Serious accident in Beckedorf: tractor crashes into freight train!

Serious accident in Beckedorf: tractor crashes into freight train!

Today there are reports of a dramatic incident at an unguarded railway crossing in Beckedorf, a small town in the Schaumburg district, Lower Saxony. The driver of a tractor wanted to cross the Zur Hünenburg street on Wednesday afternoon when she overlooked a freight train coming from the direction of Celle. The train was able to initiate emergency braking due to the reduced speed, but a collision still occurred. The driver was thrown from her vehicle in the impact and suffered serious injuries.

The Beckedorf fire department was immediately alerted to secure the operating materials they had picked up and to initiate further security measures. The tractor was rescued from the tracks using a crane and the emergency services were able to clear the scene of the accident after around 1.5 hours. The exact cause of the accident is still being investigated by police, while the events provide a disturbing insight into the dangers of unsecured level crossings.

Risk of accidents at railway crossings

The incident in Beckedorf is not an isolated case. According to a current study by insurers' accident research (UDV), accidents at level crossings are often due to the behavior of drivers. Around 84% of accidents at crossings without gates but with flashing lights result from running a red light. The numbers are alarming: every year around 50 people lose their lives at level crossings, while around 250 are seriously injured and almost 1,000 are slightly injured. Most of the fatal and serious injuries occur at crossings with a lack of technical security - a circumstance that is particularly true at the unrestricted crossing in Beckedorf ( udv.de ).

The situation becomes particularly problematic when vehicles, such as tractors, pile up in the track area. The safety of level crossings varies greatly - fully gated crossings are the safest option. In contrast, the risk of accidents at unguarded crossings increases 49 times ( dvr.de ).

Prevention and safety

There are numerous measures to improve safety at level crossings. The transport sector is demanding, among other things, the replacement of unsecured crossings with overpasses or underpasses. Half barriers could be made safer through technical devices such as traffic lights. These requirements aim to minimize human error, which is often the cause of accidents. The current proposals include, among other things, raising awareness among drivers about the risks at level crossings and targeted educational campaigns, such as the “safe over it” campaign ( dvr.de ).

Dealing well with the dangers and better equipping the crossings could help prevent a sad chain of accidents like the one in Beckedorf.