Railroad Crossing Dangers
September 8, 2011
A tragic train wreck in Edmonson County over the Labor Day weekend once again shows the extreme danger of railroad crossing. A Dodge pick-up truck was struck while crossing a CSX railroad crossing on the Ray Houchin Road in Edmonson County. The railroad crossing had no lights, bells, or other warning device to alert motorists of oncoming trains. The crossing was marked only by what is commonly referred to as “cross-bucks.” If a motorist does not see the oncoming train then they receive no other type of warning of the oncoming train.
Unfortunately this is not an uncommon occurrence. In 2010, there were 56 railroad crossing collisions in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, making it the 10th most dangerous state in the nation.
As long as the railroad industry continues to rely on passive signs such as cross-bucks, rather than active signs such as flashing lights or automatic crossing arms to block oncoming traffic, these tragedies will continue to occur at alarming rates.
One reason that passive signs such as cross-bucks are dangerous is that every crossing is different, and often oncoming motorists do not have an adequate view of approaching trains. A motorist may believe they are being careful as they approach the tracks and simply not be able to see the oncoming train. In many cases, however, motorists simply approach the crossing, unaware that a train is coming because there is no active warning to alert them of the approaching train.
Passive warnings such as cross-bucks are still the most common type of warning signs in rural areas. We encourage the national authorities to require that all railroad crossings be retrofitted to include some type of active warning. Had there been an active warning system in place there is a high likelihood that the Edmonson County tragedy would have been avoided.
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