Running head: SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 1

Safety and Risk Management

Name

Institution
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 2

Executive Summary

Incidents of train accidents in the Australian railroads attract a variety of opinions from

the public. These accidents usually result in severe injuries and in some cases lead to deaths.

Injuries and loss of lives can be reduced if the relevant stakeholders take note and practice safety

measures and risk management. In most cases, the answer to the question of what could have

been the possible causes of these train accidents lies on the neglect from staff, which leads to

safety breaches. This report investigates a recent train accident in Albury, New South Wales

which occurred on 5th June 2006. The accident, which led to the death of a sedan driver attracted

many opinions from the general public. The report will discuss in detail some policy changes that

were formulated to curtail such accidents. The report further offers some policy

recommendations that could help to mitigate such accidents. Finally, the conclusion acts as a

summary of the report.

Table of Contents

Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Background information..................................................................................................................4
Findings...........................................................................................................................................5
Policy Changes after the Albury Accident......................................................................................6
Recommendations............................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................................10
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 4

Safety and Risk Management

Introduction

The need for enforcing safety measures and risk management practices in the country’s

railroads is palpable. The fact that most of the train accidents in Australian railroads occur due to

safety breaches is not debatable. Ignorance, neglect of duty, and professional misconduct are

some of the most common transgressions committed by the train staffs that cause most of these

accidents. The significance of investigating the genesis of these safety breaches calls upon the

need for the relevant stakeholders to come up with effective policies that could abate some of

these accidents. This report mainly endeavors to probe safety breaches that could have led to the

Albury train accident that involved an XPT train and a sedan car. The paper further examines

policies that were enacted by the authorities during the aftermath of the accident. The report also

recommends various solutions that could be useful in minimizing train accidents.

Background information

The modes of transport in New South Wales are utterly diversified. Most residents in

NSW usually travel by trains, buses, taxi cabs or bicycles (Rissel, Greenaway & Bauman, 2014).

The many modes of transport help the residents reach their destinations using the most efficient

means. However, the availability of these diverse modes of transport can turn into a setback as it

increases the probability of the residents suffering injuries or losing their lives through accidents.

Train accidents are not uncommon in New South Wales. In 2006, thecollision of an XPT

passenger train and a 1986 Holden Commodore sedan car incited numerous opinions and uproar

among the residents of New South Wales. The accident which occurred at approximately 1.22

pm on 5th July 2006 claimed the life of the sedan driver and minimal damage on the XPT train.
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 5

The crash happened at the busy Thurgoona Road level crossing. The collision led to the fatal

injury and death of the sedan car driver and minimal damage on the passenger train. The public

and the authorities, as usual, were concerned about what could have been the cause of the

accident considering that it happened at a level crossing. There were widespread mixed opinions

of who could have erred between the train and the sedan administrators in the nearby streets.

Findings

Upon investigation, it was found that the deceased driver had driven into the path of the

train. The probe also found out that the accident was an effect of an impaired judgment by the

deceased driver. Through thorough investigation and post-mortem, the sedan car had used non-

prescription drugs, probably cannabis. Moreover, Australian investigators reported that the

deceased driver could have been distracted by his mobile phone because, at the incidence of the

accident, he was using it.

The above findings portray the sedan driver to have breached safety and risk management

practices viable in roads and railways. Although operating a mobile phone could have triggered

the accident, the most possible cause of the Albury accident stands to be the use of drugs by the

deceased sedan driver. Using drugs such as marijuana distorts the thinking and judgment of

drivers and machine operators. According to Greene (2018), marijuana impairs the driver’s

decisions and judgment more than alcohol. Drivers under the influence of marijuana is likely to

be seen overlapping and overtaking carelessly, ignoring traffic lights, using the wrong side of the

road overlooking road safety measures and generally breaching safety rules. Australian law

prohibits drivers from operating their cars when they have abused drugs or substance. Quilter &

McNamara (2018) confirm that Australia has formulated laws that have zero-tolerance drug-
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 6

driving. Alcohol and substance abuse being the major causes of road accidents in Australia, it is

also attributed to many accidents that are involved in railways (Zhao & Khattak, 2018). Cases of

drug-related accidents between cars and trains in Australia are not different from cases in other

countries with wide rail networks such as the USA. In the USA, for instance, there were 902

incidents of drug-related collisions between road vehicles and trains between 2007 and 2013

(Ghomi, Bagheri & Fu, 2016). The scholars further stress that the accidents resulted in 549

fatalities and 149 severe injuries. Besides, most of the transgressors are car users. The accident in

Albury was just a single example of many incidents.

Policy Changes after the Albury Accident

Marshall (2018) argues that courtesy of good policies in Australia, the Australian rails

and roads are much safer compared to those in the USA. The scholar’s argument is based on the

numbers of casualties in the two countries, hardly on the frequency of these accidents. The

scholar does not consider the fact that many accidents in Australia only claim a few lives because

most of the accidents involve the collision of cars and trains, with the inhabitants of the car

ending up to be the casualties.

To reduce drug-related accidents in railways, legislative officials in New South Wales

changed Rail Safety Law National Regulations policy of 2012 concerned with curbing rail

accidents. The change took place in 2018 and further drug and alcohol testing as strategies to

curb rail accidents ("Rail Safety National Law - Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator",

2019). The new policy took into consideration the abatement of the June 2006 Albury accident

and many others in New South Wales.

