New South Wales issues seasonal safety warning

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Prime Mover Magazine / October 12, 2015

With grain harvest season around the corner, Transport for New South Wales (NSW) (http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/) has urged motorists and freight operators to be on high alert, particularly around level crossings (railroad crossings).

“Grain harvest season in NSW starts in the state’s north in October and extends south until early 2016,” said Bernard Carlon, Acting Executive Director, Centre for Road Safety. “There is increased truck and farming machinery on our roads moving produce to where it needs to go during this period.”

According to the State’s transport body, driver fatigue will be one of the biggest threats on the road. “Fatigue is a common factor in rural crashes, so drivers need to plan their rest and be aware of any signs that they might be tired,” Carlon said.

“Heavy and long vehicles require longer distances to slow down - some trains can take up to 14 rugby fields to stop and can’t swerve to avoid a pedestrian or a motorist who has ignored the level crossing controls, so we need all road users to pay attention and obey the rules.”

One of the initiatives Transport for NSW has funded to improve level crossing safety is the Level Crossing Improvement Program, which the State Government has allocated $29.2 million, approximately $7.3 million a year. The program provides funding to accelerate engineering safety improvements to level crossings at priority sites across NSW, raise community awareness of level crossing safety issues, support police enforcement initiatives, and promote new technology to improve level crossing safety.

In partnership with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, NSW works with industry and provides guidance material on how to comply with the law. NSW has also invested in compliance infrastructure to reduce the risk of unsafe heavy vehicle operations - from systematic fatigue monitoring through the Safe-T-Cam system to the statewide network of Heavy Vehicle Safety Stations.