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Rail CRC's level crossing safety project proved the impetus for
strong national industry and government focus on this important
issue.
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This project commenced in 2003, and has provided the basis for
significant recent national industry and government efforts to
reduce the incidence of level crossing collisions in Australia. The
project’s aims are to:
- Develop, trial and evaluate research based, educational
interventions to promote safe level crossing motorist behaviour
– for the three highest ‘at risk’ groups –
younger, older and heavy vehicle/truck drivers
- Decrease the level of ‘at risk’ motorist behaviour at
level crossings
- Increase motorists’ knowledge of appropriate level crossing
behaviour
- Examine the current organisational and social context of level
crossing safety
- Develop a model and strategies for intersectoral collaboration to
improve level crossing safety.
- Identify and quantify (through mathematical modelling) causes of
rail accidents and subjective probabilities of occurrence of
accidents from different groups of people (UniSA PhD Project)
Evaluated by STEM Partnerships in 2006, the outcomes of this
project have been estimated to have the potential to deliver a
value of $4.2 million to the rail industry over the next 15 years,
and taking into account the risks involved in delivering the
outcomes, the expected value is $1.7 million. The overall benefit
of the project is obviously a reduction in level crossing
accidents. However, in addition to that specific benefits to the
rail industry include: reduction in injury and deaths; reduction in
litigation and associated costs; reduction in damage to train,
rollingstock and track; reduction in delays due to track closure; a
higher and more positive profile of the rail industry and enhanced
management of safety and operating risks, reducing OH&S costs.
Since commencement of the project, the Australasian Railway
Association (ARA) and National Transport Council (NTC) have moved
strongly to focus on this issue. The outcomes and interventions of
this project are expected to feed into the ARA’s National
Behaviour Plan and the work of the NTC’s Australian Railway
Crossing Strategy Implementation Group (ARCSIG).
Results to date:
- Literature review completed
- Preliminary/base-line data collection and analysis completed with
target groups
- Phase 2 pre-test survey development completed
- Research on methods of modelling accidents and development of
detailed version of Bayesian Belief Network Model of Level Crossing
Accidents
- Recruitment of broad sample in Queensland to assist develop
targeted education campaigns across each ‘at-risk’
group
- Ongoing development of mathematic ‘RAAIL’c model (
R
isk
A
ssessment of
A
ccidents and
I
ncidents at
L
evel
C
rossings)
Future outcomes:
- Development and implementation of interventions for different road
user groups.
- Evaluation of educational interventions for each road user group.
Statistical analysis will be conducted to provide scientific
evidence of the effectiveness of the interventions.
- Development of a ‘best practice’ model for
intersectoral collaboration to improve the management of level
crossing safety in Australia.
- Completion of RAAILc mathematical model to identify and quantify
causes of serious accidents
Project Leader: Mr Jeremy Davey (QUT)
