaper to have lunch with you, and sometimes, that's what happens.

The road is for regular driving, not for fancy driving.

**MSTRS:Me** · 17th July 2007, 18:22

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

i dont know the crossing, but there is one somewhere up north... between taupo and bulls. very very sharp s bend, with tracks running through. sign posted low speed limit, plus warnings of tracks. even if you are looking at a hundred different things, youd have to be blind not to notice.

That is probably the one that set off this thread. At Ohingaiti.
There is also one a couple or 3 k's south of Waiouru.

**merv** · 17th July 2007, 18:51

Originally Posted by MSTRS

There is also one a couple or 3 k's south of Waiouru.

Waiouru one was turned into an overpass a few years back - that's the one the trucks used to try and race the trains at and there were some notable middle of the night altercations. Truckies used to drive straight through the barrier arms just to beat the trains - freight competitiors you know.

**sunhuntin** · 17th July 2007, 19:17

Originally Posted by MSTRS

That is probably the one that set off this thread. At Ohingaiti.
There is also one a couple or 3 k's south of Waiouru.

that could be it. theres a building there... wood. looks like a workshop/storage building.
i know the corner is sharper than what it first appears, and i always [the 3 times ive been there!] seem to be the only one following the recommended corner speed. i dont recall there being a hill, though. good visibility both directions.... ill have to check it out i guess.

**jafar** · 17th July 2007, 20:17

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

that could be it. theres a building there... wood. looks like a workshop/storage building.
i know the corner is sharper than what it first appears, and i always [the 3 times ive been there!] seem to be the only one following the recommended corner speed. i dont recall there being a hill, though. good visibility both directions.... ill have to check it out i guess.

There is a straight on both sides of the crossing (ok the northern side has a bend before the straight). There is a pub on the corner next to the wooden shed on the roadside. Of all the crossings around this would be one of the better ones. Been over it heaps of times & never a problem, Mckays crossing was similar as you could see the trains clearly but that didn't stop idiots getting killed there either.

**sunhuntin** · 17th July 2007, 20:27

that sounds like it. i actually like that bit of road... if the tracks werent there, itd be sweet to push the limit a tad.

ive learned: nothing will stop idiots from getting killed, except maybe devine intervention [which usually means an innocent gets killed instead!]

**ynot slow** · 17th July 2007, 21:54

Wife and I both thought we might wait for steam train to arrive and take photos.The road is ok,never saw any marks on train to indicate accident,mind you weren't looking for any signs though.Another black spot is the Normanby overbridge,lots of accidents and seems everyone blames the bridge.

Hell there is a speed sign of 65km to warn people,the bridge doesn't speed up mid bend just idiot drivers.Local residents want changes and fair enough,but if you take it at 70km not 100km you have no problems.The bridge is static-cars,bike and trucks are moving.

Vigilence is something you can't buy.