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Monday 5 Jul 2010

NETWORK RAIL ASKS ENFIELD LOCK ‘WOULD IT KILL YOU TO WAIT?’

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

Drivers face prosecution after ignoring level crossing safety warnings

A month-long crackdown on people misusing the level crossing at Enfield Lock saw thirty drivers facing the possibility of prosecution after being caught ignoring the warning signs, lights and barriers.

Network Rail targeted crossing users at Enfield Lock as the crossing is in the top-ten nationwide when it comes to misuse. Common offences committed include everything from kids ducking under the closed barriers to drivers getting stuck on the crossing after ignoring warning lights and trying to drive across as the barriers closed. Last year 13 people lost their lives in Britain after taking a risk at a rail crossing.

Four safety awareness events were held at Enfield Lock throughout June as part of Network Rail’s Don’t Run the Risk campaign, which aims to combat level crossing misuse, save lives and keep trains running. Support came from the British Transport Police, Met Police, National Express East Anglia and London Borough of Enfield.

The team monitored the crossing and spoke with motorists and pedestrians about misuse and offered advice and information on how to stay safe on the railway. Leaflets were also handed out that spell out the chilling truth that taking a chance at a level crossing might be the last thing you do, and pose the question, ‘Would it kill you to wait?’.   

Anne-Marie Batson, community safety manager at Network Rail, said: “Time and again we see drivers and pedestrians jumping the lights and ignoring warning signs. Level crossings are safe, but if misused, they all pose very real risks. We’re driving home the message that running the risk at a level crossing is just not worth it. By trying to save a few seconds, you could end up losing your life.”

Covert observations carried out at Enfield Lock by Network Rail earlier in the year recorded more than 300 offences committed by pedestrians and motorists during the morning and evening rush hours in a single working week, equating to an offence roughly every ninety seconds.