49 people reported as police target level crossing misuse across the South

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

Level crossings were the focus of attention from British Transport Police (BTP) across the south on Tuesday, 22 June as part of an International Level Crossing Day of Action.

In total, 49 people were reported for failing to observe the lights or barriers at the various crossings across the south. A further nine people were issued with a Penalty Notice for Disorder for trespass; seven vehicles were seized while eight people were reported for using a mobile phone while driving.

BTP^s activity saw officers at level crossings in:
Wokingham, Berkshire
Chichester, Sussex
Mortlake, Richmond
Feltham, Hounslow
Motspur Park, Kingston
Canterbury, Kent
Ashtead, Surrey
Sheen Lane, Richmond

BTP officers also held operations in conjunction with Network Rail at Hampden Park level crossing in Eastbourne, Sussex, in Poole, Dorset and at Mitcham Eastfields level crossing in Surrey.

The aim was to make motorists and pedestrians more aware of level crossings and to educate them to use crossings correctly.

[JayMac]

A similar exercise, but on a larger scale, has been carried out by the British Transport Police in the South East this year.

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Older women drivers worst level crossing offenders


A campaign to cut criminal behaviour on level crossings in London and the South East has revealed that more than 25% of offenders were women aged 50-65.

With men aged 50-65 accounting for 19% of offences, it means their age group was responsible for 46% of the misuse caught on camera.

Network Rail said it was a surprise only a minority of offences were committed by young men.

Males aged between 17 and 25 accounted for 8% of offences at level crossings.

The figures have been gathered since January, when a marked police camera van designed to deter motorists from breaking the law, started operations at level crossings in Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, East and West Sussex and Greater London.

British Transport Police officers have caught and prosecuted 1,131 people at 43 level crossings.

Offences by county:

    * East Sussex 55 (5%)
    * Greater London 522 (46%)
    * Hampshire 35 (3%)
    * Kent 195 (17%)
    * Surrey 158 (14%)
    * West Sussex 146 (13%)

Offences range from jumping the lights and driving through crossings as barriers come down to hitting barriers, careless and dangerous driving and yellow box junction obstructions.

"The camera vehicle has proved what we always believed, that far too many people are misusing level crossings," said Network Rail director Dyan Crowther.

"Although the initial trend shows that older people are responsible for the highest number of offences, all ages are misusing crossings. Our aim is to deter them all rather than prosecute. We hope those caught will change their behaviour and along with other activities we're running [to] see a reduced impact on passenger services and the cost of these crimes on the running of the railway."

Jumping red lights was the offence committed by the most people (61%) followed by stopping on a box junction (27%).

Dangerous driving and careless driving accounted for 2% of offences each and 4% of prosecutions were for pedestrians who did not follow the rules.

Network Rail said that early signs were that the level crossing van was making a difference.

Since January, there has been a 31% - 45% decrease in the number of incidents recorded at three monitored crossings.

Story includes video of offences being committed.

[EBrown]

Network Rail

We're introducing more level crossing camera vans

More than 2,400 people have been caught and charged with breaking the law at level crossings by just three enforcement vans being used across London, the South East and Scotland.



Despite having a highly visible presence close to level crossings, British Transport Police officers, who operate the van, have caught and charged 2,452 people with various offences ranging from jumping the lights and driving through crossings as barriers come down, to striking barriers, careless and dangerous driving, and yellow box junction obstructions. The enforcement van on the Wessex, Sussex and Kent routes has been in operation since January 2011, with the vans operating in north London, Anglia and Scotland since Summer 2011. They are deployed at various level crossings across the routes where there are the highest levels of misuse and where the locations allow.

More vans on the way

We'll be rolling out 10 more vans across Britain during the rest of 2012 to deter more motorists and pedestrians from taking a risk by darting across the level crossing after the lights and klaxons have begun, or even swerving around the barriers. The vans are just one part of a much wider effort to make people more aware of how to use level crossings safely, and the dangers and consequences of misusing them. We don^t want to catch anyone breaking the law at a level crossing but those that do often put themselves and others at risk and can delay trains, incurring cost to us and the tax payer.

Chief Superintendent (Territorial Policing) Miles Flood of British Transport Police said: "The level crossings vans in use are already proving their worth. They are a useful additional tool for our officers in deterring as well as detecting motorists who continue to flout the law and misuse level crossings to save what may be only a few seconds and I welcome Network Rail^s further investment.

"Risking your own life and the lives of others at level crossings is just not worth it.^

International Level Crossing Awareness Day 2012

Along with other countries worldwide, on 7 June 2012 we^re putting the spotlight on level crossing safety.

To mark International Level Crossing Awareness Day we^re out with the British Transport Police holding safety awareness sessions at level crossings across Britain, handing out leaflets, talking to users about how to safely cross the railway and inviting people to see our camera vans in operation.

Other safety initiatives

We've just launched a new rail safety initiative, Rail Life, targeted at young people. Created with the help of teachers and young people, we^ll initially focus on level crossing safety. This new website for 11-17 year olds encourages discussion about the consequences of taking a split second decision at a level crossing.

We've also developed educational resources for both primary and secondary teachers to bring these discussions to life within the classroom and we'll develop more resources for the new school year.

This work is running in parallel with other Network Rail and industry initiatives to minimise the safety risk at level crossings. These include:

• Our dedicated community safety team which aims to reduce railway crime
• A level crossing closure programme which has seen more than 500 closed over the past three years
• Investment in upgrading and improving level crossings
• A national advertising, marketing and media campaign
• Developing better and cost-effective ways of detecting and recording level crossings misuse
• Working with the Police and Crown Prosecution Service to improve the prosecution of offenders