January 2004 Highway Rail Safety:  Look, Listen...Live

by Barbara Brooks-Minor
City of Houston



Stop and think of all the things for which you are truly grateful. Family and friends come high on most people's list. How can you insure those special people are with your next year? Practice safety!

For highway rail safety, have your organization request Operation Lifesaver. In its 31st year, Operation Lifesaver and its safety partners have been credited by the Federal Hisghway Administration with helping save over 10,000 lives and preventing 54,000 injuries through its national outreach program.
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For all their support, the problem remains. Every 120 minutes a collision occurs between a vehicle, pedestrian, and a train. In 2002, there were 3072 highway-rail grade crossing collisions in America. These resulted in 356 deaths with Texas leading the way with 37. Texas also lead in highway-rail crossing injuries with 125 out of a total of 998. This does not include an additional 540 pedestrian/trespass fatalities reported nationwide on railroad property.

Recognizing the problem, Operation Lifesaver, the American Trucking Association, and our own TxSWANA SMART committee remind our members to stay alert at places where the roadway crosses train tracks. These highway-rail grade crossings are a special kind of intersection, a highway-rail intersection. Here are some safety reminders:

  • Never drive around lowered gates-it's illegal and deadly. If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, call the 1-800 number posted on or near the crossing signal or your local law enforcement agency.
  • Never race a train to the crossing-even if you tie, you lose.
  • Do not get trapped on the tracks. Only proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing if you and your truck can completely clear the crossing without stopping. Remember, the train is three feet wider than the tracks on both sides.
  • If your vehicle stalls on a crossing, immediately get everyone out and away from the tracks. (Move away from the tracks in the direction from which the train is approaching.) Call your local law enforcement agency for assistance.
  • At a multiple track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching in either direction.
  • Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 mph can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That's at least 18 football fields!
  • Do not be fooled by the optical illusion-the train you see is closer and faster moving than you think. If you see a train approaching, wait for it to go by before you proceed across the tracks.
  • ALWAYS EXPECT A TRAIN! Freight trains do not follow set schedules.
The safety reminders are but a few that are offered through Operation Lifesaver. The non-profit, nationwide public education program dedicates its services for the prevention or crashes, injuries, and fatalities at intersections where roadways meet railways and the rail rights-of-way. Their program is available by contacting SMART committee members or by calling Operation Lifesaver national offices at 1-800-537-6224.