Preventing hazards at railway crossings.

In the first four months of this year, railway accidents nationwide increased sharply with 65 incidents, resulting in 32 deaths and 30 injuries. Many incidents stemmed from familiar mistakes such as deliberately crossing level crossings when warning signals were on, crossing unauthorized crossings, or stopping or parking in dangerous areas. Just a few seconds of haste or a careless decision can cost human lives and leave lasting trauma for many families.

A case of failure to comply with railway warning signals was detected and handled by traffic police. (Photo: Provided)

Unlike road vehicles, trains have a large load capacity, long braking distances, and cannot make sudden turns to avoid obstacles. When collisions occur, the consequences are usually very serious.

In reality, many railway accidents stem from the complacent attitude of some road users. Many people still think the train is far away and that rushing to cross will save them time. Some are reluctant to wait a few minutes and try to squeeze past the barrier, while others choose to take shortcuts through illegal openings for convenience. However, these seemingly minor thoughts are the root cause of major accidents.

Given this situation, it is essential for authorities to intensify inspections and strictly handle violations of railway safety regulations.

Increasing penalties for crossing barriers, failing to obey warning signals, or encroaching on railway safety corridors also demonstrates a firm stance against leniency towards behaviors that pose particularly high risks. The law must be sufficiently deterrent to compel violators to think twice before acting.

Along with direct penalties, applying technology in monitoring and issuing fines remotely is a suitable solution. When cameras are installed at intersections, detecting violations will be more objective and continuous, and will reduce the tendency to only comply when law enforcement is present. People will understand that violations can be recorded at any time, thereby raising their self-awareness.

In Thai Nguyen province, the Dong Anh - Quan Trieu railway line passes through many residential areas with high traffic density of people and vehicles.

In response to the need to ensure traffic safety, the Traffic Police Department of the Provincial Public Security recently coordinated with the Ha Thai Railway Company to install warning signs in areas where traffic violations are subject to fines issued after the red light is on, and to handle violations of "crossing the railway crossing when the red light is on" at 10 guarded level crossings on this line.

This shows that the locality is proactively applying technology to maintain traffic safety and order, instead of just dealing with issues on a case-by-case basis.

However, even the strictest penalties cannot create sustainable change without self-awareness. To reduce railway accidents in the long term, the most important thing is to build a culture of compliance with traffic laws within the community.

In addition, localities need to continue reviewing and eliminating dangerous unauthorized crossings, adding warnings at level crossings, strengthening public awareness campaigns in residential areas and schools, and strictly handling acts of encroachment on railway corridors.

Railway accidents serve as a warning that every moment of carelessness can have serious consequences. Therefore, safety should not be sacrificed for short-term convenience. Traffic culture is formed through stopping at the designated times.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/giao-thong/202605/ngan-chan-hiem-hoa-tai-loi-qua-duong-sat-8f818e0/