Drivers and pedestrians are dicing with death at Kent’s level crossings.

A Network Rail safety campaign this week revealed there were 178 reported incidents at railway crossings in the county in the first nine months of 2008 – 71 of them directly involving vehicles and 107 involving pedestrians.

A further 11 near misses were recorded involving vehicles, with a further 13 near misses involving people.

Network Rail spokesman, Nathan Quigley said: “In the Kent region, we have identified Aylesford, near Maidstone, as a level crossing that appears problematic.

“Over the past few years there have been a number of barrier strikes at this location involving vehicles.

“The Don’t Run the Risk campaign is designed to educate people about the importance of using level crossings correctly, so as to avoid the dire consequences. Such consequences can often be fatal.

“Presently, we are still seeing pedestrians and motorists taking risks. As you can appreciate, the latter, can have the biggest effect and is our greatest concern.”

According to Network Rail:

• 95% of accidents at level crossings are caused by misuse or error, ie: drivers ignoring red signals, barriers and klaxons

• Road vehicles misusing level crossings are the single biggest risk to the railway of a major train crash

• Between a car and a train there will only ever be one winner

• Misuse is predominantly deliberate violations

While there have been no fatalities at level crossings in Kent so far this year, Network Rail believes it is only a matter of time if people continue to take risks.

The national statistics make grim reading. Since the beginning of the year, 12 people have been killed at level crossings, with a total of 30 since 2006.

Shockingly, Britain is on course for a four-year high total unless motorists stop running the risk.

Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher said: “Level crossings are safe, but tragically it is unsafe driver behaviour that causes accidents and deaths. Every week three motorists risk their lives and those of others by abusing level crossings. We have a simple message to all: don’t run the risk.”

Between January and September this year there were 2,636 incidents of misuse at Britain’s level crossings. But these were the only ones recorded, the true figure is much higher.

There were nearly 900 incidents involving a vehicle, 128 were categorised as a ‘near miss’, where a collision with a train and serious injury or even death was narrowly avoided.

Pedestrians too are running the risk at level crossings, with over 200 near misses this year.

For more information and to see the Don’t Run the Risk campaign advertisements, visit www.networkrail.co.uk

• See also:

~How roadworkers are in the path of danger

Click here>>>

~20,000 people injured in road crashes Click here>>>