Langley Green Level Crossing

[scott118]

Taken from the BTP twitter feed

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailBHM/status/831818063116918785

Shocking video shows motorist swerving around safety barriers at Langley Green level crossing near Oldbury

 

[godfreycomplex]

Oy vey
Langley Green has sadly got nationwide notoriety for misuse (videos of cretinous users there are a safety brief staple) and; although obviously bad; this is nothing unusual.
They've clearly upgraded the cameras there since the last few I've seen; which is good to see.

 

[eastdyke]

Taken from the BTP twitter feed

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailBHM/status/831818063116918785

One of the comments is to the effect that it seems to be a regular thing. Heaven help us should 2 of these 'cases' choose to try from opposing directions at the same time.

Also covered on BBC website.

 

[2HAP]

What is needed is a rising ramp on the offside of the road that will form a barrier to vehicles trying to divert around the nearside barrier, but would flatten to allow a vehicle to drive over it when travelling on the correct side of the road, thus allowing a vehicle to exit the crossing if already there when the barrier starts to come down.

 

[jopsuk]

At least with a CCTV crossing this behaviour whilst a problem doesn't (unlike say a vehicle smashing though barriers, or doing it at a half barrier crossing) actually pose a safety risk to trains, rail staff and passengers.

 

[Kite159]

Maybe have low level CCTV cameras which can capture number plates for those idiots to allow them to be introduced to the court

 

[BRblue]

At least with a CCTV crossing this behaviour whilst a problem doesn't (unlike say a vehicle smashing though barriers, or doing it at a half barrier crossing) actually pose a safety risk to trains, rail staff and passengers.

No it doesn't you are quite correct, but if the vehicle hits the barrier skirt when passing under (and I have had this happen) it can dislodge parts that then jam the next time you try to drop the barriers. The vehicle continues with a couple of scrapes on the roof, whilst we are then cautioning trains and talking past signals. You need people on the ground and the barriers need to be repaired... this all costs money, that's without the TOC fines for delay minutes attributed to what would now be considered a crossing failure.
This happens far to regularly across the network... but it seems BTP resources are spread far too thinly to do anything about it.

 

[bramling]

Taken from the BTP twitter feed

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailBHM/status/831818063116918785

Sadly, this isn't really news as such. Incompetent and dangerous driving of road vehicles is utterly endemic in this country, and seems to be a worsening trend. Road safety simply isn't taken seriously. A few speed cameras which people can slow down for (many seemingly sited to raise revenue rather than for any good reason) plus a few calming schemes outside a few schools is about the limit of what we stretch to.

In terms of driver behaviour and competence, compared to the safety culture of the railway, safety culture on the roads is non existent. It's frustrating, but sadly I don't see things changing. One thing that does irritate is the way many so-called 'professional' drivers are also now just as bad as many car drivers. One would think that loss of livelihood would be some kind of incentive, but evidently it isn't.

 

[deltic1989]

Have ANPR or Red Light Cameras been tried at L/C's that are at high risk of misuse?
If not it occours to me that this may be something to consider. Maybe catching a few offenders and giving them massive fines/Penalty Points/Driving Bans, may disuade others from trying thier luck.

 

[zuriblue]

Have ANPR or Red Light Cameras been tried at L/C's that are at high risk of misuse?
If not it occours to me that this may be something to consider. Maybe catching a few offenders and giving them massive fines/Penalty Points/Driving Bans, may disuade others from trying thier luck.

A lot of crossings on the Tyne & Wear Metro have red light cameras. I'm surprised that you don't see more of them.

Possibly the Russians have the right idea, when the crossings close there a plate lifts out of the road to block it.

 

[crewmeal]

According to the Daily mail and Express, the area including Smethwick Oldbury and Langley have the worst drivers in the UK. Not surprised by this.

 

[LAX54]

If tv played every crossing misuse of this type from CCTV xings everyday, then there would no room for any other programme on tv ! it is so common place now !

