Shocking video showed a train and car crash in New Zealand’s North Island. Released by KiwiRail, the footage shows the car speeding toward the tracks and colliding with an oncoming train. The driver honked and shouted just before the crash but couldn’t stop it.
David Gordon from KiwiRail said the video aims to remind people to be careful at train crossings. Fortunately, no one died in this accident, but such close calls can deeply affect train drivers and those involved.
The video was shared for Rail Safety Week and the start of the Steely Stare campaign, which urges people to look out for trains at crossings. Gordon expressed concern that 95% of crashes and 73% of near misses happened at crossings that had flashing lights and barrier arms.
Megan Drayton, manager of TrackSAFE, warned that trains are very hard to stop. They have the right of way and move faster than they seem. Train drivers can sound the horn and hit the emergency brakes, but it rarely prevents a crash.
In the year up to June 30, there were 19 train collisions at crossings and 173 near misses. Most of these incidents occurred at crossings equipped with safety signals. Over the last 10 years, more than 170 people have died in train collisions.
