Railroad Crossing Accidents Don't Have to Happen

The deadly crash of the Amtrak train last March, 50 miles from Chicago, caught the attention of the nation, serving as another grim reminder that railroad-highway crossing safety is a life-or-death matter.

Eleven passengers died when the train slammed into a semi-trailer carrying a load of heavy steel that was sitting in the grade crossing.

Once again, the message of this latest tragic accident is: You can't beat the train. Don't even try. Trains are unable to stop quickly. A 150-car freight train needs two-thirds of a mile to stop when traveling 30 mph, and 1.5 miles to stop when traveling at 50 mph.

Texas, with more miles of railroad track and more miles of highways than any other other state, is all too often the scene of such collisions. In 1998, 45 Texans lost their lives in this senseless way. Another 48 persons died in pedestrian accidents on railroad rights-of-way.

I first became aware of the need to focus on this safety issue when I was Acting Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board in 1978. I helped to create a national organization, Operation Lifesaver, to educate drivers about the dangers of highway-rail crossings. For more than two decades now, Operation Lifesaver has been spreading the word. And, although highway-rail crossing deaths are slowly declining, the numbers remain significant.

The ongoing tragedy is that these kinds of accidents are the most avoidable. In 1998, 95.6 percent of all rail-related deaths in the United States involved vehicle-train collisions and trespasser-pedestrian incidents on railroad rights-of-way. American motorists are 40 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a collision involving another motor vehicle. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Operation Lifesaver would like everyone to remember these safety tips:

Cross tracks only at designated roadway or pedestrian crossings.

Observe all warning signs and signals. Nearly 50 percent of crashes at public grade crossings occur where there are active warning devices such as gates, lights and bells.

Never try to outrace a train across its tracks. It's better to lose a few minutes than lose a life.

Be aware that trains do not follow set schedules.

Do not walk, run, cycle or operate all-terrain vehicles on railroad tracks and property, or through tunnels.

Do not hunt, fish or bungee jump from railroad trestles. There is only enough clearance on tracks for a train to pass. They are not meant to be sidewalks or pedestrian bridges.

Do not attempt to hop aboard railroad equipment. A slip can cost you a limb.

Texans share with Americans everywhere an unfortunate tendency to disregard these warnings. A poll taken by Operation Lifesaver recently showed that 45 percent of Texans are willing to cross railroad tracks in the face of flashing warning lights; 30 percent of us said that going around a lowered crossing gate "can be justified" and 20 percent said it is more acceptable to go through a gated railroad crossing than to run a red light.

With our 10,681 miles of railroad track and 20,000 rail crossings, Texans are at greater risk than any other Americans.

By reminding people of the very avoidable dangers inherent in ignoring railroad crossings warnings, I hope we can change the high-risk behavior Texans have shown in the past. Whether you're a risk-taker or not, remember: You can't beat the train.

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