Source: TMR
A new national level crossing safety campaign, Don’t Risk the Rails, has been launched to improve awareness of the risks at level crossings and reduce deaths, injuries and near hits across Australia.
The campaign brings together governments, road and rail regulators and industry bodies to reinforce a simple message: no shortcut, distraction or moment of impatience is worth risking a collision with a train.
A national focus on level crossing safety
Australia has more than 20,000 level crossings, ranging from busy metropolitan crossings to passive crossings on regional and rural roads.
Data from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) shows an average of almost 950 near hits each year at level crossings on Australia’s heavy rail network between 2016 and 2025.
Over the same period, 35 people were killed and 149 injured in collisions between trains and vehicles. A further 16 people were killed and 23 injured in collisions involving trains and pedestrians at heavy rail level crossings.
The campaign follows the National Level Crossing Safety Roundtable, which was convened following the tragic collision between a B-double and a fully laden freight train at Bindarrah, South Australia, on New Year’s Eve 2024. Both train drivers were killed in the collision.
Public education was identified as an important part of improving level crossing safety, alongside infrastructure improvements and better coordination between road and rail managers.
What heavy vehicle drivers need to know
Heavy vehicles face particular risks when approaching and travelling through level crossings due to their size, weight and stopping distances.
Drivers should approach every level crossing with caution, regardless of whether it is located on a major road or a remote regional route.
Importantly, drivers must ensure there is enough space on the other side of the crossing for the entire heavy vehicle combination to completely clear the railway tracks before proceeding. Drivers should never enter a crossing where traffic or other conditions could result in the vehicle being caught or queued across the tracks.
Regional and rural crossings can also present additional risks. Many do not have physical barriers such as boom gates, while heavy vehicle drivers may be operating at night, in poor weather or in areas where train movements can change due to seasonal freight activity.
The campaign
Don’t Risk the Rails includes targeted messaging for both light and heavy vehicle drivers and will run nationally across online platforms, social media, billboards and audio advertising.
The campaign was developed through the National Level Crossing Safety Committee (NLCSC) in conjunction with member organisations, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR).
It forms part of the National Level Crossing Safety Strategy Work Plan and supports the broader national goal of zero harm at Australian level crossings.
The campaign commenced during TrackSAFE Foundation’s Rail Safety Week and will remain in market nationally until the end of July 2027.
More information
Heavy vehicle operators and drivers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Don’t Risk the Rails campaign and continue reinforcing safe level crossing practices across their operations.
Further information and campaign resources are available through Don't Risk the Rails.
Information about Rail Safety Week is also available through the TrackSAFE website.
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