Latest news with #TrackSAFE
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Almost Half Of New Zealanders Are Illegally Crossing Railway Tracks, Says Report
A new report commissioned by rail safety charity TrackSAFE has found that almost half of New Zealanders admit to walking on railway tracks without using a legal crossing. Forty-five per cent of those surveyed by AK Research said they had walked on or across railway tracks without using a designated railway level crossing, which is considered trespassing. Crossing railway tracks anywhere other than a level crossing, where the railway and road intersect, is unsafe and illegal. Under the Railways Act 2005, the only lawful place to cross tracks is at an official crossing point. Doing so elsewhere can carry fines of up to $10,000. TrackSAFE Foundation Manager Megan Drayton is deeply concerned by the response. 'Last year alone, KiwiRail staff reported 642 trespass incidents and of those, 60 were near misses with pedestrians,' she says. 'The unreported number is undoubtedly much higher.' According to the research, those who had walked on or across the railway tracks without using a level crossing mainly did so as they thought it was quicker, or because they did not think there was an official crossing nearby. Some also mentioned they did not think it was dangerous, or that they knew of others who did it. The new research highlights the importance of this year's rail safety campaign, launching in Parliament today at the start of Rail Safety Week. The campaign has a clear message to the public: 'Stay off, stay safe. Tracks are for trains.' 'Trespassing on railway property remains a persistent problem in New Zealand and worldwide,' says Ms Drayton. 'Where we face our greatest challenge is not just ignorance of the law, but a deeply ingrained complacency about the risks of trains.' 'Trains can appear at any time whether they are expected or not. They travel faster than they appear to and take much longer to stop than people realise.' KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy says we need to shift the narrative around rail safety to prevent tragedies. 'Every one of us has a role to play in preventing harm on our railway. Speak up when you see unsafe behaviour, model safe habits and advocate for better education, especially in communities where rail runs close to schools or homes.' Rail Safety Week is coordinated by KiwiRail and TrackSAFE in close partnership with NZTA Waka Kotahi, NZ Police, Auckland Transport, Auckland One Rail, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Transdev Wellington, councils and supporting organisations and schools throughout New Zealand.
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- The Advertiser
Crashes and close calls: the chaos captured on Newcastle tram CCTV
FOOTAGE of a ute being t-boned by a tram, a cyclist being struck by a car and a hatchback driving at speed along tram tracks reveals chaos and close calls on Newcastle's light rail network. A CCTV compilation has been released by the NSW government for Rail Safety Week, which starts on Monday and runs until August 17. "These are heart-in-mouth moments that really could have ended tragically," transport minister John Graham said. "It's a big reminder as we approach Rail Safety Week to really take care, be alert, and put your phone down, and really pay attention to the road rules." The NSW government has urged passengers, pedestrians, and road users to be responsible for their own safety, as the footage shows how vulnerable they are around trams. "These moments are hard to watch because in some cases there is just centimetres or milliseconds from the result being so much worse," Mr Graham said. "As we enter Rail Safety Week 2025, it is the right time to remind people that light rail vehicles can't deviate their path and at 85 tonnes when fully loaded, they take time to stop." The most near-misses in the past year were on the Parramatta Light Rail system as the Western Sydney community adjusted to the new format. Motorists have been reminded that u-turns are generally not permitted at traffic lights, and illegally turning across light-rail tracks puts everyone at risk. Rail Safety Week, in its 20th year in 2025, is an annual event led by TrackSAFE. In 2023, a driver was fined $238 for driving on the tram line after reportedly leaving the KFC drive-through in Newcastle West and becoming stranded on the edge of the tram line. FOOTAGE of a ute being t-boned by a tram, a cyclist being struck by a car and a hatchback driving at speed along tram tracks reveals chaos and close calls on Newcastle's light rail network. A CCTV compilation has been released by the NSW government for Rail Safety Week, which starts on Monday and runs until August 17. "These are heart-in-mouth moments that really could have ended tragically," transport minister John Graham said. "It's a big reminder as we approach Rail Safety Week to really take care, be alert, and put your phone down, and really pay attention to the road rules." The NSW government has urged passengers, pedestrians, and road users to be responsible for their own safety, as the footage shows how vulnerable they are around trams. "These moments are hard to watch because in some cases there is just centimetres or milliseconds from the result being so much worse," Mr Graham said. "As we enter Rail Safety Week 2025, it is the right time to remind people that light rail vehicles can't deviate their path and at 85 tonnes when fully loaded, they take time to stop." The most near-misses in the past year were on the Parramatta Light Rail system as the Western Sydney community adjusted to the new format. Motorists have been reminded that u-turns are generally not permitted at traffic lights, and illegally turning across light-rail tracks puts everyone at risk. Rail Safety Week, in its 20th year in 2025, is an annual event led by TrackSAFE. In 2023, a driver was fined $238 for driving on the tram line after reportedly leaving the KFC drive-through in Newcastle West and becoming stranded on the edge of the tram line. FOOTAGE of a ute being t-boned by a tram, a cyclist being struck by a car and a hatchback driving