On heels of accidents, OLI reminds drivers to use caution at crossings
Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
Darren Hester
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), says recent high-profile grade crossing collisions in Oxnard, Calif., and Valhalla, N.Y., highlight the need for all drivers to use caution at every highway-rail grade crossing. OLI warns that rail safety is something everyone should take seriously.
“These tragic collisions illustrate the devastating effect that vehicle-train crashes at highway rail grade crossings can have on families and communities,” said Joyce Rose, president of OLI. “Operation Lifesaver’s safety tips can help motorists and pedestrians avoid the potential dangers that they face at all highway-rail intersections and along train tracks.”
Rose noted that overall, crossing incidents have decreased in the U.S. from a high of about 12,000 in 1972 to approximately 2,000 incidents in 2013. Preliminary Federal Railroad Administration statistics show that in 2013, 46 percent of all crossing collisions involved passenger vehicles; the second highest number, 16 percent, involved tractor-trailers.
“The goal of our national ‘See Tracks? Think Train!’ campaign is to make caution an automatic habit every time you approach a railroad crossing — much like the habit of fastening your seatbelt every time you get into a vehicle,” Rose noted.
