Media centre

Monday 25 Sep 2006

BLACK COUNTRY MOTORISTS WARNED ‘DON’T RUN THE RISK’

Region & Route:

Motorists in the Black Country are being reminded not to run the risk at level crossings after 15 near misses over the last year. Level crossing misuse now represents the largest single risk of train accident on the railway. Network Rail’s hard hitting ‘Don’t Run the Risk’ campaign is coming to billboards across the Black Country to target motorists who are still not getting the message. Posters will be going up in the hot spot areas of Langley Green, Bloxwich, Portobello Junction, Tipton and Cradley Heath. Many of these level crossings suffer from regular misuse, the most recent involving a lorry which jumped the barriers at Cradley Heath, narrowly missing an on-coming train. Peter Strachan, Network Rail’s Route Director said: “Too many people die at level crossings every year – it is a senseless waste of life. Our message to drivers and pedestrians is simple - level crossings are safe if used correctly, but if you misuse them your chance of surviving being hit by a train is virtually zero.” The ‘Don’t Run the Risk’ campaign aims to change the behaviour of level crossing users – to protect themselves and reduce the danger to train passengers. The £3m campaign features extensive nationwide and local advertising. This includes television and radio adverts and the targeting of more than one million households with information leaflets. It is the largest public safety campaign ever run by the rail industry.