Train accidents could be avoided

Staff Writer
Contributor
Posted by Staff WriterJuly 19, 2007 1:27 PM

Two more fatal train-vehicle accidents occurred near Tampa, Florida, this week, bringing to light the dangers of railroad crossings on our nation's roadways.

The Federal Railroad Administration says that an average of two people died each day in train accidents in the United States. Many of these accidents could be avoided if people crossing train tracks would follow certain rules and exercise more caution.

Bob Martin, a spokesperson for CSX, offers the following advice:

"Look, listen and live. Look for the train, listen for the train and you'll live to see tomorrow."

Tuesday's fatal accident involving a truck crossing a railroad track in Plant City, Florida, could have been avoided if the driver had yielded to the railroad crossing sign. So many people do not realize that some railroad crossings do not have arms, so it's up to you to slow down or stop if necessary.

CSX spokesperson Bob Martin says the black and white railroad crossing sign has a meaning that many people forget after driver's education.

"It doesn't mean 'Hurry up and beat the train.' It's a traffic control device that means yield."

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Airline, Cruise, Bus & Other Mass Transit Accidents.


1 Comment

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Bob Comer
Posted by Bob Comer
July 20, 2007 12:29 AM

CSX has the worst safety record of the Class 1 railroads in the U.S. They have a lot of nerve telling anyone about safety! Maybe Mr. Martin would like to answer a few questions. 1. Why is CSX and all of the U.S. railroads using a train detection device (Track Circuit) that is NOT "fail-safe" and was obsolete at least 75 years ago? 2. Why are there so many unguarded RR crossings in the U.S.? Could it have anything to do with the railroad industry's hatred for active warning devices? The U.S. railroad industry loves the pressure-treated wooden post and crossbuck sign---NO MAINTENANCE for at least 20 years. THAT IS WHY SO MANY U.S. railroad crossings have no active warning devices---the railroads don't want to spend any of their precious Billions of dollars in profits on maintaining a safety device that can protect the public from injury or death (when it works.) 3. THEN, maybe Mr. Martin can tell all of us why the Texas Dept. of Public Safety gets over 300 calls a week from motorists reporting MALFUNCTIONING flashing lights or lights / gates at RR crossings. AND, Harmon and Safetran (makers of the Track Circuit equipment) continue to certify that the equipment is "fail-safe." It wasn't in April 2005, when a mother and her 15 year-old daughter were SLAUGHTERED by an AMTRAK train. Many witnesses said that the bells weren't ringing, the lights weren't flashing and the gate arms were up at the instant of impact. THEN, the railroad ran a rail grinder up the track the next day to clean off the rust that caused the Track Circuit to fail to detect that AMTRAK train. SOOO CLEVER, these railroad criminals!!! Then, of course, they didn't tell law enforcement they did it or the Federal Railroad Administration.

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