Road Safety Bill [HL]

I have added my name to Amendments Nos. 140, 142 and 144. The good news is that I have very rarely, if ever, seen a serious violation at a railway level crossing near my home. That is hardly surprising considering the potential consequences. Of course, the bad news is that we have seen that video with very serious infringements. Amendment No. 144 covers bridge-bashing. I touched on the potential for disaster when speaking to a previous amendment. Noble Lords will have noticed that I have not supported Amendment No. 143 concerning the penalties. I believe that prevention is better than cure, which is why I strongly support the noble Lord’s amendment on sacrificial barriers. It is also worth remembering that in a bridge bashing accident the driver of a heavy commercial vehicle is often killed, or can be killed because the cab of his vehicle is propelled into the roof, so there is a pretty serious consequence for the driver. If he is not killed he will probably lose his job.