It’s easy to unintentionally enter a level crossing when you’re not paying attention.
You could be looking at your phone, lost in music, engrossed in a podcast, or chatting with your friends and before you know it, you’ve crossed the line.
And while Britain’s railway is one of the safest in Europe, there are still around 500 near misses reported at level crossings each year. We’re asking everyone who uses the railway to take care of themselves and each other by not losing focus and remaining vigilant.
Footpath level crossings
Research shows that a high proportion of accidents and near misses are caused by people not paying attention when approaching a level crossing. We also know that some people are unaware of the dangers around the railway, whereas others can become complacent with familiar surroundings.
When you’re distracted, you develop tunnel vision and are often unable to see or hear oncoming dangers. Before you know it – you’ve crossed the line. Sadly, this momentary inability to focus can prove fatal. In the last three years, 10 pedestrians have lost their lives at level crossings. Most incidents happen at footpath level crossings where it is the responsibility of the user to check for oncoming trains before crossing.
That’s why we’ve launched ‘You’ve crossed the line’ our new public safety campaign, which aims to make you more aware of your surroundings and the potential dangers if you use footpath level crossings.
Take care when you’re approaching a level crossing. Don’t accidentally cross the line, without first checking it’s safe to do so!
About this campaign
‘You’ve crossed the line’ is our safety campaign, which aims to make footpath level crossing users more aware of their surroundings and the potential dangers.
The campaign has been developed to catch people’s attention and give them pause for thought by adapting and making use of a well-known phrase. While ‘You’ve crossed the line’ may appear a startling exclamation at first, in this instance it works as a prompt to pay attention to your situation and a warning to check it is safe before crossing.
