The Federal Railroad Administration said this month that the number of rail accidents had declined for the third consecutive year. A 24.6% reduction of accidents has been seen since 2004. This is promising news for the railroad industry, but there are still news reports of people and cars being smashed by trains. America still has many ground level crossings where pedestrians can easily ignore the flashing lights and cross onto the tracks. Some drivers think they can make it across the tracks before the train arrives. Rail companies should consider using traffic lights instead of the two circular flashing lights: it would seem likely that drivers would respond more towards a red light from a traffic light, rather than two flashing lights and an X. The yellow light would give room for the last drivers to make it through the crossing before the gates close. Additionally, disobeying the red light is universally known as against the law. Perhaps railways should have the gates down for a longer period of time before the train arrives, so that people can realize that a train is approaching. Eliminating a grade level crossing is expensive and requires restructuring surrounding areas for a bridge or tunnel. Improving the current grade level crossings is what's needed to ensure the safety of rail users, pedestrians, and drivers.
Video by Katu 2 News, hosted by and found on YouTube.
