A bright yellow box painted on the ground at level crossings does make pedestrians and road users more aware of what they are doing and contributes to a feeling of safety, Dutch railway track operator ProRail said on Wednesday.

ProRail has been experimenting with a yellow box at a railway crossing in Baarn, near Hilversum, and says it is such a success that other level crossings will get the paint job as well.

As yet is unclear why the yellow box seems to work. ‘We are looking at what we can do and what has the most effect,’ a spokesman said.

Last month, the Dutch safety board slammed the ‘unacceptable’ way an average of 11 people are killed in accidents on railway level crossings every year. It said the fragmented approach and lack of focus at the infrastructure ministry are stalling efforts to improve safety at crossings.

The Netherlands is the only country within the EU where so many roads cross so many railways, the OVV said. ‘This is not a good combination.’