Article: 0.3 seconds from disaster

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

0.3 seconds from disaster

0.3 seconds from disaster
DANIEL HURST
December 22, 2009 - 2:01PM

Queensland Rail drivers have "had an absolute gutful" of pedestrians risking their lives crossing tracks just milliseconds before a potential collision, an experienced driver says.

The comments came as the rail operator released dramatic footage of near misses on the suburban train network which could easily have resulted in deaths.

In one incident, a teenage boy crossed the tracks at a level crossing less than a second before an Ipswich line express train roared through the Walloon station at up to 100 kilometres an hour.

In another near miss, a woman was estimated to be 0.3 seconds from being hit when she crossed in front of a train at Deagon travelling at 60kmh.

Michael Thornes, who has been driving trains for 12 years, said people were taking similar chances with their lives every day.

Mr Thornes said when he nearly hit eight children at Dinmore recently, all he could do was "wait for the bang".

"I had the shakes for about five or 10 minutes," he said.

Mr Thornes had to finish his shift early and explain the traumatic situation to his family, who found him "curled up in a ball".

He could not understand why people were prepared to wait five minutes for a burger at McDonald's but couldn't spare the time to wait for a train to pass.

"It's very traumatic and I've had a gutful," he said.

QR Passenger executive general manager Paul Scurrah said such incidents happened "way too often".

Mr Scurrah said impatient pedestrians were not only risking their own lives in a game of Russian roulette but also those of drivers and passengers.

The newly released near-miss videos were an example of "incredible stupidity", Mr Scurrah said.

"You can't swerve a train travelling at 100kmh - in fact, you can't swerve a train, period," he said.

"Two families are incredibly lucky ... to have these people at the dinner table with them this Christmas."

He brushed off suggestions trains should slow down more when passing through train stations on express routes to further reduce the risk of injury, saying "irresponsible" people were to blame for such incidents.

The fresh warning to pedestrians comes after similar pleas to drivers who try to beat the boom gates. This year there have been a string of motorists crashing into boom gates in South-East Queensland.

[#Metro]

This year there have been a string of motorists crashing into boom gates in South-East Queensland.

So, how many of these drivers have been caught and fined???

[Dean Quick]

Probably none Tramtrain. Anyway, apparently its always the Train or train drivers fault- never the idiots driving trucks and cars running boom gates, stop signs and red flashing lights!!! And it seems for pedestrians its a lot easier to just cross the tracks anywhere you like, it will not be your fault if you are hit because there is always someone else to blame!!! I seem to recall a word in the english language...RESPONSIBILITY...yes thats it. Our litigation mad society has deemed this word redundant.