Media centre

Wednesday 28 Sep 2016

Report shows young adults in Brighton putting their lives at risk by using mobile phones while crossing the railway

Region & Route:

| Southern

New figures from Network Rail¹ reveal that 17 per cent of people from Brighton report a near miss or accident when using their mobile phone around the transport network.

Almost half the people from the south coast city (44%) report using their phone when catching or getting off a train and 27 per cent admit they use their mobile when crossing a road. A fifth even admit to using their phone while using a level crossing.

The Populus research on phone distraction also highlights that one in three young adults nationwide say they would be more aware of their surroundings if they ditched their phone for 24 hours. Most spend time checking social media (63%) and surfing the web (44%).

While Britain still has the safest rail network in Europe, level crossings are one of the biggest public safety risks on the railway.

Louise Carvey, head of safety at Network Rail’s South East Route, said: “Anyone with a mobile phone knows how easy it is to get glued to the screen and lose awareness of what is going on around you.

“Many young people in particular have said they have used their phones while crossing the railway, which puts them at unnecessary risk when their safety depends on paying attention to warnings and watching and listening for trains.

“We are investing more than £100m to improve level crossing safety across Britain, but we also need everyone who uses level crossings to do their bit too. By paying attention to the warnings at level crossings and avoiding distractions, we can all keep ourselves safe.”

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: “As we advise drivers and pedestrians to avoid becoming distracted when they’re in a road environment, it’s essential that people are also fully aware of what’s happening around them when they use level crossings. Avoid being dangerously distracted by a mobile phone call, texting, using an app or listening to music through your headphones at a crossing so you’re well aware of what the warning lights, barriers and signs are telling you.

“Trains travel so fast that one could reach the crossing before you get to the other side if you cross when it’s not safe, and of course, the train has no chance of stopping or swerving to avoid a collision. Take special care at level crossings on footpaths, bridleways and other rights of way where there are no barriers or railway staff.”

To find out how to stay safe when using level crossings visit www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings

Notes to eds:

1. Populus phone distraction survey of 2000 GB adults, 24-29^th August 2016. Surveys were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. Populus is a founder member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Further information at populus.co.uk

Guidance on level crossing use

• Most crossings have a sign and lights or bells that alert you if a train is coming. Many will also have gates that close when a train is coming. If this happens wait until the train has passed
• When crossing tracks at a railway crossing, you should: Stop and look both ways before crossing, listen for the train coming and for warning bells, if there are lights watch for them to flash
• Stand well back from the tracks if a train is going by
• Never try to cross the tracks if a train is coming. It can take up to one and a half miles for a train to come to a complete stop
• Always make sure there are no other trains coming before crossing

 

About Network Rail

Network Rail owns, manages and develops Britain’s railway – the 20,000 miles of track, 40,000 bridges and viaducts, and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations (the largest of which we also run). In partnership with train operators we help people take more than 1.6bn journeys by rail every year - double the number of 1996 - and move hundreds of millions of tonnes of freight, saving almost 8m lorry journeys. We’re investing £38bn in the railway by 2019 to deliver more frequent, more reliable, safer services and brighter and better stations.