More Kerang crash

It now turns out that train drivers have reported 5 near misses at this level crossing in the last year. An inquiry is probably going to focus on this and nail someone, asking the question "why was this crossing not upgraded if there were this many near misses?"

5 near misses seems like a lot, but it would be interesting to compare that level crossing with all other level crossings across the state. My guess is that a lot of other crossings have had that many near misses, if not more. It's a sad fact that there are a lot of bloody idiot drivers out there that race trains and try and beat them across level crossings. There are other idiots that think, "there can't be any trains around - I am not going to stop and bother to look".

I've been out in the sticks and have driven up to a level crossing controlled by a Stop sign. I've stopped, as you are supposed to do, and had a look. The guy behind me has not bothered - he pulled out, overtook and barelled across the crossing at about 100km/h.

He broke about half a dozen road rules. To start with, there was a 60 sign leading up to the intersection, and he was going way over the speed limit. He failed to stop. He crossed a double white line to overtake.

He was just a dickhead in so many ways. Fortunately, most of them are hit by trains, so they get taken out by the front carriage or engine and they are the only people that die. Unless the train derails and falls over, which is pretty rare.

It's unfortunate for the passengers in this case that the truck hit the train in the side, rather than the more usual case of the train hitting the truck. If the train had hit the truck, chances are we would have one dead truck driver, some shaken passengers with broken limbs, and not much else.

I have spent quite a bit of time in Newcastle, and have seen some atrocious driver behaviour up there. Because the train line runs into the city, and all the crossing points are level crossings, you can get stuck in some "traffic jams" when the trains are running frequently. Well, they are really bad jams as far as the Novocastrians are concerned. I have been sitting there at the boom gates and seen drivers drive around the boom gates from both directions - ie, coming up from behind me and going around me and around the booms, and also dodging from the other direction.

Death wish.

Lots of boom gates also get snapped off by drivers that just drive straight through them. They all have snap-off points built into them these days so that a shear bolt snaps, which is easy to replace, rather than smashing the boom gate arm into a million bits.

There is usually also some hoo-ha in the media about whether the "warning lights and bells were working". I don't care if they are working or not - crossings should be approached with caution and that is that. If an normal intersection is controlled by a Stop sign, and the sign facing you is slightly bent, you don't say, "the sign is out of action - I'll just drive straight through". The sign is there for your protection. You stop no matter what - even if the sign has been flattened by a truck and is lying face down on the grass.

Trains should have nose mounted cannons fitted - like a Beaufighter. Brassing up cars bolting across level crossings in front of them should deter others from trying the same stunt.