at speed along tram tracks reveals chaos and close calls on Newcastle's light rail network. A CCTV compilation has been released by the NSW government for Rail Safety Week, which starts on Monday and runs until August 17. "These are heart-in-mouth moments that really could have ended tragically," transport minister John Graham said. "It's a big reminder as we approach Rail Safety Week to really take care, be alert, and put your phone down, and really pay attention to the road rules." The NSW government has urged passengers, pedestrians, and road users to be responsible for their own safety, as the footage shows how vulnerable they are around trams. "These moments are hard to watch because in some cases there is just centimetres or milliseconds from the result being so much worse," Mr Graham said. "As we enter Rail Safety Week 2025, it is the right time to remind people that light rail vehicles can't deviate their path and at 85 tonnes when fully loaded, they take time to stop." The most near-misses in the past year were on the Parramatta Light Rail system as the Western Sydney community adjusted to the new format. Motorists have been reminded that u-turns are generally not permitted at traffic lights, and illegally turning across light-rail tracks puts everyone at risk. Rail Safety Week, in its 20th year in 2025, is an annual event led by TrackSAFE. In 2023, a driver was fined $238 for driving on the tram line after reportedly leaving the KFC drive-through in Newcastle West and becoming stranded on the edge of the tram line. FOOTAGE of a ute being t-boned by a tram, a cyclist being struck by a car and a hatchback driving at speed along tram tracks reveals chaos and close calls on Newcastle's light rail network. A CCTV compilation has been released by the NSW government for Rail Safety Week, which starts on Monday and runs until August 17. "These are heart-in-mouth moments that really could have ended tragically," transport minister John Graham said. "It's a big reminder as we approach Rail Safety Week to really take care, be alert, and put your phone down, and really pay attention to the road rules." The NSW government has urged passengers, pedestrians, and road users to be responsible for their own safety, as the footage shows how vulnerable they are around trams. "These moments are hard to watch because in some cases there is just centimetres or milliseconds from the result being so much worse," Mr Graham said. "As we enter Rail Safety Week 2025, it is the right time to remind people that light rail vehicles can't deviate their path and at 85 tonnes when fully loaded, they take time to stop." The most near-misses in the past year were on the Parramatta Light Rail system as the Western Sydney community adjusted to the new format. Motorists have been reminded that u-turns are generally not permitted at traffic lights, and illegally turning across light-rail tracks puts everyone at risk. Rail Safety Week, in its 20th year in 2025, is an annual event led by TrackSAFE. In 2023, a driver was fined $238 for driving on the tram line after reportedly leaving the KFC drive-through in Newcastle West and becoming stranded on the edge of the tram line.
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
New Research Identifies Disturbing Behaviour At Level Crossings
Nearly half of New Zealand motorists do not always stop at level crossing Stop signs or prepare to stop at Give Way signs, a new study has found. KiwiRail commissioned the research through WSP to monitor motorist behaviour at railway level crossings. From observations of over 3600 drivers, 47 per cent failed to stop or prepare to stop at crossings with Stop or Give Way signs. Earlier research had found more than half of the deaths in serious level crossing collisions over a ten-year period occurred at crossings with Stop or Give Way signs. The new WSP research aimed to identify low-cost improvements that could be made to signage at crossings with Stop or Give Way signs, particularly those where there was a short distance between the tracks and a State Highway. Under current guidelines, not all level crossings need to have additional 'Look for Trains' signs, but the research found the number of motorists who stopped to be significantly higher (93.4 per cent) when they were in place. Motorists were even less likely to exhibit safe behaviours if there were only Give Way signs. The research recommended Stop signs be used instead of Give Way signs to improve safe driving behaviour. Stopping compliance was almost twice as high for truck and trailer vehicles (66.7 per cent) compared with cars (35.4 per cent). Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'While the results of this research are concerning, the number of incidents at level crossings last year was an improvement on previous years,' says TrackSAFE Manager Megan Drayton. There were eight collisions at level crossings last year, compared with 17 the year before. In support of International Level Crossing Awareness Day on 5 June, KiwiRail is sharing the research in the hope that motorists will take the NZ Road Code more seriously. 'Disappointingly, recent analysis of incidents shows that 95 per cent of collisions and 73 per cent per cent of near misses were at crossings that already have flashing lights and bells or barrier arms installed,' Ms Drayton says. 'This emphasises how important an individual's behaviour is when it comes to safety around railway tracks.' Collisions with trains are unforgiving, she says. 'Trains and rail maintenance vehicles always have right of way and travel faster than they appear to. Locomotive engineers (train drivers) can blow the horn and put on the emergency brakes, but there is often little else they can do to stop the train in a hurry.' Ms Drayton says even close calls at level crossings take a huge toll on train drivers and those who narrowly miss collisions or injury. 'The findings of this research are disturbing,' says KiwiRail Acting Chief Operations Officer Paul Ashton. 'KiwiRail urges drivers to take responsibility for the safety of everyone in their vehicles, and to follow the rules to keep themselves, other road users and KiwiRail staff safe.'
