THE NSW level crossing awareness and enforcement campaign – four years of working together
Keywords: Road Safety Programs
ACRS
Submission Date: 2015 Conference: ARSC
Abstract
In 2012, conference was told of a new multi-agency campaign in NSW targeting level crossing safety. Up to that point, an average of one person each year had been killed in a collision between a road vehicle and a train in a state with 1,400 public road level crossings. _x000D_
The Level Crossing Awareness and Enforcement Campaign combined the resources of the New South Wales Police Force and Transport for New South Wales to raise driver awareness of level crossing safety through a localised education and media strategy supported by the tasking and deployment of additional police resources to enforce road rules._x000D_
Now its fourth year and the campaign has delivered over 20 localised campaigns targeting some 45 level crossings throughout NSW and three years have passed since the last fatal crash at a level crossing._x000D_
The partnership has lead to fresh collaborations such as educational displays at major regional events featuring Pearly Gates-messaging and a crashed car kindly donated by a driver involved in a level crossing crash. _x000D_
Along the way, we have discovered level crossing safety is more than obeying the flashing lights or the signs. _x000D_
This paper will outline the lessons learned about other adverse behaviours including driver distraction, speeding, the over-representation of heavy vehicles and local drivers in level crossing crashes. _x000D_
The strategic use of social media will also be discussed as well as maintaining the on-going participation of law enforcement in enforcing level crossing safety long after the campaign has finished_x000D_