Response of the Victorian Government to the Parliamentary Road Safety Committee report 'Inquiry into improving safety at level crossings'

Victoria's strategic direction for improving safety at level crossings incorporates three programs: 1. addressing catastrophic risk; 2. addressing general risk, and 3. ensuring basic standards (e.g. sight distance that allows a motorist to see a train in time to stop safely). While there is overlap between these programs, it is recognised that identifying the aims of treatments helps to focus funding allocation on specific issues. Where new countermeasures are proposed, they will be evaluated for effectiveness and prioritised using a benefit cost analysis to ensure that funds are spent in the most efficient manner. While detailed research is limited, the most effective treatments appear to be those that either eliminate the crossing through grade separation, or through closure, or those which provide some physical restrictions such as boom barriers. The second most effective treatments could be expected to be those that operate only when a train is present, as drivers may become complacent when facing treatments that simply warn motorists/pedestrians of the existence of the level crossings when trains are not present. The best currently available information will be used to calculate the optimum combination of treatments in cost-effectiveness terms, to reduce the risks associated with the three programs below so far as reasonably practicable, safe, as required by the Rail Safety Act 2006.

• Corporate Authors:

  Victoria. Parliament

  Melbourne, Victoria   

  VICTORIA. PARLIAMENT

  ,    
• Publication Date: 2009-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 55p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Highway safety; Railroad grade crossings; Risk management; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Road safety (engineering and vehicles)
• Geographic Terms: Victoria
• ATRI Terms: Cost benefit analysis; Crash countermeasure; Level crossing; Risk; Road safety
• Subject Areas: Finance; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01384243
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 4:21PM