Dr Gregoire Larue, senior research fellow at QUT's Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety, said the research showed drivers were "complacent" when approaching rail crossings and expressed concern at the lack of police enforcement over the safety issue.

Researchers joined motorists on the roads and tracked their eye movements, car position and speed using GPS. About 30 drivers were involved in the study, with an even gender split and a variety of age groups included.

Motorists' reactions were compared when approaching railway crossings and normal traffic intersections, with Dr Larue saying the concerning results showed why crossings were a major concern within the rail industry.

"We saw that drivers were preparing to stop 75 metres before the road intersection but only 30 metres before a level crossing without lights or boom gates," he said.

"The study also found drivers did not appropriately adapt their driving behaviour to the reduced visibility of night-time driving," Dr Larue said.

"Drivers don't see rail crossings as a big risk because they don't see trains and think they know the timetables.

"But trains are not always on time and there are other services and maintenance vehicles which don't run to time.

"People also don't understand that trains are going faster than what they seem and drivers don't realise trains are too heavy to stop over a short distance. Cars can slow or swerve to avoid a crash, unlike trains."

Dr Larue was expected to travel across the ditch to New Zealand to trial a new warning sign for rail crossings.

"The signs are activated by a vehicle on the road, rather than the train, about 150 metres before the level crossing," he said.

"I will look into whether two flashing amber lights change driver behaviour.

"We have very similar types of level crossings and the same issues are shared between the two countries, so if it works in New Zealand it could work here."