Why it matters: Level crossing: markers, the Saint Andrew's cross, and the red flashing light

A train cannot swerve and needs a stopping distance of hundreds of metres — the marker posts and the Saint Andrew's cross give you the information you need before the situation becomes acute. Someone who only reacts once the barriers start lowering often brakes too late on a wet country road near Meppel. And someone who drives straight on after the first train at a two-track crossing risks meeting a second, hidden train — exactly why the Saint Andrew's cross reports the number of tracks, not just 'watch out'.