Parents are being urged to talk to their children about level crossings after Network Rail have noticed a number of incidents of deliberate misuse.
The train company said there have been incidents at the Cotton Mill level crossing between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction.
During nine days of monitoring in 2017, four near misses with trains were recorded and there were over 300 occurences of “deliberate misuse”.
Network Rail released shocking footage of children “risking their lives” on the level crossing. It is hoped that parents who see the footage will speak to their children about level crossing safety before they return to school.
Inspector Becky Warren from the British Transport Police (BTP), said: “The children in the CCTV are the lucky ones as they were able to leave the crossing unscathed. Sadly there are people who have not been as fortunate, and I have had the heartbreaking job of telling families that their loved one has been killed at crossings or on the tracks.
“Despite our constant warnings about using crossings safely and the dangers of the railway, incredibly some people are still willing to put their lives on the line by ignoring crossing instructions, not looking properly or by trying to dash across crossings when trains are approaching.”
In the last five years there were more than 2,000 incidents involving young people at level crossings. Network Rail has level crossing ‘user guides’ for young people and parents are advised to go through this advice with their children.
Young people are told to stay alert, remove headphones and put their phone away when crossing. They are told to check both ways before crossing, even if they are in a group, and avoid running across rather than waiting for a train to pass.
Children should be reminded to stay alert of the warning lights and any sirens, and always stop to look that no train is approaching before opening a gate.
To find out more information on how to stay safe when using level crossings, visit www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings.
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