Railroad crossing accidents are often catastrophic, always tragic and usually preventable. Drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians all have a responsibility when approaching a railroad crossing. Railroad companies also have a great responsibility – both legal and moral – to ensure they’ve provided the public with adequate protection.
Railroad crossing collisions can be caused by a number of factors, including:
ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY INDIVIDUALS
Carelessness / Error – When individual drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, etc. are carelessness or make bad choices around railroad crossings, the results can be deadly. Disregarding a warning light, bell or signal, driving around lowered gates and guards, attempting to “beat” an oncoming train across the tracks are all examples of poor judgment that can lead to accidents involving railroads.
How to Stay Safe near Trains and Railroad Crossings
ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY RAILROAD COMPANIES
Failure to Install Proper Warnings – Many railroad crossings are not outfitted with proper warning equipment leaving drivers, cyclists and pedestrians at risk. Warnings include visible signage, flashing lights, crossing bells or signals, functioning crossing gates and/or guards, etc.
Defective Warnings – Even the best warnings will have little impact if they are not functioning properly or defective. Defective warnings include broken or inoperable lights, bells or gates and improper sight lines that keep a vehicle’s driver from adequately seeing an oncoming train.
Failure to Maintain Crossings – Overgrown grass, trees and vegetation that block or obstruct a driver’s view of the tracks, warning signals or an oncoming train are frequent causes of railroad crossing accidents.
Improper Parking of Train – Trains that are improperly parked at or near a crossing can obstruct a driver’s view of other, active and oncoming train. A parked train can give motorists a false sense of security, distracting them from the real danger nearby.
Failure to Sound a Warning – An oncoming train should signal by horn or whistle to alert and warn drivers of their approach. Failure to properly sound a warning can leave drivers unaware of a quiet and quick moving train.
Other Negligent Acts – A train’s data recorder or video recorder may capture additional negligent acts that result in a collision at a railroad crossing. These might include operator errors such as operating while distracted (calls, texting, etc.), operating at unsafe speeds, operating under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, etc.
Determining who is at fault in a railroad crossing collision or any other accident involving a train is a complicated process often involving safety investigators, law enforcement and attorneys representing both the railroad company and vehicle(s) involved.
