Preventing death and injury through truck and train collisions around New Zealand is the theme of a new research project.
The study comes after four recent serious accidents around the country at railway level crossings involving heavy vehicles.
Rail safety charity TrackSAFE NZ is launching the initiative with the NZ Transport Agency, KiwiRail and the Road Transport Forum.
The work will get driver feedback on experiences around level crossings and this will be used to make safety upgrades and trial new technology.
TrackSAFE NZ manager Megan Drayton says the research is an exciting undertaking.
“This will be the first study in New Zealand that specifically takes into account the views of heavy vehicle operators.
“We really hope the insights we get will lead to improvements in safety for truck drivers as they drive over level crossings,” she says.
There have been more than 23 collisions between trains and heavy vehicles since 2010.
In October this year, the driver of a Waste Management truck was killed in a collision with a train in the Bay of Plenty.
There have been three other heavy vehicle collisions this year – south of Masterton, at Te Puke and south of Invercargill.
“Each and every collision has a traumatic impact not just on the victims and their friends and families, but also the wider community and the rail staff involved,” Drayton says.
There have also been more than 300 reported near misses over that time. Train drivers have reported 33 near misses this year to September which is nine more than the previous year.
Improved reporting, increased rail and train services and an increase of trucks on the road are some potential reasons for the rise.
Canterbury, Auckland and Waikato have recorded the greatest number of near misses between trucks.
Environmental factors are also a cause of safety risks such as short stacking distances at level crossings. This is where long trucks can’t clear the train tracks when stopped at an adjacent road intersection.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission reports around 19%, or 264, of New Zealand level crossings have short stacking distances.
Other level crossings have gradients that may result in some low ground clearance vehicles getting stuck.
TrackSAFE NZ is looking for around 1000 truck drivers to sign up to participate in an initial online survey. All participants go into a draw for one of five $200 fuel vouchers.
*Go to tracksafe.co.nz to sign up.
