Looking first at material from the United Kingdom, Network Rail – Great Britain’s national rail infrastructure manager – is arguing that the government needs to do more to curb unsafe driving at level crossings. Network Rail is arguing that the theory element of the driving test needs to go further with all aspirant drivers needing to demonstrate that they understand how to use level crossings safely. This is a laudable aim.
However, to support the press release issued by Network Rail, they have provided 11 clips showing footage of unsafe acts at level crossings. The idea behind this seems to be that it offers many media outlets a local dimension to support the key message that the driving test needs to cover level crossings more effectively. But, what are people talking about, the core message or the stupidity of motorists? Certainly, on the basis of the national television coverage it is the latter. It’s early days yet, but the video clips are already beginning to circulate virally as entertainment.
An example of a video clip circulating very widely as entertainment is the case of the man who pushed a van clear of an approaching train in Tigre, Argentina. In this case, the video clip from a surveillance camera could within three weeks of it appearing be found on more than seven thousand English language internet sites around the world. Add in other languages and in all probability this number will double.
A third example relates to the use of images from cameras mounted on a light rapid transit unit on which a collision with a bus was recorded. Both bus and tram were operated by the Houston, Texas, transit agency and the video footage was released within 24 hours to support a news story that the collision was the fault of the bus driver. In this case the video footage has only circulated a little beyond local news outlets.
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However, releasing film of a collision in which only minor injuries ensued to apportion blame is just a step away from someone, without thinking of the potential impact, releasing video images from on-train cameras to demonstrate that a fatal collision was the fault of the motorist who died. Were such material to be released it would circulate widely as entertainment.
Forward facing cameras and static CCTV installations are great for gathering evidence to support accident investigation and to limit liability in subsequent claims for damages. However, even in these contexts care is needed to ensure that those that have to download the images are not traumatised when faced with the stark reality of intentional and accidental death on the railway.
The key test before any release of video images of level crossing accidents and near misses is: are they gratuitous, will they be abused and circulate as entertainment and do they really support delivery of a news story? Only when the answer to all three questions is no, is there a case for releasing video images to the public.
(March 12th, 2010) |
