A car hit by a train is found 500 yards down the track, still partially attached to the train. The two occupants are outside their vehicle -- both in serious condition. This type of collision needlessly happens too often.
More than 4,000 collisions at public highway/rail crossings occur annually, resulting in about 400 deaths and more than 1,300 injuries. About two-thirds of vehicle-train accidents occur at crossings with active warning devices. The majority involve the train moving at less than 30 mph.Trains are immensely powerful. They routinely move loaded freight cars at speeds of 60 mph or greater. Commuter or passenger trains travel much faster. Once these trains are moving, it's not easy to stop them -- even with the brakes set. A 150-car freight train, traveling at 30 mph, takes about two-thirds of a mile to stop. If that same train was traveling at 50 mph, the train would take approximately 1 1/2 miles to come to a stop.
Warning devices
Highway/railroad crossing warning devices are divided into active and passive warnings.
Active warnings include flashing signal lights and automatic warning gates. These are activated by either the train passing over a detection circuit or manual activation.
Passive devices are the most numerous and are used by themselves and in conjunction with active warning devices.
They include cross-bucks, which are the white "X" shaped signs with "railroad crossing" in black lettering. Cross-bucks are located at the crossing itself. A smaller sign below the cross-buck indicates the number of railroad tracks.
Round yellow railroad advance warning signs feature a large black X with Rs on either side. These signs are placed ahead of the crossing to give advance warning to drivers to slow down and prepare to stop.
The final passive warning device used is pavement markings. The term "R X R" is most commonly painted on the road surface just before the crossing. The large white line is a stop line.
Survival tips
The simplest and best safety tip when approaching a railroad crossing is to slow your vehicle down and be prepared to stop. Look both ways and listen for an approaching train's whistle. Most people in private vehicles have a difficult time hearing a train's whistle while running the air conditioning and/or radio.
It is easy to misjudge a train's speed and distance from the crossing, due to the train's size and the optical illusion of the tracks going into the distance.
Even if you have lived and worked around a particular crossing, don't ignore safety precautions. Train schedules often change.
While driving, pay attention to warning signs and devices. Never drive around lowered gates or assume they are malfunctioning. Don't try to get across the tracks before the warning gates make it down, and never race a train to a crossing. Once the train has passed and the gates are raised, do not proceed until the warning lights stop flashing.
If you are unable to get your vehicle all the way over a crossing because of backed-up traffic, do not attempt to cross. If you are stuck on a crossing and a train is coming, get out of your vehicle and move away from it at once.
Alton Thygerson, professor of health sciences at Brigham Young University, is the National Safety Council's first aid and CPR author and technical consultant. For more information, the National Safety Council First Aid Handbook by Thygerson is available in local bookstores.