CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Federal Railroad Administration Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg says railroad crossings are too easily taken for granted.
Feinberg is a West Virginia native who is very familiar with the railroad crossings in the state. Feinberg spoke on Wednesday about railroad crossing safety and how the importance of drivers to be aware of the crossings around them.
“It`s important for people to always be aware and focused on where all railroad crossings are and that it is safe to drive though with caution,” Feinberg said. “Even when someone is familiar with the area they can get used to just going right through the railroad crossings without paying attention to what may be happening.”
West Virginia had 1 fatality in 2014 due to railroad incidents, but statistics say drivers are 20 times more likely to die due to a train collision than a car collision. There were 2,283 railroad crossing collisions in 2014 in the United States, up 8.8% from the nearly 3,000 noted collisions in 2013. With these high numbers, Feinberg says it’s important that crossings aren’t taken for granted and that drivers exercise caution.
“It can take a train about a mile to stop, even after pulling the emergency brake,” Feinberg explained. “This is why it`s so important for drivers to be aware of their surroundings and to focus on where crossings are located. The crossing knows when the train is coming in plenty of time.”
She said that drivers need to be more aware of crossings, watch for the flashing lights and gates, and always check to be sure it is safe to go through a railroad crossing with caution at all times.
Wednesday was train safety awareness day, officially called International Level Crossing Awareness Day.