As a former railway signalling technician, I have no qualms about driving across automatic half-barrier (AHB) crossings.

So long as drivers obey the warning lights and treat the crossing area as they should treat a box junction - not entering unless and until the exit is clear - there is no danger.

Where problems occur, it is usually because a driver has looked no further than the rear bumper of the vehicle ahead.

True, there are exceedingly rare occasions when a vehicle might stall precisely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Even in these extreme circumstances, however, a driver will have a minimum of 15 seconds' warning of the approach of a train.

This is generally enough time to evacuate and far more warning than a stranded driver will receive of the approach of a road vehicle on the hard shoulder of a motorway.

Controlled full-length barriers are arguably safer in that the signalman must observe the crossing is clear via CCTV before clearing the signals for a train.

However, there is a trade-off in terms of practicality in that the crossing must remain closed for much longer. A road bridge or subway is even safer but could you imagine the extent of roadworks involved in construction?

There have been 25 (mostly non-injury) accidents in four years at the Beddingham AHB crossing. The vast majority were "own goals" on the part of impatient and inadequate drivers.

I wonder how many accidents have occurred over the same period at the nearby Southerham roundabout or at the prison lights in Lewes?

It is not the AHBs that are unsafe but, rather, a minority of those who use them.

-Dave Booth, St Anne's Crescent, Lewes