National Rail Safety Week - Australia and New Zealand 22-28 August 2011

ANZPAA Supports National Rail Safety Week 2011

Overview of Australia and New Zealand police involvement in National Rail Safety Week

Police across Australia and New Zealand will this year focus enforcement activity at and around railway level crossings in support of National Rail Safety Week, which runs from 22-28 August 2011. All Police Commissioners are proud to support the campaign, which seeks to raise awareness about safety around railway level crossings. Police agencies will undertake a wide range of activities to reinforce important safety messages for motorists and pedestrians throughout the week. These range from providing high visibility and enforcement activities around railway level crossings, to a ‘Cops in Cabs’ initiative which will see police in New Zealand riding with train drivers to film risky driver behaviour, to heightened media engagement and awareness raising in conjunction with transport and rail agencies.

The collective police effort is overseen by the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA), a joint initiative of the Australian and New Zealand Police Ministers and Commissioners, in close partnership with the ARA and RISSB. The safety and awareness messages of National Rail Safety Week strongly align to the strategic objectives of ANZPAA, including supporting operational activities to reduce road fatalities and trauma and raising awareness of associated road policing issues. The focus on motorist and pedestrian behaviour around railways also aligns with the objectives of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety to stabilise and then reduce global road deaths by 2020.

NZ Police

NZ Police will:

  • provide a high-level presence at national and district launch activities, including media engagement in conjunction with rail counterparts
  • lead the 'Cops in Cabs' initiative where police staff will ride with a small number of train drivers on risk routes and film vehicle driver behaviour (with associated media)
  • participate in an engagement with the Chris Cairns Foundation (the foundation was initiated by former New Zealand international cricketer Chris Cairns, whose sister was killed whilst a passenger on board a train in 1993 when a cement truck failed to stop at a level crossing)
  • carry out programmed enforcement activities.

NSW Police Force

  • Police will monitor railway level crossings to detect and deter level crossing offences. Motorists caught disobeying a rail crossing light/sign should expect to receive a penalty notice during NRSW and particular focus will be on heavy vehicles in rural areas. 　
  • New for 2011 will be a coordinated effort by NSWPF, Department of Transport and road and rail authorities at several level crossings where vehicles will be paid special focus.
  • The police focus of NRSW 2011 is to be expanded to include trespassing by people on foot, and police will target persons unlawfully entering the rail corridor. 　

NT Police

  • NT Police will undertake activities in marked and unmarked vehicles and will work with media, preparing a media release/interview at the commencement of the operation to raise awareness of rail safety with road users and the penalties for breaking railway level crossings road rules.

QLD Police Service

  • Officers from the State Traffic Task Force and Railway Squad have planned increased enforcement operations in partnership with Queensland Rail at identified level crossings and railway stations.
  • It is envisaged that regional police will also provide a significant and meaningful QPS response to National Rail Safety Week 2011.
  • Individual Police Regions will be encouraged to conduct enforcement operations at identified level crossings in cooperation with local rail controllers and operators.
  • A coordinated media strategy will be developed in partnership with Queensland Rail for the week.

SA Police

  • SA Police will provide a high visual presence at selected railway level crossings targeting all road users. Police will look to establish a presence particularly during peak rail activity times at a number of rail level crossings to provide visibility, and detect road users who disobey legislation pertaining to rail level crossings.

Tasmania Police

Tasmania Police will:

  • provide visibility and enforcement activities around rail crossings, with particular emphasis this year on targeting the top 10 rail crossings identified as having the highest incidence of collisions or near misses during the past 12 months
  • in conjunction with TasRail and the media, aim to raise awareness amongst the public regarding railway trespass and the potentially devastating consequences this practice may have
  • be represented at the launch of NRSW in Tasmania with other partners including TasRail, local government and the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources.

Victoria Police

Victoria Police will:

  • conduct a state-wide targeted operation during the week focusing on enforcement, prevention and awareness activities conducted throughout each region
  • undertake a general operation focusing on rail crossings, and highly visible operations along the rail corridors and surrounding transport centres across the Melbourne metropolitan area, with a focus on pedestrian safety such as　crossing railway lines　and safety on platforms
  • conduct targeted media in conjunction with rail transport authorities at the state and local level.　

WA Police

  • WA Police will undertake a state-wide targeted enforcement role at selected level crossings as part of NRSW. Traffic Enforcement Officers will develop local action plans, conducting highly visible patrols at level crossings with high volume traffic and others considered to be high-risk.
  • District Traffic Officers will be encouraged to pay specific attention to enforcement of traffic laws at local rail crossings as part of their patrol and enforcement duties.