Level Crossing Warning

14 June 2011, 06:19 | Updated: 14 June 2011, 06:25

With dozens of drivers involved in near-misses at level crossings each month, new Sat Nav software's been developed to warn you when you're approaching one.

It's hoped it will save lives.  The free downloadable application, developed by Network Rail and Garmin, alerts drivers with a loud train whistle.

It's hoped the new technology will encourage safer motoring and reduce the number of incidents which cause damage, disruption and deaths at level crossings each year.

An 'intelligent' version of the app is also in the pipeline which allows motorists to set their journey to avoid level crossings and automatically alters journeys to avoid crossings where the barriers are down for a long period of time.

Russell Spink from Network Rail said: ''If somebody comes into contact with a train, I'm afraid there's only ever really likely to be one winner. We have had incidents where people have sadly died as a result of taking a risk on a level crossing."

Watch video of a driver narrowly avoided disaster after taking a chance at a level crossing near Sandy, Bedfordshire