Recommendation 012/16

A survey of the Te Onetea Road level crossing was carried out to the ALCAM standards on 20 March 2012. The sighting distances in both directions did not allow sufficient time for long vehicles to drive safely over the level crossing without being struck by a train. Therefore, a fully road-compliant long vehicle could not use the level crossing with the recommended margins for safety.

No action had been taken between the 2012 survey and the date of the accident, 27 February 2014, to mitigate the risk to road users and train vehicles. The Commission recommends that the Chief Executive of the NZ Transport Agency work with KiwiRail and Waikato District Council to address this safety issue.