Media centre

Friday 4 Aug 2006

FESTIVAL GOERS TOLD “DON’T RUN THE RISK”

Region & Route:

Visitors to the Nottingham Riverside Festival (4-6 August) will be told by Network Rail not to run the risk when it comes to using level crossings.

The owner of Britain’s railway infrastructure will bring its national advertising campaign to the festival where staff will be on hand to warn visitors about the danger to themselves and others when they misuse level crossings. The warning comes as CCTV footage of a motorcyclist misusing Lincoln Street level crossing in Nottingham is released today. The footage shows the motorcyclist ignoring the warning lights and attempting to beat the barriers as they are lowered. The barriers clip the rider’s helmet, knocking it off and the motorcyclist crashes into the crossing. Tom Birch, Network Rail's Area General Manager for the East Midlands said: “This shocking footage highlights why Network Rail is out and about spreading the “Don’t Run the Risk” message this summer. Too many people die at level crossings - it is a senseless waste of life. Level crossings are safe if used correctly, but misuse them and your chance of surviving being hit by a train is virtually zero.” The £3m campaign to highlight the danger of level crossing misuse features extensive nationwide and local advertising including spots on television and radio, and more than one million households have been targeted to receive information leaflets. The hard-hitting advertisements are an element of the most extensive public safety campaign ever run by the rail industry. The message is simple – level crossings are safe if used correctly – but if you run the risk the cost can be fatal. Tom Birch added: “The campaign aims to shake the complacency of level crossing users who endanger themselves and others. We are telling them not to run the risk.”