The Americans seem to have quite a bit of footage on this subject.
Keep an eye of BBCs Top Gear this Autumn when it returns, they’ve recently teamed up with Network Rail to stage a demonstration of what happens when drivers elect to take a chance at level crossings.
As everyone seems to agree there’s plenty of warning and its up the driver to approach a hazard at a speed in which you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear, at an LC that is the white stop line beneath the barrier. Drivers responsibility.
Not necessarily a comment on this particular case, but remember crossing barriers and lights can and do fail too, another good reason you shouldn’t be sat at the speed limit approaching them.
I’m just a humble newbie to trucks, so don’t want to sound like I’m trying to teach granny to ■■■■ eggs, but my blood ran cold yesterday as I was sat about four cars back in traffic queuing right across that very same busy level crossing at Camborne yesterday (though hopefully they’d fixed it by now 
). There were three cars across it, one right across the tracks and one under each barrier so there was no where he could move. Traffic queued solid in front of them, a couple of cars behind (… a BIG gap 
) and then me in the training school’s truck with my instructor. There was no way they could have done anything about it in time if a train came along, if they were lucky they could jump out and run, even the two in front of me would have been lucky to reverse up in time to avoid flying debris and we would have had grandstand seats to the show 
mick57:
Hi allIn May at carnaby level crossing nr Bridlington, the lights came on a few feet in front of me, i braked but realised quickly that with 24 ton on that i would not stop before the crossing, so with not many options i kept on going.
Result a summons for not obeying a signal & driving without due care & attention.
British transport police have had a copy of my tacho that shows that i was not speeding & that i did try to stop & also a letter explaining what happened. The other options were slamming the brakes on & risking jacknifeing the trailer still with not a lot of chance of stopping before the crossing.
They say that the signal was flashing for 7.71 seconds, i came back that way a few weeks ago & from the amber light coming on (not flashing) to the flashing red light i would say was less than 5 seconds.
The summons basicly says that it will be less costly if i plead quilty.
I was all for going to court to plead my case but now think i would be easier to just plead quilty & take the fine & points.
Any advice would be cratefully recieved.
Mick
you are guilty or not
You must know it best.
Anywhy:Its your Money and your licence,and any Advice could be wrong for you
I won’t pad this out with lots of words but…
Top Gear, BBC2, 8:00pm tonight.
Why you should never mess with level crossings.
Saw Top Gear last night (As an anorak Ive seen this in the Railway Press) @ a level crossing near Brigg. A Class 31 loco was shoved up to a speed of 75mph and let go straight into (or was it through )a parked car. Shoved the car as if it wasnt there. Think what would happen to a road vehicle if it was a trainload of coal (126 ton loco +1500tons of coal and wagons)
jonboy:
quite shocking realy with a clarkson twistjon
I agree it was shocking and something I never thought I would see, Clarkson in don’t knock me down gear and two safety hats. 
His standards are slipping, this is the second time this series he has worn gear like that.
G8YMW:
Think what would happen to a road vehicle if it was a trainload of coal (126 ton loco +1500tons of coal and wagons)
I moved into freight train driving in 2002 having got tired of the road haulage game. It is genuinely shocking how many people take a chance with Automatice Half Barrier crossings. I’ve yet to have a real toe-curler but it is so commonplace to see people running the reds or weaving around barriers that you become used to them. The number of HGVs doing it is very saddening.
You can’t blame people for not knowing what any train would do to a road vehicle which is why, I assume, Network Rail commissioned the piece.
I saw the locomotive that was involved in the Gt Heck accident afterwards. Whilst it was damaged severely enough to be written off, you wouldn’t have expected it to have stood up so well to a 140mph impact.
I wonder how many people know that some of freight trains in the UK have getting on for 4,400 tonnes on the hook? Would it make a difference if they did…
When I was travelling by bus in New Zealand, the driver stopped at every level crossing, lights flashing or not. When I asked him why, he said that there had been a few collisions, so now the regulations demand drivers of large vehicles to stop and check every time they cross. And if you know the amount of traffic in the South Island (ie ■■■■ all) it’s a bit surprising that they don’t cheat coz no ones looking.
Then again, the Kiwis do take most responsibilities seriously. Great people.
Anyone can misjudge and ,run a red traffic light, by taking the amber too late,
BUT RUNNING A RAILROAD CROSSING, GET REAL.
YOU SHOULD LOOSE YOUR LICENCE FOR STARTERS,THEN BE MADE TO CLEAN UP THE BODIES IN THE MORGUE AFTER A REAL SMASH,PUTTING THE ARMS AND LEGS WHERE THEY BE LONG.
You’ll then drive accordingly,so stop pussyfooting about annd drive correctly,no excuse.
Roundabout,
Dont sit on the fence,say what you mean!!!
Seriously. spot on. Theres no way Ill mix it with anything on the permanent way (Well, permanent until Beeching and The Treasury got their clammy mits on it)
From todays news
jonboy:
top gear video can be seen herequite shocking realy with a clarkson twist
jon
They’ve pulled it 
.
Something to do with copyright.
I didn’t see the show because I was on the ferry Sunday night.
Simon:
They’ve pulled it
Yes, I noticed. I only saw the second half on Sunday, and I was hoping to catch it last night.
Simon:
Something to do with copyright.
Really? I assumed it was because of the person dying on a level crossing earlier in the day.
I cant understand why, Mr Flibble, apart from Mr Clarkson’s flippant remarks afterwards.
I dont understand the full ins and outs of yesterdays level crossing crash so I cant comment on that episode.
However, where railways and roads cross on the level there will ALWAYS be incidents like this for whatever reason
The Top Gear video is still on Youtube…
youtube.com/watch?v=Ql_o6zFENnQ
If it disappears again (moves!) search “top gear level crossing” from front page of Youtube.
4 Fatal level crossing accidents (ok, 3 and a suicide) in 10 days… Not good
G8YMW:
I cant understand why, Mr Flibble, apart from Mr Clarkson’s flippant remarks afterwards.
I think the broadcasters tend to pull any programme showing “related” things just after a “tragedy” for fear of being accused of being insensitive.
Just like they always cancel any air disaster movies when there’s a plane crash, or cancelled any terrorist-related films after the 7/7 bombings.
Top Gear had planned to show the piece much earlier in the series but they kept pulling it as a result of Level Crossing accidents. I think someone pointed out to them that that is exactly why they should be showing it.
The manner in which Clarkson presented the piece has caused some upset due to it’s erm, tongue in cheek approach. I personally think they hit the nail on the head because the sensible people who would listen to a ‘normal, straight laced’ presentation in fact already do behave at these crossings so they really needed to find a way to get those who don’t take the flashing red lights seriously.
