Jak wyłamać rogatki na przejeździe kolejowym?

In 2024, 164 accidents occurred at level crossings and level crossings, resulting in 49 deaths and 15 serious injuries. On average, a collision with a train occurred every 54 hours. A person died at a level crossing once a week, so Wieluń presented the moment a barrier was breached to show you how to escape an emergency. Most accidents at such places can be avoided. In this case, it's not the electronics that fail, but the people who fail. "99% of accidents at level crossings are caused by poor decisions made by drivers. Rush, recklessness, and also routine are what ruin us," says Katarzyna Głowacka of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A., without a doubt. Experts argue that once we find ourselves in trouble, it's not worth waiting. "Drivers who disobey the signal are at risk of the barriers falling and becoming trapped inside the crossing," explains Marcin Kruszyński from PKP PLK. "And here we see the second negative impression, whether action or inaction, negative driver behavior: drivers failing to take action to break the barrier and exit the crossing to clear the crossing for the train." For educational purposes, the moment a car breaks the barriers was demonstrated. As it turns out, it's enough to lightly bump the vehicle against the red and white barriers to quickly exit the crossing without damaging the car. "Each barrier is equipped with a so-called barrier rod safety device," adds Kruszyński. "Here's one example of a device that's already worn out, designed to break with a small amount of force, so that the driver can safely exit the crossing without risking any damage to themselves or their vehicle." And once we've completed this simple task, it's worth immediately informing the authorities. A yellow sticker, located at every crossing, will be helpful. "This is the emergency number 112, which is used in emergencies, situations of immediate danger, a vehicle defect at a level crossing, or situations of immediate danger," explains Mariusz Lach, deputy director of the Railway Transport Authority (ZLK) in Tarnowskie Góry. "The 112 operator will ask us to provide this 9-digit emergency number, and based on this emergency number, they can identify the level crossing we are at, and then initiate an emergency stop procedure for any approaching train." The simulation in Wieluń was conducted as part of the nationwide "Safe Crossing" social campaign.