SHOCKING footage of drivers risking their lives on level crossings has been released by Network Rail.

The CCTV images of people “dicing with death” show a van smashing through the barriers in Chichester, a car swerving between two closing gates in Billingshurst, and a lorry nearly tearing a closed barrier clean off in Battle.

Allan Spence, head of public and passenger safety at Network Rail, said: said: “We are seeing drivers take risks at level crossings every day, putting themselves and others in danger.

“Nothing is worth risking your life over, just to save a few minutes.”

Pictures of a Yapton bus ignoring a red signal have also been released.

In the last five years, six people have lost their lives in vehicles at level crossings.

Network Rail is now installing red-light cameras in a bid to catch offenders and discourage others.

Red light safety enforcement (RLSE) cameras work like a speed camera and can identify vehicles that jump the lights at level crossings and capture evidence.

Motorists are then automatically notified of their offence and given the option to pay a £60 fine and receive points on their licence, or sit a level crossing safety awareness course.

The cameras have already been installed at four crossings in West Sussex – at Nutbourne, Littlehampton, Yapton and Littlehaven, near Horsham. The rail company said its early findings show more than an 80 per cent average reduction in the number of motorists ignoring warning lights and swerving around the barriers.

A further 94 were caught but not prosecuted while the camera was in “test” mode the month before, including a school minibus and a bus.

More than 60 motorists were caught risking their lives ignoring warning lights at Yapton level crossing in the red light enforcement camera’s first month of operation.

Simon Morgan, Network Rail South East’s safety director, said: “Our railway is the safest in Europe, but level crossings are still a very real safety risk.

“These cameras are a proven, cost-effective way to improve safety and encourage motorists not to take unnecessary risks when crossing the railway.

“Knowing that jumping the lights or swerving the barriers at a level crossing will almost certainly result in a prosecution is enough to make most drivers think twice.”

Every week some 46 incidents involving vehicles take place at level crossings across the country.

To find out more about level crossing safety visit www.networkrail.co.uk/drivers.