Safe railway crossing. The car has no chance of colliding with the train
It does not matter if there are barriers, traffic lights or just a sign at the crossing. Always stop and see if a train is approaching before stepping onto the tracks.
According to the Central Police Department, last year there were 91 accidents at railway crossings in Poland. 33 people died and 104 were injured. The statistics are clear. Most of these accidents occur during the day, in good weather conditions.
See the rails? stop
A car, be it a car or a truck, has no chance of colliding with a train. However, drivers take the risk of crossing railroad crossings even when the approaching train is already in sight.
“And this is shameful and unacceptable,” says Marek Florianovich from the traffic department of the voivodship police department in Opole. - The same as at the start, when the barriers have not yet risen, and the red light on the beacon is still flashing.
See photo: Safe railway crossing. The car has no chance of colliding with the train
According to the police, the responsibility for preventing a collision with the train lies with the driver. The driver has no way to maneuver the train, he also has an incomparably longer stopping distance. For example, a train traveling at 100 km/h needs almost a kilometer to stop!
“Even when crossing a guarded crossing, the driver has to stop and check if the train is moving,” says Marek Florianovich. - There is always a risk that the gates will break, or the duty officer for some reason did not leave them.
– Under no circumstances should we also expect to hear an approaching train, says Zbigniew Veseli, director of the driving school. Renault.
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First, don't panic
If the car is stuck on the tracks and the driver is unable to get out, get out of the car as soon as possible and move away from the tracks, running in the direction the train is coming from.
– In this way, we will reduce the likelihood of being hit by vehicle debris, advises Zbigniew Veseli. – On the other hand, if the driver notices that the barrier is lowering while passing through the crossing, keep moving forward so that the vehicle does not get stuck on the tracks.
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Drivers who are driving a vehicle with a trailer and towing another vehicle must be especially careful. In this case, drivers must be aware of the overall length of the vehicle or vehicles and must be aware that the increase in weight increases the stopping distance.
The same remarks apply to drivers. trucks. The risk of passing at the last minute may cause part of the vehicle to derail or may cause the barriers between the vehicle and the trailer to close.
Safety rules when crossing a railway crossing:
– Always wait for an approaching train.
“Slow down and look around before you drive in.
- Never cross a railroad track if you see or hear an approaching train.
– Do not overtake other vehicles at or in front of the crossing.
- Do not stop near the tracks - remember that the train is wider than them and it needs more space.
Train like a ram
Safe passage. "Stop and Live" is a security action that the PKP has been running for several years. Its essence is to simulate an accident in which a train crashes into a car.
“People need to see the consequences of such an event with their own eyes, only then they start to think,” says Piotr Kryvult, Deputy Director of the Railway Department in Opole.
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What this simulation looks like could be seen on September 8 in Opole. Railway workers, firefighters and police parked Opel Astra at the crossing. At a speed of about 10 km / h, a train consisting of two locomotives with a total mass of about 200 tons drove into it. The car was pushed several meters.
The side of the car, hit by a locomotive, was completely destroyed. One of the bumpers went into the interior of the car. If there had been a passenger inside, he would have been crushed. “This shows that there is no time for jokes with the train,” says Piotr Kryvult.
That's what the traffic rules say
The behavior of the driver at the crossing is regulated by article 28 of the SDA:
– Before entering the rails, the driver must make sure that no train or other rail vehicle is approaching him. This makes a huge difference, especially when visibility is limited.
– When approaching a crossing, drive at a speed that will allow you to stop in a safe place.
- If for any reason the car refuses to obey us at the crossing, we must remove it from the tracks as soon as possible. If this is not possible, try to warn the driver of the danger.
- the driver of the vehicle or combination of vehicles longer than 10 m, which cannot reach a speed of more than 6 km/h, before entering the crossing, he must make sure that within the time necessary to overcome it, the railway vehicle will not arrive, or agree on the travel time with the caretaker of the railway crossing.
It is prohibited by the driver
– Detour of the abandoned barriers or half-barriers and entry to the crossing, if their lowering has begun or the rise has not been completed.
– Entering an intersection if there is no room on the other side to continue driving.
– Passing vehicles at and directly in front of the level crossing.
– Detour of a vehicle waiting for the opening of traffic through an intersection, if this requires entering a section of road intended for oncoming traffic.
Travel categories in Poland
Cat. A - guarded crossings equipped with barriers covering the entire width of the carriageway and sidewalk, possibly additionally equipped with traffic lights. Such crossings are found on the most important roads and the busiest lines.
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Cat. B - crossings with automatic traffic lights and half-barriers (barriers that close the right lane, allowing vehicles that were on it at the time the traffic was closed to leave the intersection). Used on less busy lines, where there is no need to assign an employee to guard the passage.
Cat. S - crossings without devices across the road, equipped with traffic lights. They are located in places where accident protection is needed despite relatively little traffic.
Floor. D – Crossings marked only by road signs. Such intersections are located in places with little traffic and good visibility, which allows the driver of the vehicle to determine if a train is approaching.
Cat. AS WELL AS - railway crossings equipped with barriers and structures (the so-called labyrinths), forcing пешеходы checking that the approaching train is not in sight in both directions.
Cat. F - crossings and crossings of non-public use, as a rule, closed to traffic and opened at the request of the driver. This firewall is blocked and available to the owner.
Road signs and crossings
At the entrance to the railway crossing, the driver is informed about this. Sign A-9 warns of approaching a railway crossing equipped with barriers or half-barriers.
In addition to this sign, the so-called indicator columns showing the distance at which the intersection is located (with one, two and three lines), the sign of the current network and the Andrzej Holy Crosses (with four arms before a single-track crossing and six arms before a multi-track crossing) .
St. Andrey also shows us the place where we should stop when the train is coming. If we are approaching a crossing without barriers, the A-10 sign warns us about this.
Slavomir Dragula
