MATLOCK BATH, England, Oct. 26 (UPI) — Britain’s Network Rail is pleading with residents to stop taking train track selfies after a crossing camera captured eight “dangerous behavior” incidents in a single day.
Network Rail officials said the CCTV camera at the Matlock Bath station in Derbyshire recorded eight separate incidents of “dangerous behavior” in a single day Aug. 30.
The incidents included people taking selfies on the tracks, parents taking pictures of kids sitting on the tracks and a group of people spending more than eight minutes chatting while standing in the path used by trains.
“Trains can come from either direction at any time and being distracted by chatting, texting or taking photographs while using the crossing significantly increases the risk of an incident,” said Martin Brown, operations risk adviser for Network Rail.
“Level crossings in rural, picturesque settings such as Matlock may look like good opportunities for a photo but the railway is not a playground,” Brown said.
Inspector Eddie Carlin of the British Transport Police said patrols have been increased in the area to reduce dangerous behavior.
“I have had to tell devastated families that their loved ones are not coming home due to incidents such as this and it’s heartbreaking.”
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