A new safety campaign is being launched today to highlight the dangers of railway level crossings. Over the last 10 years 5 people have been killed in incidents at crossings around the country.

There have been 21 collisions between trains and vehicles while road users have crashed into barriers 241 times. Between 2009 and June 2012 there have been 96 Category 1 'near misses'. This refers to incidents where the train driver made an emergency brake application in response to a hazard.

The Dublin to Wexford, the Western and the North-Western routes have the most-reported incidents.

The 'Safety at Level Crossings' awareness campaign is taking place in conjunction with the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Iarnród Éireann and the Railway Safety Commission.

As part of the campaign a new information booklet and 30-second radio ad has been produced to provide guidance to road users. This will air on national and local radio from today.

Raise awareness of the risks

Speaking on the new campaign Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said "Road users should always be conscious of the dangers posed by level crossings. The State also has a duty to raise awareness of the risks, so I’m very pleased to see the RSA, Iarnród Éireann and the Railway Safety Commission joining forces for this life-saving campaign" he said.

"These rules are there to save lives. Your own actions at a level crossing can have a significant impact on your own welfare, and the lives of others" he added.

Chief Executive of Iarnód Éireann David Franks said "It is vital that road users understand that they must approach a level crossing with care and then slow down and be prepared to stop. Some people may not realise that you must obey the signs and roadway markings at a level crossing. It is highly dangerous to zigzag around the barriers of a crossing or stop on the railway tracks".

Noel Brett is the RSA Chief Executive. He says people are taking serious risks.