Article: School bus's near miss at level crossing

[ozbob]

From the ABC News click here!

School bus's near miss at level crossing

School bus's near miss at level crossing

Queensland Rail says it is concerned some motorists are still not heeding safety warnings at level crossings.

The concern comes as a bus driver has been issued with a notice to appear in court after allegedly ignoring flashing lights at a southern Queensland crossing.

The 68-year-old driver will face the Chinchilla Magistrates Court over the incident, in which he allegedly drove on to a crossing in front of a freight train on the Warrgeo Highway at Chinchilla yesterday morning.

The bus was carrying school children at the time.

Queensland Rail spokesman Graham Brown says the train driver was close enough to see the bus was full of passengers, and he had to perform an emergency stop.

He says rail staff were horrified by the incident.

"The drivers were left shocked and traumatised by the nearness of the collision," he said.

"We struggle to understand how the message about responsible driver behaviour at level crossings is just not getting through.

"We're still having near misses, which cause a serious risk to the community and to our drivers.

"We just can't comprehend how this is still happening."

Police Minister Neil Roberts says it was a very serious incident.

"This could have been an absolute tragedy - more than 20 children on a school bus," he said.

The local school was notified of the incident.

[ozbob]

Following the Dalby fatal school bus accident a year or so ago, there was a recommendation made that ALL School Buses were stop at ALL level crossings.  Hasn't happened of course. The Government and Queensland Transport just don't get it, do they?

===========================

Media Release 9 May 2009

Queensland:  It is time - call for automatic licence suspension for level crossing breaches.

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has previously called for more passenger and freight rail services to help stop the slaughter on Australia's roads.  Strict enforcement of road safety rules at level crossings and increased penalties for breaches are also needed.   Queensland motorists are incapable of following simple directions to stop at level crossings.  Time to get serious, the costs in terms of loss of life, injury and economic costs and disruptions are no longer acceptable.  Does anyone have the courage to act?

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"In Australia during 2007 there were 1616 road fatalities compared to 37 rail related (1)."

"Over the Labor day weekend more slaughter and mayhem has occurred on Queensland's roads and it continues sadly.  Clearly there is a failure of road safety of major proportions.  The costs to the community in terms of deaths and injuries are enormous.  Present policies are clearly failing."

"RAIL Back On Track is particularly concerned with the flippant disregard of road rules by road vehicle drivers at level crossings."

"The Courier Mail has reported that 'Figures released to The Courier-Mail show motorists are increasingly running the gauntlet at level crossings. There were 53 collisions with boom gates during the first three months of this year - a rate of four a week'(2)."

"The present penalties are nothing short of a joke; $300 fine and the loss of 3 demerit points (3).   This needs to be changed to automatic license suspension for failing to stop as directed at level crossings.  Nothing less is going to force drivers to stop."

"Additionally there should be cost recovery from offenders."

"As a community we must encourage the expansion of rail passenger and freight services.  We are clearly not able to stop the carnage on the roads.  We must therefore return to safe transport modes."

References:

1.  http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/39/Files/ATS_2008.pdf page 22
2.  http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25449277-3102,00.html
3.  http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/resources/file/eb2774458c0db56/Pdf_demerit_point_schedule_january_2009.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[mufreight]

In such a case as this it should be immediate licence disqualification, then as the bus had passengers a mandatory jail sentence of at least 0ne year for each passenger up to ten years then another six months for each additional passenger whose life the driver has endagered.
The message would get accross very quickly with the publicity of one of these drivers doing jail time for their stupidity.

[Dean Quick]

Well said mufreight.