With National Rail Safety Week wrapping up on the weekend (15 August), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) urged residents to ‘Stand Back, Look Up and Stay Rail Safe’ around local train and tram lines and crossings.
DIT said the Week was an annual initiative run by the TrackSAFE Foundation and supported by DIT and Adelaide Metro as part of their ongoing efforts to encourage safe behaviours around trains, trams and rail lines.
The Department said the focus for this year’s campaign of ‘Stand Back, Look Up and Stay Rail Safe’ only took one moment of distraction, or unsafe action, to change a person’s life forever.
It said that between 2016 and 2020, there were 24 collisions and 543 near misses reported by the State’s rail operators involving either a person or vehicle, at an average of five collisions and 108 near misses per year.
Adelaide Metro said the Ambassador for Rail Safety Week and Paralympic track athlete, Vanessa Low (pictured), fell from an overcrowded platform into the path of an oncoming train when she was 15, losing both her legs in the accident.
The Agency said Ms Low shared her experience and incredibly important rail safety message with the community for this year’s campaign.
DIT said pedestrians, cyclists and motorists should keep these simple points in mind when nearby railway tracks:
* Always stay behind the white line when waiting for a train or tram or to cross at a level crossing;
* Be sensible, pay attention and be alert around trains and on platforms, checking for oncoming trains in both directions;
* Remember to put your mobile phone away, hop off your bike and always remove headphones when you are near train tracks;
* Do not enter a level crossing while the lights are flashing or when warning bells sound;
* Always ensure there is enough space for your vehicle on the other side of a level crossing before making the decision to cross; and
* Wait for the lights and bells to stop and the boom gates to go up (if fitted) before crossing the tracks at a level crossing.
Ms Low’s 15-second rail safety video can be viewed at this PS News link and DIT’s Rail Safety Quiz on this link.
