See the shocking accidents used to educate people about the potential dangers of trains and trams.
A still from the new rail safety campaign shows a child about to walk in front of a moving train.
A little boy walking unsupervised was caught by his mother at the last minute when he was about to enter the tracks.
A man crosses the barrier and runs the risk of being hit by a speeding train.
A pedestrian facing the wrong direction jumps in front of the tram and narrowly avoids being injured.
These are just some of the scenarios in the Real Life No Rewind campaign, released to celebrate Rail Safety Week 2024.
Dramatic images of real-life accidents between pedestrians and trains and trams on South Australian railways have been published in a bid to reduce the number of near-accidents.
The videos began airing on the Adelaide Metro rail network, on social media, on television and via geo-targeted messaging this week.
Posters with QR codes were also placed at various train stations directing people to the videos.
There have been 123 near-accidents reported on Adelaide Metro's train network so far this year, compared to 132 during the same period last year. Additionally, close to 2024 accidents have been recorded on Adelaide's tram network in 50.
In one incident recorded on January 19, 2024, a man jumped an active pedestrian gate in Broadmeadows and attempted to cross the tracks seconds before a train passed.
While this incident did not end in tragedy, it is just one shocking example of dangerous behavior recorded on the state's busy railways. Between 2019 and 2023, 582 near-accidents and 34 collisions were recorded, and unfortunately, 11 lives were lost.
Accidents and collisions with pedestrians and vehicles have long-lasting impacts not only for those injured or killed and their families, but also for train drivers and their families, emergency service workers and the wider community.
There are 471 pedestrian crossings and 555 level crossings across South Australia, highlighting the need for everyone to be careful and obey signs and signals.
A typical passenger train weighs around 140 tonnes and can travel at speeds of up to 110 km/h. If the emergency brake is activated, a train traveling at full speed needs 470 m of rail length to stop safely. Freight trains, which can weigh up to 10.000 tonnes, need more than 1 km of track length to stop.
As part of the wider campaign organized as part of National Rail Safety Week, which will take place between 5-11 August, South Australians are reminded that trains in the region can operate at any time, day or night, and are called to Expect Unexpected Events.
