50 delegates from 27 countries, from the railway and road sectors, from UNECE member states and experts from academia, participated in the third meeting in Geneva.
Mr Martin Gallagher, Chairman of the working group opened this third session. The group adopted the agenda: http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2014/wp1/ECE-TRANS-WP1-GE1-5e.pdf with the addition of the topic of road traffic signals at level crossings, and how road users and rail operators respond to them.
At its second session in May, the Group of Experts agreed that a questionnaire, comprised of information sought from the various subgroups on the following aspects relating to items below, would be compiled and circulated by the secretariat to the UNECE member States, selected non-UNECE member States such as Australia, India, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the Group of Experts, for completion and return to the secretariat by the end of August:
- Economic costs of level crossing accidents
- Data on level crossings being collected
- Best/good practices in relation to safety at level crossings;
- National legislation and/or legal arrangements at level crossings;
- Human factors impacting on safety at level crossings (including safety related technology); and
- Enforcement.
In September the secretariat forwarded 27 responses from 23 countries to the subgroups. Based on the responses, each subgroup prepared an informal paper on its topic, which include a summary of the issues, findings and proposed recommendations/next steps for the work of their subgroup.
The objective of the GE1 is to produce a strategic report and recommendations covering key important areas of level crossing safety.
On 23 October, the European Commission delivered a presentation on its December 2003 “Safety at level crossings” report. It also gave an overview of current road safety priorities and projects.
Then participants had the opportunity to view
- an innovative film issued by the Russian Federation on raising awareness of specific dangers and risky behaviour at and around level crossings;
- and the film produced by the Federal Office of Transport of the Swiss Confederation (FOT), UIC and UNECE: “Save lives at level crossings, a price too high to pay!” on the occasion of ILCAD 2014.
Saving Lives at Level Crossings – A price too... par f100002252234782
Finally delegates were informed that the fourth meeting would take place on 29 and 30 January 2015.
Please visit:
http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=32732
