The problem is that
psychologically, you know with a level crossing that it's probably going to close ages before the train arrives, so there's a belief - most likely unjustified - that you can get across before the train comes. People think it's just 'Health and Safety Gone Mad' to try and stop them.
This is why people ignore rules made for their own safety - they find them annoying and think they're probably overly strict.
They did a thing in South Korea where they put a countdown on the lights at the level crossing so you could see how long you had until the train was passed. Supposedly it worked fantastically because if you told people that there was a set time they were going to be stuck watching a train go past, they were much more likely to accept it and happily sit there rather than run the lights.
God, this is turning into my longest Links comment ever...
(, Wed 9 Feb 2011, 10:25, Share, Reply)
That's a really good idea
I've certainly sat at level crossings for five minutes or more while the train utterly fails to appear.
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evil_andy Stick stick stick stick sticky sticky stick stick, Wed 9 Feb 2011, 10:37,
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Where I live in dublin, the lights stay red for AGES! For that reason, everyone jumps ALL of the lights. The local level crossing can be down for three trains (15 minutes one day I got stuck there).
The answer is a countdown on the lights (the pedestrians get them here... why not the cars?) and lights that stay red for shorter periods, so people aren't bothered and held up by a red light.
Another crossing nearby in Ashtown is manned by a guy in a porta-cabin... no one ever jumps that because the guy is sensible and lets cars through between trains. He also waves people through before he closes the gates. The result is, no one is bothered and no one disobeys his request to stop. Ever.
So... short answer to a long post... use people to control level crossings... it's safer and cheaper than paying for a twunt in a camera van sat there all day, or using hardcore surveillance... you have to have people monitoring that anyway!!
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emergency_pants Today I smell of... tea tree, Wed 9 Feb 2011, 14:05,
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