The Albury accident also served to remind drivers of the adverse circumstances that

follow driving while under the influence of drugs. After learning that the deceased sedan driver

was under influence, drivers who had similar habits restrained themselves from drugs. Safety and

risk management agencies took advantage and conducted public awareness campaigns to stop

drug-related accidents. The government and these agencies further negotiated with the drivers to

desist driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs. This would help to moderate the

frequency of drug-related train and car accidents in the near foreseeable future. Wiseman, Wake

Forest and Poly (2017) refers to this strategy as ‘negotiated governance' as it is a representation

of negotiation between agencies and the affected stakeholders. The strategy effectively worked

in to change transport practices in New South Wales.

Recommendations

There are already rules that prohibit drivers to use drugs when driving. However,

Australian government authorities need to come up with more stringent policies and sanctions

against drivers who drive under the influence of drugs. The Australian government should

emulate the USA in making arrests of any driver suspected to be under the influence of drugs. In

the US, there are about 10.3 million drivers arrested after being suspected to be under the

influence of drugs (Wong, Brady & Li, 2014). The government needs to increase its focus on

curtailing drug-related accidents. This is because apart from the death of drivers and passengers

in passenger cars, the accidents cause tensions and delays on the train. This could amount to

losses especially when time is put into consideration.

Moreover, the government is recommended to emulate Canada and enforce a policy that

could see drivers undergo check-up by the roadside. In Canada, car drivers are stopped by the
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 8

roadside so that traffic officers can evaluate whether they are sober (Solomon & Chamberlain,

2014). Matthews et al., (2014) also recommends roadside setups to evaluate the condition of

passenger and freight drivers. This would ensure that drivers embrace sobriety on their daily

trips. Brubacher, et al., (2018) also suggest that the government should conduct compulsory

random alcohol and drugs tests on drivers. This would reduce drug-related accidents. Passenger

car drivers operating near railroads should undergo these tests. Train drivers and staffs should

also be subjected to such random tests.

Nonetheless, it may be prudent for railways to be constructed away from roads. In turn,

this might reduce the number of accidents between trains and road vehicles. Although passenger

cars are instrumental in moving passengers from railway stations to their respective destinations,

roads should be constructed away from railways. There should be no incidence where a road

crosses over or interlocks a railway line. This separation may reduce the number of accidents

which occur due to poor judgment and communication between train and car drivers. Although

many stakeholders may oppose such a recommendation, it should be understood that increasing

the difference between roads and railways will eventually reduce such accidents.

Conclusion

To conclude, safety and risk management practices are fundamental in railways.

Accidents witnessed in railways normally result from breach of safety and risk management

rules by drivers. The Albury accident involving a passenger train and a sedan car is a

manifestation of many drug-related accidents that may have gone unnoticed. Policies covering

railways safety should undergo the necessary modifications to reduce drug-related accidents. It is

recommended that the government should increase its focus in fighting and punishing drivers
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 9

that drive under the influence of drugs. Moreover, random drug tests may reduce accidents in the

railway lines.
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References

.Ghomi, H., Bagheri, M., Fu, L., & Miranda-Moreno, L. F. (2016). Analyzing injury severity

factors at highway railway grade crossing accidents involving vulnerable road users: A

comparative study. Traffic injury prevention, 17(8), 833-841.

Brubacher, J. R., Chan, H., Erdelyi, S., Asbridge, M., Mann, R. E., Purssell, R. A., & Solomon,

R. (2018). Police documentation of drug use in injured drivers: Implications for

monitoring and preventing drug-impaired driving. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 118,

200-206.

Greene, K. M. (2018). Perceptions of driving after marijuana use compared to alcohol use among

rural American young adults. Drug and alcohol review, 37(5), 637-644

Marshall, W. E. (2018). Understanding international road safety disparities: Why is Australia so

much safer than the United States?. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 111, 251-265.

Matthews, A. J., Bruno, R., Dietze, P., Butler, K., & Burns, L. (2014). Driving under the

influence among frequent ecstasy consumers in Australia: Trends over time and the role

of risk perceptions. Drug and alcohol dependence, 144, 218-224.

Quilter, J., & McNamara, L. (2018). The meaning of “intoxication” in Australian criminal cases:

Origins and operation. New Criminal Law Review: In International and Interdisciplinary

Journal, 21(1), 170-207.

Rail Safety National Law - Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator. (2019). Retrieved on 7

September 2019, from [Link]

Rissel, C., Greenaway, M., Bauman, A., & Wen, L. M. (2014). Active travel to work in New

South Wales 2005–2010, individual characteristics and association with body mass

index. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 38(1), 25-29.

Solomon, R., & Chamberlain, E. (2014). Canada's new drug-impaired driving law: The need to

consider other approaches. Traffic injury prevention, 15(7), 685-693.

Wiseman, H. J. (2017). Negotiated Rulemaking and New Risks: A Rail Safety Case Study. Wake

Forest JL &Pol'y, 7, 207.

Wong, K., Brady, J. E., & Li, G. (2014). Establishing legal limits for driving under the influence

of marijuana. Injury epidemiology, 1(1), 26.

Zhao, S., &Khattak, A. J. (2018). Injury severity in crashes reported in proximity of rail

crossings: The role of driver inattention. Journal of Transportation Safety &

Security, 10(6), 507-524.