Light rail vehicle drivers are having close shaves. Photo: Screenshot from dash-cam footage.
The message to be alert and safe around light rail is still to get through to some Canberrans if a new near-misses video showing drivers, cyclists and pedestrians taking shocking risks is anything to go by.
Transport Minister Chris Steel has posted a new dash-cam video compiled by Transport Canberra on Facebook of recent incidents drivers have witnessed or had to contend with.
One scene shows a young cyclist trying to cut across the corridor crashing onto the tracks in the path of an oncoming light rail vehicle. Another has a woman with her head turned away stepping across the tracks without looking.
One car actually turns into the light rail corridor in the city before realising it is not the roadway, while a taxi turns across the tracks in front of a light rail vehicle.
Then there is the person pushing a pram down the middle of Northbourne Avenue between the tracks. Someone on a bicycle also rides in a cavalier fashion down Northbourne between the tracks.
Light Rail Dash Cam Compilation #2
More near misses! ? Safety around light rail is everyone's responsibility. We don't want to see you on the next near misses compilation video. Pay attention around light rail #Canberra ? https://cmet.com.au/safety/
Posted by Chris Steel MLA on Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Children can be seen dashing across the tracks in Gungahlin in front of the light rail vehicle, needing only to slip for a tragedy to occur.
Mr Steel said rail safety was everyone’s responsibility.
Be alert and be aware or you might be an unwitting star on the next near-misses video. Photo: File.
“If you are a pedestrian, follow the signals and look in both directions before crossing light rail tracks because the light rail vehicles could be coming from either direction at any time,” he said.
“If you are driving around light rail follow the traffic signals and don’t stop across the track, or drive along the tracks.
“We don’t want to see you on the next near misses compilation video.”
For light rail safety tips visit CMET.
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If you’re stupid, you’re stupid. Can’t un-stupid stupid.
Plenty of cars still want to park over the intersection of Barton and northbourne! Tram couldn't get through the other day!
Meh....it’s called natural selection.
It happens in Melbourne too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uLpgrcLOZM
Two of the facts of life are that eggs don’t bounce and trams don’t swerve.
Natural selection
Can they be fined?
Instead of automatically blaming the pedestrians, drivers, cyclists and everyone else involved in these near misses a responsible transit authority must pay attention to its own culpability. The video clearly shows people do not hear the approaching tram and road signage that is confusing and inadequate. But the paid spruikers of the tram would rather blame the public for accidents than admit their own design incompetence.
Darwin jokes aside, there will be fatalities, and I urge government to do more than videos. There was a short blitz after the last near-fatal in Civic, but there should be a persistent (random, unannounced) blitzes on both drivers and pedestrians.
“Pay attention-it’s everyone’s responsibility”. Doesn’t account for stupidity!
This Tram just keeps on giving
I believe in Darwin’s Theory so my care factor is zero except for the poor cho cho tram driver who has to deal with the aftermath
Yes im sure you'll stand by that if its someone that you care about that gets hit
People's last 2 brain cells right before they nearly die
Boom gates.
Let Darwin work it out..
Is “don’t walk in front of speeding trams” really something we need to remind people of in 2019?
Claire Majella There are people right now who earnestly believe that the earth is flat.
Darwinism right there. Pity the poor drivers
It’s not just around the light rail, this afternoon I saw an elderly person cross Yamba Drive between the two sets of traffic lights (I think one street is wisdom st, where there are two sets close together). Hunched over, stick in hand, ambling across the road and I swear as she stepped off the median strip she didn’t even look! But had to move more quickly as cars moved away from the lights!
Well, there’s the quick & the dead and we have to curb population growth somehow ….