Approximately once every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States. This might surprise you, but railroad crossing-related deaths have actually spiked in recent years.
Trains always have the right of way, and ignoring the signage at railroad crossings, or attempting to cross the tracks quickly before a train enters the crossing, can have deadly consequences.
It is always your responsibility to stop for a train. Of the 212,000 railroad crossings in the United States, roughly two-thirds are “active” crossings that include warning devices such as gates, bells or flashing lights to alert drivers of an approaching train. However, 36 percent are “passive” crossings, where only signs and markings are present.
While warning devices do improve safety at railroad crossings, they do not prevent collisions. Too many people are ignoring the warnings and losing their lives.
Never weave through a crossing gate that is down, or attempt to race or beat a train. It is easy to misjudge a train’s speed and distance from the crossing, and a train traveling at 55 miles per hour takes a mile—the length of 18 football fields—or more to come to a stop once the emergency brakes are applied.
The best way to avoid a collision with a train is to always expect a train on the tracks, and to understand and always follow the signage at railroad crossings.