Re: Rail tragedy triggers review of crossings

[matthew@mail.usyd.edu.au (Matthew Geier)]

In article <3AD101B8.D3101BD5@fang.omni.com.au>,
David Bromage  <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote:
>The deaths of five men in January when their car and an XPT train
>collided has prompted a review of the State's 1,000 railway level
>crossings and a doubling of funding for safety improvements. The
>Transport Minister, Mr Scully, has asked the parliamentary Staysafe
>committee to inquire into the "status" of crossings, factors
>contributing to crashes and what education is needed for motorists.

 Nothing short of expensive overbridges I expect will work.

 On Saturday I was with the RTM perway group at Thirmere. Not once but
TWICE people drove across the Thirmere town crossing with out looking
or even slowing in front of our trikes. In both cases, traffic going the
other way had stopped and we though it safe to proceed onto the crossing.

 I'm told the 27 class took the bumper bar of a crossing 'runner' last year.


 The trouble with 'Drivers Licences' in this country is its though of as
a right, not a privledge and I expect most people consider their licence
fees as a sort of tax, not any sort of fee for certification.

 Try riding a bicycle around town some time. (or even just walking and watching
the flow of traffic).

 Several times in the last few weeks, after recieving the green pedestrian
'go' at a new set of lights near Sydney Uni, i've jumped back when a driver,
seeing that the cross road lights had changed to red, ASSUMED, that they would
then get the green and started to take off before they realized the lights
were STILL RED and pedestrians were walking across in front of them!. (Its a
stop all traffic and let pedestrians walk diagonally accross type).
 Then there is the pair of teenagers in the next street who thought it would
be fun to drag race down their suburban 50Km/hr limit street on a Sunday
afternoon - who gave those wankers licences in the first place ?.

 I think the level crossing 'problem' is actually part of a far larger problem
with the certification and operational skill of operators of motor vehicals.