Pedestrian railway crossings, survey ...

[ozbob]

Each year in Queensland there are over 400 near misses are rail level crossings. Collisions between pedestrians and trains often result in death or serious injury.

The Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety at the Queensland University of Technology is running an online survey on people's experience using pedestrian railway crossings. The survey includes questions about your use of pedestrian level crossings, knowledge about trains, crossing rules, your views on rule breaking and safety measures. The survey takes 15-20 minutes, is completely confidential and anonymous and we will compensate you for your time by sending you a $20 Coles-Myer voucher.

To participate, you must be:
-A Queensland Resident
-Over the age of 18
-Have used a rail level crossing as a pedestrian in the past 6 months

You can participate in the survey: http://survey.qut.edu.au/f/176868/f779/

Following the survey you will be offered the opportunity to take part in a 5-10 phone interview about your experiences using level crossings.

If you have friends or family who may be interested in taking part in this survey, please forward the survey details on to them or have them contact the research team.

If you would like any further information or would like a printed copy of the questionnaire please contact:
Mitchell McMaster- Research Officer
email: m.mcmaster@qut.edu.au, or phone: 07 3138 4879

[ozbob]

612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast with Spencer Howson

$20 gift voucher if you help with QUT level crossing study

17 June 2013 , 8:06 AM by Spencer Howson

As long as you're over 18 and live in Queensland, I can get you a $20 shopping voucher to start your Monday morning if you listen for the next five minutes. How does that sound?

QUT's Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety, CARRS-Q, is conducting a study into pedestrian behaviour around Queensland railway crossings.

They want you to go online and fill out the survey - it takes about 25 minutes - and as a thankyou, they'll send you a $20 gift voucher.

Mitchell McMaster (pictured) from CARRS-Q is with me in the studio:

Click --> here!

[longboi]

Out of curiosity, has anyone received a gift card yet?

[ozbob]

Out of curiosity, has anyone received a gift card yet?

Haven't received mine yet ....  sure will come eventually just like the Sunshine Coast Line upgrade .. 

[Mozz]

 No gift card yet - but always happy to help out with worthwhile public and active transport research initiatives !!

[ozbob]

I have been advised that this survey has now closed.  Expect the cards for those who participated won't be far away.

[ozbob]

Received a gift card in the mail today from CARRS-Q. Thanks!

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Minors more likely to break rules at level crossings

Minors more likely to break rules at level crossings
By Emma Sykes

Adults not wanting to miss the train to risk being late for work and minors "sensation seeking" are among the reasons people intentionally disobey rules at rail level crossings in Queensland, according to new research.

The study, conducted by the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland (CARRS-Q), looked at pedestrian behaviour around rail level crossings, particularly in south-east Queensland where there are around 90 active crossings.

Researcher Mitchell McMaster says the study surveyed 691 participants, asking them questions around their behaviour at crossings, knowledge of trains, general awareness of the crossing rules and experiences they've had while using crossings.

"Generally rule breaking was occurring across the board, but we found the highest levels of rule breaking were for minors, so people under the age of 18."

Mr McMaster says people in the 18 to 60-year-old and 60+ groups were still breaking the rules, but not as much as minors, who would intentionally break the rules as an act of seeking a thrill.

"We looked at 'sensation seeking', and we did find a correlation between age and sensation seeking," but, he says, "the most common reason people were breaking the rules intentionally was that people need to catch the train that is at the station or approaching the station."

Between 2001 and 2011 collisions at Queensland level crossings resulted in 23 deaths, 45 hospitalisations and countless near misses, prompting a hard-hitting campaign by Queensland Rail (QR) in 2012, drawing attention to the very grave risks and consequences of not obeying the rules at level crossings.

In the same year the Queensland Government released the 2012-2021 Level Crossing Safety Strategy, pumping more than $250 million to improve rail level crossing safety, including the addition of more warning signs, road markings, flashing lights and boom gates.

People, however, continue to break the rules, sometimes resulting in 'lucky escapes', but all too often, a fatality. Last week, the first death at a level crossing for 2014 was recorded when a woman was struck and killed at Canon Hill Station, in Brisbane's south.

CCTV footage revealed the woman bypassed the closed pedestrian gate at the crossing and also walked around the boom gate and out onto the tracks.

Late last year, Queensland Transport released footage video showing a train narrowly missing a man as he walked across the same crossing, to highlight the dangers of not obeying the rules.

The study, which was funded by a grant from the Cooperative Research Centre for Rail Innovation (Rail CRC) in partnership with QR, the Department of Transport and Main Roads and TruckSafe, hopes to establish new ways developing targeted interventions at the black spot level crossings.

"Beyond the emotional costs for families and friends of those who've been hit and for the drivers themselves, there's a high financial cost for train companies, so they also have a vested interest in reduce these fatalities.

"They'll go away and make specific interventions based on our findings," he said. "If it's an area where there is a lot of rule breaking by minors then they might consider interventions most effective against [that group]."

Mr McMaster says the survey identified the most effective interventions were "the presence of police officers and transit officers at level crossings and larger barriers and locking gates."

Mr McMaster says the take home message is that pedestrians need to take personal responsibility and care around level crossings.

"If you're using your phone or listening to music, you need to take them off your ears and check that it's safe to cross first.

"When it comes to intentionally breaking the rules - no one likes to be late for work, but I don't think risking your life to be 15 minutes late for work is a great gamble.

"All it takes is a small error in judgement and the outcome can be fatal."