Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit, continuously active, national public information program to help prevent and reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities, and improve driver performance at the nation’s 300,000 public and private highway-rail grade crossings.
It is needed because thousands of people are seriously injured and hundreds killed in nearly 2,000 highway-rail grade crossing crashes each year.
Those trespassing on railroad tracks for shortcuts, recreation, photography – people taking selfies, professional portraits and videos — or drivers trying to beat the train at a grade crossing don’t realize important facts about safe behavior around rail tracks.
The purpose of Newberry NOTES this week is to educate drivers on the dangers that can occur when ignoring safety precautions at railroad crossings. We all need to be reminded to use extreme caution when approaching tracks whether in a vehicle, on a bike or on foot. Janice Cowan, state coordinator of South Carolina Operation Lifesaver, shared this information:
• Trains and cars don’t mix. Never race a train to the crossing. Even if you tie, you lose.
• 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.
• Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That’s 18 football fields!
• 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.
• Do not get trapped on the tracks. Proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping. Remember, the train is three feet wider than the tracks on both sides.
• If your vehicle ever stalls on a track with a train coming, get out of the vehicle immediately and move quickly away from the tracks in the direction from which the train is coming. It you run in the same direction the train is traveling, when the train hits your car, you could be injured by flying debris. Call your local 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 from either direction.
• When you need to cross train tracks, go to a designated crossing, look both ways, and cross the tracks quickly, without stopping. Remember it isn’t safe to stop closer than 15 feet from a rail.
• Always expect a train. Freight trains do not follow set schedules.
Pedestrian tips
• The only safe place to cross is at a designated public crossing with either a cross buck, flashing red lights or a gate. If you cross at any other place, you are trespassing and can be ticketed or fined. Cross tracks only at designated or roadway crossings.
• Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and equipment are private property and trespassers are subject to arrest and fine. If you are in a rail yard uninvited by a railroad official you are trespassing and subject to criminal prosecution. You could be injured or killed in a busy rail yard. Pedestrian rail trespassing is the leading cause of rail-related deaths each year. In 2014, 483 were killed in the United States and more than 2,100 died on the tracks in the last four years.
• It can take a mile or more to stop a train. A locomotive engineer who suddenly sees someone on the tracks will likely be unable to stop in time.
• Flashing red lights indicate a train is approaching from either direction. You can be fined for failure to obey these signals. Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing, and do not cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing and it is safe to do so.
• Do not hunt, fish or bungee jump from railroad trestles. There is only clearance on the tracks for a train to pass. Never walk, run, cycle or operate all-terrain vehicles on railroad tracks, rights of way or through tunnels.
• Do not attempt to hop aboard railroad equipment at any time. A slip of the foot can cost you a limb or your life.
Bicyclist tips
• Crossing tracks on a bicycle requires caution and extra attention. Narrow wheels can get caught between the rails. If possible, walk, don’t ride across. Always cross at a 90 degree angle.
• Use only designated crossings. Crossing at any other location is trespassing and illegal.
• Turn off music and remove earphones at all rail crossings.
• Wet train tracks can be slippery. Dismount and walk your bike across the tracks. Step over the tracks, not on them to avoid slipping.
• If you see a train coming, wait to cross. Flashing lights or a lowering gate means a train is approaching. Do not proceed until the gates go completely up and the lights go ff. It is illegal to go around lowered gates, whether on a bike, on foot, or in a vehicle.
Call South Carolina Operation Lifesaver at 803-206-9081 or visit www.oli.org for more information.