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re: Madison County MS - Man and Two Children Killed in Collision With Train
Posted on 5/19/16 at 9:35 am to BluegrassBelle
Posted on 5/19/16 at 9:35 am to BluegrassBelle
quote:
My Dad worked for the railroad for 40+ years and had to go out to scenes like this. He would get so pissed because he said 99% of the time it was someone who didn't pay attention to the lights, tried to drive around the gates because they didn't want to wait for the train, or simply wanted to outrun the train. He could only think of twice that there was actual mechanical failure to the crossing lights/gate.
That's probably pretty spot on, and it looks like there was a light in this incident.
However, nationwide, only 36% of public RR crossings have gates. And gates are much more effective at limiting fatalities.
LINK
1
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:01 am to PuntBamaPunt
No shite, it's never crossed my mind.
Were there rails or lights at the crossing?
No, there are none in this particular crossing. The tracks are on a hill. You almost have to be touching the tracks to see if a train is coming. I go through this intersection once or twice a week because the mill where I get my Antique Heart Pine is located there. This story is tragic.
Were there rails or lights at the crossing?
No, there are none in this particular crossing. The tracks are on a hill. You almost have to be touching the tracks to see if a train is coming. I go through this intersection once or twice a week because the mill where I get my Antique Heart Pine is located there. This story is tragic.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:02 am to Fins up
Oh wow.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:16 am to mdomingue
quote:
The opening in the trees before the tracks doesn't allow for more than a second or two to decide if a train is headed your way and in one spot I've been, there is a bend in the tracks that blocks the view less than 100 yards from the crossing. It is easy to be on the tracks before you realize it if you are distracted.
So come to a complete stop. It isn't that hard and nobody is THAT important, that stopping for about 10 seconds is going to ruin your day.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:26 am to SabiDojo
quote:
However, nationwide, only 36% of public RR crossings have gates. And gates are much more effective at limiting fatalities.
The Association of American Railroads will tell you this, but they will argue that being forced to invest billions in PTC takes away from their ability to add and maintain gates and lights.
Not taking a stance on that either way, just repeating what I've heard AAR say.
And I get very upset too when I hear about a train colliding with an automobile, almost always avoidable.
Posted on 5/19/16 at 10:29 am to SaturdayTraditions
quote:
So come to a complete stop. It isn't that hard and nobody is THAT important, that stopping for about 10 seconds is going to ruin your day.
I don't disagree, but human nature is what it is. People do all sorts of things like that. The same argument could be made for never exceeding the speed limit.
All I'm saying is it is easier to have happen than one might expect. Particularly in rural areas. And particularly in areas where train traffic is infrequent. This is just my personal observation of areas I've worked. The particular crossing I described was on a road to a plant that I did work at for just under 2 years and most of the guys who worked there did, in fact stopped when approaching that crossing, though there were a few who did not. Also, many of those who did only started doing so after a close call. In the time I worked there I only saw a train 3 or 4 times and missed the poorly marked crossing until I was on it more than once because I was not being attentive enough, though that was early on.
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