Level crossings are a significant contributor to road safety issues. They can account for about 1 % of all road fatalities. Most incidents arise from incorrect pedestrian and road user behaviour. Protection systems are often not revised even when vehicle types and traffic volumes on both modes changes substantially. After each accident the press say it must not be allowed to happen again. But what really happens? Informed by risk assessment, improvement is wanted but: • Legal environments may inhibit cost effective improvement • Different transport policies and funding arrangements produce different safety outcomes. Issues include • Level crossing elimination • Extent of technical protection • ALARP vs. regulation and rigid standards • Incremental enhancement/Residual risk. This article asks ‘what are the trends - what could we do differently’?