Our Opinion: Troubling trend on the tracks

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Statistics show a troubling trend relating to railroad tracks, according to Operation Lifesaver.

Although vehicle-train collisions have decreased slightly, death and injuries have increased, reports the national, nonprofit group dedicated to rail safety and education.

Operation Lifesaver recently released Federal Railroad Adminstration figures comparing the first quarter of this year to the first quarter of 2011.

The figures show:

• Crossing crashes down 1.4 percent, from 639 in 2011 to 629 in 2012.

• Crossing deaths up 7.5 percent, from 77 to 93.

• Crossing injuries up 24.4 percent, from 237 to 269.

Missouri crossing crashes during that period increased from 12 to 18, with fatalities rising from three to five and injuries from three to eight.

Similarly problematic are national increases in death and injuries to passengers trespassing on railroad property, including walking on tracks.

Trespassing deaths nationwide increased 12.6 percent, from 119 to 134. Trespassing injuries rose 40.4, from 99 to 134.

“Based on news accounts of incidents, texting, headphones and other distractions appear to be part of the problem,” according to Helen M. Sramek, president of Operation Lifesaver. “Increasing public awareness of the need for caution near train tracks is important. Our recent public service advertising campaigns caution pedestrians to eliminate distractions around train tracks: stay focused, stay alive,”

Since 1997, she added, statistics show more people have been killed while trespassing on tracks than from vehicle-train collisions at railroad crossings.

Trains are large and noisy, and can operate only on tracks.

People, and their vehicles, are no match for locomotives.

Danger, however, is easily avoided. Stay off the tracks whenever possible. When you must cross, be cautious and alert.

More like this story

Graceful 10 months, 1 week ago

What is troubling trent?

online_editor 10 months, 1 week ago

A typo that did not appear in the print edition thankfully. Now fixed here.

JCLifer 10 months, 1 week ago

Trent is just another Darwin victim.

Missouri 10 months, 1 week ago

fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510743t1.htm Missouri $5,807,066 plus 10% state match. ($580,706.60) In Fiscal Year 2011, which ended June 30, 2011, the (Missouri) Department of Revenue collected $1,271,532 grade crossing fees. (25 cents on each vehicle registered). $7,587,304.6

Where is MoDOTs accountability sheet for the millions in grade crossing safety funds? Where is MoDOTs accountability of crossing signals/gates we paid for sitting all over with roads paved over and no trains in years? Where is MoDOTS accountability sheet for letting railroads steal OUR signals on closed--reworked crossings? Where is MODOTS accountability sheet in the Federal Railroad Administration records showing hundreds of open crossings that haven't seen trains in years ---no updates on school bus crossings/traffic counts they are suppose to do ---These counts are used to decide where the safety funds go ----NOT THE RAILROAD TELLING MODOT where they can use the most of our funds in the smallest area to maximize the railroads huge profits.

$10,000 just to get the equipment to site (trucked in)---weeks of labor charges that never happen----$10,000 for design which consists of pulling a design of similar crossing out of a file cabinet.

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