The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) has released video of an incident at a railway crossing on Vye Road on March 7 as a message to drivers.
The video shows a large commercial truck and a compact car moving through the crossing just as the red warning lights start to flash, indicating that a train is approaching.
A third vehicle – another commercial truck – follows them, just as the crossing arm is coming down. The arm strikes the top of the vehicle, and it is snapped off its support base.
The APD has released the video for a couple of reasons, said Const. Ian MacDonald.
One is to draw attention to the new warning system on Vye Road, west of Sumas Way, which was installed in late January to address ongoing safety issues at the site.
The other is to highlight the dangers of ignoring the railway crossing signals.
MacDonald said although drivers might think they have plenty of time to beat the approaching train, they need to think about what could happen if they ignore the warning and get stuck on the track.
"There is no discretion there ... The warning is telling you to stop," he said.
MacDonald said the driver in the video left the scene, but was tracked down by police later in the day, due to the company logo on his vehicle.
He was issued a violation ticket for driving without due care, and has to pay the costs of replacing the crossing arm.
MacDonald said three other drivers have also been caught on video doing the same thing – in mid-February and on April 6 and 8 – and police are still trying to track them down.
He said people who fail to stop at a crossing when the lights are flashing face a $109 fine and two penalty points, but causing damage to the crossing arms results in a higher penalty – a $368 fine, six penalty points and damage costs.
MacDonald surmised that people are disobeying the signals because they are impatient and think they have plenty of time to safely cross the tracks.
"I think it's because they think their busy lives trump safety," he said.
The APD has also released a short educational video about road safety at railway crossings. That video can be videos can be viewed here.
It was recently announced that an overpass will be built across Vye Road as part of a $25 million project to upgrade Highway 11 and improve border traffic. Construction is expected to begin in 2014 and be completed in 2016.