In the first quarter of this year the number of collisions and accidents in which someone was hit in railway crossings has dropped by 33 percent. By the end of March 2018, the Hungarian State Railways Co. (MAV Co.) were faced with one fatal accident, one serious accident and five accidents with light injury on its network at road crossings with well-functioning crossing barriers. In 2017, MAV Co’s personnel for safety and security – with the involvement of the police – carried out traffic safety checks almost 200 times at railway crossing with barriers. A similar campaign is expected this year as well.
Last year a total of 99 collisions and accidents in which someone was hit in railway crossings were registered, out of which 16 took place in railway crossings on the network of MÁV-HÉV (commuter rail lines in and around Budapest). This total figure is higher than it was in 2016, however one can see a significant decrease in the number of accidents during the last quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of this year. The accidents and collisions were due to the negligence and inattention of road users. Accidents resulting from the failure of the railway system have not been recorded for more than seven years.
The reduction in the number of accidents can be accounted for the safety checks and the accident-prevention campaigns. MAV Co. considers it a priority to prevent traffic accidents and reduce their number in the railway crossings. Therefore, in addition to the development of crossing barriers, MAV Co. regularly draws the attention of the road users to the regulations of the Highway Code jointly with the police. As part of the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) on 2 June 2017, fifty traffic safety checks were carried out at crossing barriers. Besides this, 190 traffic checks took place last year in 157 railway crossings. During this year’s ILCAD Day, on 7 June road-users will be checked at railway crossings.
Raising drivers’ awareness is essential because they not only risk their own lives, but also of those who travel on trains or work in rail.
(Source: MAV Co)