 

[Deepgreen]

Maybe have low level CCTV cameras which can capture number plates for those idiots to allow them to be introduced to the court

Exactly - the cost would not be high, and the perpetrators would be brought to book and dissuaded in the future. I would make these some of the only road cameras to be highly visible, by the way (to deter the behaviour before the risk is taken) - all the rest should be hidden, in my opinion, rather than the current situation where their locations are all known, mapped and obvious, and speeding drivers only observe the limit for the few yards by the camera.

 

[bramling]

Exactly - the cost would not be high, and the perpetrators would be brought to book and dissuaded in the future. I would make these some of the only road cameras to be highly visible, by the way (to deter the behaviour before the risk is taken) - all the rest should be hidden, in my opinion, rather than the current situation where their locations are all known, mapped and obvious, and speeding drivers only observe the limit for the few yards by the camera.

Personally, I wish we'd move away from the obsession with speed which we seem to have in this country, and move towards greater management of driver competence in general.

For example, 60 mph on a country lane is normally perfectly legal, yet on a blind bend is lethal, and has a high chance of involving more than just the idiot behind the wheel.

Let's start with some really stiff penalties for people who commit certain offences, level crossing misuse would be a great place to start. Likewise things like texting behind the wheel, driving whilst unlicensed, driving under influence of alcohol etc.

 

[HowardGWR]

Personally, I wish we'd move away from the obsession with speed which we seem to have in this country, and move towards greater management of driver competence in general.

For example, 60 mph on a country lane is normally perfectly legal, yet on a blind bend is lethal, and has a high chance of involving more than just the idiot behind the wheel.

Let's start with some really stiff penalties for people who commit certain offences, level crossing misuse would be a great place to start. Likewise things like texting behind the wheel, driving whilst unlicensed, driving under influence of alcohol etc.

Even 40 mph in our country lanes would be madness and would result in collisions (and does when the grockles come down -we locals stay way away from the road on a Saturday changeover). I agree with the rest of your remarks. When one compares the attitude to safety on roads, with that on rail or air, one would think we lived in a world of schizophrenics. The difference of course is actually that there is hardly any supervision of private motorists.

 

[Deepgreen]

Personally, I wish we'd move away from the obsession with speed which we seem to have in this country, and move towards greater management of driver competence in general.

For example, 60 mph on a country lane is normally perfectly legal, yet on a blind bend is lethal, and has a high chance of involving more than just the idiot behind the wheel.

Let's start with some really stiff penalties for people who commit certain offences, level crossing misuse would be a great place to start. Likewise things like texting behind the wheel, driving whilst unlicensed, driving under influence of alcohol etc.

I agree with all of that.

 

[bramling]

Even 40 mph in our country lanes would be madness and would result in collisions (and does when the grockles come down -we locals stay way away from the road on a Saturday changeover). I agree with the rest of your remarks. When one compares the attitude to safety on roads, with that on rail or air, one would think we lived in a world of schizophrenics. The difference of course is actually that there is hardly any supervision of private motorists.

Agreed. I'd be quite happy to have mandatory data recorders and forward-facing cameras in every road vehicle.

I want people to have the competence to correctly judge and select the correct safe speed for a given situation, and a competence management / enforcement system to ensure this. You could even have random download of the forward facing cameras, with police reviewing a random sample on an ongoing basis. If you're seen to do something reckless or unsafe, then suitable action - retraining at the driver's cost in the first instance, then ban if it happens again. Oh for a perfect world...

One observation I would make - driving standards seem to greatly improve the further one moves away from London. On a recent holiday in the north-east I found the roads to be an absolute dream, and this wasn't simply because the volume of traffic is less, people actually seem to know how to drive correctly round there! By contract I find Hertfordshire to be absolutely abysmal - how some people pass their test is beyond me.

 

[centraltrains]

All of these were at Langley Green too!

https://youtu.be/fg0njxcOddc?t=13s
https://youtu.be/--P7NaNo_FI?t=1m35s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_suAOXJG5H0