<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says a fatal collision at a South Australia level crossing last year highlights the need for drivers of motor vehicles to be vigilant and obey road traffic signage. </span> <p>On March 19, 2012, a Pacific National ore train travelling on the main line between Port Augusta and Port Pirie in South Australia collided with a car on the Port Flinders Causeway Road level crossing, according to the ATSB’s investigation, released last week.</p><p>There were two people in the car when it was hit. The passenger was killed, and the driver suffered serious injuries. The train’s drivers were physically unharmed, but were shaken by the incident.</p><p>The ATSB found that the driver of the car did not come to a stop at the railway crossing, despite a stop sign being present at the junction.</p><p>The bureau concluded that the driver of the car must have been distracted just prior to the incident, as there were no tyre skid marks on the road prior to the crossing, and there was no evidence that the driver had tried to accelerate through the crossing.</p><p>“It was concluded that when the motorist finally realised the collision was imminent there was probably insufficient time to accelerate in an attempt to clear the crossing,” the ATSB said.</p><p>As a result of the investigation, a missing ‘Railway Crossing’ assembly which should have been above the stop sign at the junction was replaced.</p><p>But according to the ATSB, the crossing sign’s absence likely didn’t play a part in the incident.</p><p>“The absence of the ‘Railway Crossing’ assembly was not considered a factor that contributed to the collision,” the bureau said. “It was found that the motorist regularly used the crossing and the ‘Stop’ sign was still in place.”</p>
