jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

A woman in MA was killed when the railroad crossing gates failed to close, and her car was hit by an oncoming train. Ironically, the cause of the gates' failure was a safety test. After performing the test, the technician did not return the gates to normal operating mode. The next time you cross the tracks, make sure there is no train coming. Maybe this is why school buses and some trucks must stop before crossing tracks.

I've seen situations like this with plane crashes. Someone forgets to do something, and the plane crashes. That often results in a modification that makes the "something" automatic or impossible to avoid.

Be careful! I want to continue reading your comments.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

The awareness is good! Thanks for the post!

JustJill Loc: Iowa

You can never be too careful around train track. That is why I actually like the sound of an air horn.

Stephan G

https://www.geico.com/living/driving/auto/car-safety-insurance/railroad-crossing-safety/

Even though this is on GEICO promotion site, the message is timely.

Stop, Look, Lsten, and THINK.



As to putting in innovations to make something automatic is fraught with problems itself. It depends on the machines to work properly and every time. Somehow, the requirement for the operator having responsibility to be proactive falls by the wayside. I just saw a commercial about automatic braking system. It does not emphasize that the driver is the critical part in handling the vehicle. It is time to push PSAs again.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

"To err is human". When I worked in the pharmaceutical industry most operations had a 'checker'. Of course, the cost of a checker might be prohibitive in most industries!

Sendai5355 Loc: On the banks of the Pedernales River, Texas

Crossing accidents must be fairly common from the ones I've seen on YouTube.

letmedance Loc: Walnut, Ca.

I drove in Japan for 3 years and the law was stop at all railway crossings.

kerry12 Loc: Harrisburg, Pa.

A fellow truck driver friend of was hit by a train years ago. The rail crossing had no gates. Only flashing lights. It was also on a blind curve. That time of day, the sun hit the flashing lights at an angle that rendered the light unseeable ( I don't think that's a word. ??). He assumed it was clear instead of looking. At the time it was a conrail train. They were blue. I ask him how it felt when he suddenly saw the train before it hit him. All he said was, and I quote " It was the biggest, blue-est son of a bitch I've ever seen in my life.". Please excuse the french. It's what he said.

Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA

No need to excuse the French kerry12, seems the President now speaks French like that to reporters.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

Quite a few years ago a co-worker lost a child because of a train - car collision. There were two very extenuating circumstances; one there was no crossing gate or lights, two there were high bushes on a private property line close to the tracks which were not trimmed and blocked the view of the tracks. The driver of the car had slowed and I believe stopped to look but no rain was seen so the driver started across and the rear of the car was struck resulting in injuries to the driver and one passenger but death to another passenger.

flathead27ford Loc: Colorado, North of Greeley

Thanks Jerry.

John7199 Loc: Eastern Mass.

Many years ago I was commuting to Boston on the train. Coming home, the train stopped and I got off (there was no station so I got off on the ground) - Because I was riding in the last car I started around the back of the train to cross the tracks to my car. The lights were flashing and the gates were down, I assumed that was for the train I was on. Just then a train going going the other direction, and not stopping at my stop, went roaring by about 12 inches from me. It scared the living poop out of me. Never assume that there is nothing coming, lights or no lights! Always check or you will end up on YouTube.
John

drucker Loc: Oregon

Growing up, I lived in a small town in central Kansas. The Rock Island mainline from LA to Chicago came right through the middle of town. Being on flat land with straight track and miles from anyplace important, at least three trains a day came through at full speed -- two passenger trains going east and west, and the Pacific Fruit Express that left LA daily for Chicago with only two stops -- one in Tucumcari, NM for ice and Hoisington, KS for a crew change. It was usually too long for the majority of sidings so was given the right of way. There were lights and bells at the crossing and you could hear the whistle, but going south, the view to the west was blocked by a huge brick building that housed the local Chevrolet dealer. At the speed those trains traveled, it gave little time even if you were being careful.

About 65 years ago now. I was walking back to school after lunch and had just turned north away from the tracks a block away. We lived just a block from the tracks so I didn't really pay attention to the train until the engineer changed from the usual double warning blasts to a short blast followed by a continuous blast that echoed off the downtown buildings. Then I heard the crash, but before I could turn around the lead engine had already cleared the crossing and wheels were screeching as the train came to a stop.

A electric line-building crew had come into town for lunch. Six of them were in a fully loaded (transformers, wire reels, etc.) double-cab truck. The truck was in the middle of the crossing when the train hit and the truck was just wrapped around the front of the engine. Miraculously, the train didn't derail but because of the speed and weight of the train that was over a mile long, the caboose had only cleared the intersection by a little bit when the train came to a stop. Close enough that the crossing lights and bells continued to flash and ring until the train was finally moved several hours later. Two of the linemen survived as did the train brakeman, but the engineer had a heart attack and died later in the day. The city ask for and got crossing bars.

Several years later, a herd of sheep had escaped their fence out east of town and as the Fruit Express approached, they decided they should be on the other side of the tracks. Several made it but about 300 others just continued to run under the wheels as the train went past. Again it took about a mile for the train to stop and they were surprised that the train didn't derail.

Again several years later we had moved to a town nearby where there is a long curve on a fill that approaches a bridge. The Fruit Express slowed to about 40 mph for the curve but for some reason several cars jumped the track on the curve and rolled down the embankment. The wooden iced cars happened to be filled with crates of cantaloupe. There were splintered cars and crates spread over about two blocks along the tracks. The RR opened the site for people to take as much cantaloupe as they could use but there was still a massive amount left with much smashed. Then the Kansas sun came out and you didn't want to be anywhere in the area or downwind for the next couple of weeks!

The final twist to this story is that I spent the last few years working in a building about a hundred feet from a Union Pacific mainline in Salem, Oregon. Trains went by quite often and some of them moving pretty fast. There is a crossing about a block away so warning whistles were quite common and I learned to generally ignore them. But one day I reacted and my heart started racing -- I realized I had heard a short blast followed by a very long one as the train went past and that had caused a flashback of 60+ years to when I heard the same whistle sequence before the train hit the line truck.

Stay safe and watch the crossings.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, unfortunately. Some people think they can go around the gates and beat the train. Some grade crossings have too steep a grade, and low trucks get stuck.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I've watched the whole seried of Air Disasters on the Smithsonian Channel. It's amazing what the simplest pilot or mechanical error can cause a crash. Even more amazing is how many flights take place with no problems.