Under the slogan” CAUTION! CHOOSE LIFE“„Serbian Railways“ held FIRST PUBLIC CLASS ON SAFETY ON LEVEL CROSSINGS, in Belgrade, Niš, Ruma, Sremski Karlovci and Lapovo on June 22, and in this way, they want to be included in the marking of the International Level Crossings Awareness Day. This day is celebrated in over 45 countries, on five continents under the auspices of the International Union of Railways and other huge railway associations and institutions.

According to statistical data of expert service of “Serbian Railways”, the largest number of extraordinary incidents occurred because of carelessness, negligence, non observance of traffic signalization as well as haughty and irresponsible behavior of people in the road traffic. As cause of these incidents, Railways was present just in one case, and it was just in previous year.

Drivers of road vehicles do not watch and do not take a look around track on occasion of crossing over it. They enter risky and dangerous drive passing a level crossing barriers and half-barriers, do not respect, in sufficient measure a light signaling   and go across a track even though the device for traffic safety is activated. It occurs, in many cases that passenger vehicle are jammed on the track or slid off the road in the track zone.  It occurs frequently that haughty and self-confident drivers of road vehicles drive under influence of alcohol and enter the risky and dangerous situations.  A photo of road vehicle which crashed in the middle of the train because of unadapted speed is not montage but, unfortunately, the real situation (9 such cases occurred in 2008, whereas 5 such cases occurred previous year).

In area of "Serbian Railways", there are 2.138 level crossings totally, and the ways of its security can be different as follows:

1. traffic signs on the road and visibility triangle;
2. illuminated traffic signs and traffic sings  on the road;
3. half-barriers with illuminated traffic signs and traffic sings  on the road;
4. barriers and traffic sings  on the road;
5. direct regulation of traffic on level crossings and particular measures in specific cases;
6. fences or other devices on level crossings for pedestrians and cyclist.

In which way some level crossings will be insured depends on visibility of rail and road on crossings place (visibility triangle), rail purpose, type of rail, traffic density, maximum allowed speed, length of level crossing and free space above level crossing.

Let’s mention it is regulated that crossing places of rail and road must be equipped by automatic devices of level crossing, when the crossing is performed on the spot:
1. Main lines with   magistral roads, i.e. regional roads.
2. Main lines and road where the maximum allowed speed is over 120 km/h;
3. Other lines with roads which have bigger traffic density of 5 000 vehicles during twenty -four hours.

On the other hand, local autonomy has influence on way of level crossings insuring which is according to provisions of Railway law and the mentioned paticipates in financing and maintenance of the level crossings.

Taking into consideration all economic and technological aspects, there is not justification that all level crossings will be insured by automatic devices. This practice was notified neither in richer and modern railways, nor in the most developed countries where there is much investment in railway and railway traffic. Having in mind time and investment which is necessary for safety on level crossings, many railways administrations recognized potential in education, media oriented national campaigns and actions such as International Level Crossings Awareness Day. It will be appealed by this actions on awareness of all of people in traffic to behave with responsibility to oneself and others and to respect all road and rail signalization and to be careful and considerate on level crossings because – BRAKING DISTANCE OF TRAIN SET IS BETWEEN 700 AND 1.000 METERS AND NO ONE INSTANT REACTION IS NOT POSSIBLE !  THEREFORE, “CAUTION! CHOOSE LIFE!”