News
Think Twice. Look Twice. A Safety Message from Luas
This week Transdev Luas launched a safety campaign with a simple reminder to all who drive, walk, or cycle near Luas to "Think Twice. Look Twice" before crossing Luas tracks.
The basic rules of the road and safe cross code that prevent serious accidents from happening should be adhered to by everyone, but distraction and being in a hurry can often put people's safety at risk. Luas drivers are trained in defensive driving and their diligence means Luas has an excellent safety record, but unsafe behaviour around Luas can result in accidents which are often avoidable.
Seamus Egan, Managing Director of Transdev Dublin Light Rail said:
“The interaction between a pedestrian, motorist or cyclist with a tram can be fatal or result in serious injury. Whilst the Luas safety record is excellent, we will always appeal to all road users to think twice and look twice when close to Luas tracks. Defensive driving by Luas drivers has prevented more serious accidents from occurring, but we must all take responsibility. I also particularly appeal to parents and guardians of young children, they may think their child is street wise but serious consequences can happen if children and young teens play unsupervised close to Luas tracks.”
Transdev Luas remind all who travel near Luas to:
- Always look left and right and to check twice for trams before you cross the tracks. Where you see tracks, assume a tram is nearby.
- Know and obey the rules of the road and be extra vigilant around Luas.
- Stay alert and aware of your surroundings – if you have headphones in or are distracted you may not hear or see a tram. Never assume the tram will be able stop instantly.
- Always follow traffic signals and signs. This includes never under any circumstances breaking a red light or amber gambling near Luas.
- Pedestrians should cross at designated crossings where available as these are the safest places to cross.
- Wait for trams to pass before attempting to cross. If a tram has to emergency brake due to a pedestrian, cyclist, or motorist crossing tracks at the last minute, it can cause injury to those on board.
- Remind children, as parents and guardians, of the importance of behaving safely around Luas.
The campaign has received coverage on national news, radio, and online news sites, featuring a shocking compilation of CCTV footage showing the dangers of not making sure the tramway is clear before crossing.
Aside from the potential for serious injury or fatality, collisions and near misses can cause hours of delays for those who rely on Luas.
Trams cannot swerve and take time to stop, even in an emergency brake. We remind everyone that we all have an important part to play to keep each other safe around Luas.
