Ready, Set, Drive!
On July 24, 2025, I gave my presentation within the framework of the “Ready, Set, Drive!” competition to the members of Kaposvár Group 3, who were attending their swimming camp that week. I chose a somewhat more unusual topic, since everyone usually gives talks about road traffic—which is of course never a problem, as it is an almost inexhaustible subject—but instead, I picked a topic closer to home: the design of railway crossings, how to approach them, and what to do if the crossing protection system is not working. I considered this topic important, since in 2020 there were 5,477 railway crossings in Hungary, and in 2019, 1,571 trains were involved in some form of accident involving a collision with a person, which is a very high number.
At the beginning of the presentation, I talked about where we encounter railway tracks in everyday travel, and I also mentioned how to move around at train stations if someone wants to reach their train but there is no grade-separated crossing (such as an underpass or overpass). After that, I explained what signs are placed on the road leading up to a crossing, and then I described the different types of crossings according to their design and operation—for example, when the barrier starts lowering at a half-barrier crossing after the flashing red light appears. Towards the end of the lecture, I also touched upon the dangers of overhead wires, since every year there are several news reports about young people climbing onto freight cars or even locomotives standing at railway stations, getting close enough to the overhead line that the 25kV current arcs across, causing permanent injury or even death.
I closed the presentation by emphasizing why no one should step in front of a train, mentioning not only delays but also grief, and how such acts can ruin the lives of locomotive crews. Sunday lunch can wait, but the train will not be able to stop!
I would like to thank the Csányi Foundation for supporting me in winning the competition and for helping me obtain my driver’s license as well.
Dausek Nándor
Kaposvár Group 2