Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The fatal accident involving the collision between a high-speed train and a truck in Victoria last month prompts me to speak in the House today. Two people died when a truck collided with a train at an unprotected level crossing between Ararat and Ballarat on 28 April. I suggest the fatalities might not have happened if a number of safety initiatives highlighted in the 2004 committee report Train illumination had been taken into account. That report was from the House of Representatives Transport and Regional Services Committee inquiry, which I chaired, and it is pleasing to see here today the member for Oxley, who was on that committee. The catalyst for that inquiry was a dreadful accident at Yarramony in Western Australia in July 2000 where there were multiple deaths at a passive level crossing. The whole idea of train illumination was to highlight trains at passive level crossings.

During this inquiry some very extraordinary figures came out. For example, 70 per cent of collisions happen in daylight, 50 per cent of crashes occur at crossings controlled with lights or boom gates, the vast majority of accidents occur where the driver has local knowledge of the crossing, 85 per cent occur in fine weather and 89 per cent occur on straight roads, which is quite extraordinary. The argument for train illumination was that if you lit the sides of the trains this would reduce the accident rate. But, given that 70 per cent of collisions occur in daylight, for what purpose would you light the side of trains? And 64 per cent of accidents occur at the front of trains, so, again, why would you light the sides of trains?

The committee considered all this evidence and we came up with recommendations, amongst others, for three physical things that could be done to improve passive level crossings. One was to put rumble strips in the lead-up to the crossing, which I think is very important: when you get that bumpety, bumpety, bumpety effect it would trigger in your mind that you are coming to a crossing. The other two things were that trains carry a reflective strip at eye level to seated drivers and that trains carry beacons. We have beacons on ambulances, police cars, fire engines and SES and mining vehicles—a whole range of things. Why not on trains? It is not as if it would be some rare precedent—sections of the sugar industry, as you will know, Mr Deputy Speaker Causley, have white strips on cane bins and beacons on trains. It is not rocket science. It is not expensive and, more importantly, it could save lives.

Ian Causley (Page, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with sessional order 193 the time for members’ statements has concluded.