Stop, Look and Listen Still Works at Railroad Crossings, Safety Specialist Advises

Most collisions between motor vehicles and trains occur at rural crossings. The advice to "stop, look and listen," is still a good safety practice, especially at rural crossings, notes an agricultural safety specialist at North Dakota State University.

"Collisions between motor vehicles and trains are preventable, if the driver of the motor vehicle takes the time to be cautious," says George Maher of the NDSU Extension Service.

"The train will always take longer to stop than a motor vehicle. It simply cannot stop in time to prevent a collision," Maher notes. The average automobile weighs less than 2 tons while the average train weighs approximately 12,500 tons, 6,250 times heavier. A fully loaded farm truck can easily weigh 10 tons, but the train is more than a thousand times heavier.

"A train cannot be stopped in time to avoid a collision even though it has brakes on all of its wheels. When the brakes are fully applied on the train, there is nothing more the crew can do. They are helpless to prevent a collision with a car or truck on the tracks," Maher says. "More than a mile is needed to bring such weight to a safe stop. Only the motor vehicle is able to stop in time to avoid a collision."

Train crews frequently report motor vehicles scooting across the tracks at the last minute. When the crossing gates are down it is illegal to drive around them. "The time spent when waiting for a train to pass through the crossing is very little compared to the time spent in a grave," Maher says. When there are no crossing gates at rural crossings the driver of the motor vehicle must determine when it is safe to cross. That’s when it’s especially important to stop, look and listen.

Stop. When stopping at a crossing, urban or rural, do not pull right up to the sign or crossing gate. Stay back one or two vehicle lengths from the tracks. When a train derails, the railcars may quickly criss-cross over the tracks, spreading out and destroying everything in their path. The greater the distance from the tracks the greater your margin of safety.

Look. Urban crossings usually have crossing gates and flashing lights while rural crossings rarely have that equipment. Often the crossings are only marked by the railroad crossing crossbucks or a caution sign. Visibility at rural crossings may also be limited. Take the extra time and effort to watch for trains. If your windows are fogged, frosted or dirty, roll them down.

Listen. Survivors of train/motor vehicle collisions often report they didn't even hear the train. Trains don't always create a lot of noise. There are times when they seem to move with little or no noise at all. It can be very difficult to hear a train when it is coasting downhill and the wind is blowing from you towards the train. Turn down the sound system in your vehicle when approaching crossings. Slow down and make an effort to listen for the train.

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