An optical illusion makes trains look farther away and slower moving than they actually are, according to the Operation Lifesaver website about being safe near railroad tracks.
Operation Lifesaver started in 1972 when the average number of collisions at U.S. highway railroad crossings had risen above 12,000 incidents annually, the website said. The Idaho governor's office, the Idaho Peace Officers and Union Pacific Railroad, in order to address the issue, started a six-week public awareness educational campaign called Operation Lifesaver. The group was formed to also promote highway rail-grade crossing safety.
Idaho's crossing-related fatalities fell significantly that year and in 1986, a non-profit national Operation Lifesaver office was created to help support the efforts of state programs. It also raised national awareness on highway rail-grade crossing issues.
This railway crossing near the Amtrak train depot does not have gates or lights to signal when a train is coming, making it a passive crossing. An active crossing has lights and gates. Collisions with trains can occur at either kind of crossing and it’s important to treat the crossbuck sign the same as a yield sign, look for any oncoming trains, and listen for them to avoid an accident.
People can stay safe at railway crossings by following Operation Lifesaver's slogan, "Look, listen and live." Also, when approaching a railroad crossing, look both ways and then cross.
Serena Schmit, the North Dakota Operation Lifesaver coordinator, advises noticing the signs and treating the crossbuck sign the same as one would a yield sign.
Schmit noted that according to the latest figures from the Federal Railroad Administration, North Dakota experienced a 50 percent increase in incidents at railroad crossings from 2007 to 2011. Since 2007, there have been nearly 90 vehicle-train incidents resulting in 38 injuries and 10 fatalities. There were also an additional eight injuries and six deaths resulting from pedestrians trespassing on railroad property.
Railroad tracks are owned by the railroad that operates on the tracks, Schmit said, and it's considered trespassing if someone is on them on foot.
"Railroad tracks are private property and highly dangerous," she said.
No specific type of railroad crossing is more dangerous than others. Incidents are happening at passive crossings, where there are no lights or gates, and active crossings that have lights and gates, Schmit said. But nationwide, accidents are happening more at active crossings.
"You have to make the decision to stop at the crossing," she said. "Each crossing is dangerous."
It's also impossible to judge how quickly a train is coming, Schmit said.
"You can't tell if the train is going 60 mph or 30 mph," she said.
Trains don't run on a schedule, Schmit added, and a train could be coming at any time from any direction.
"Any time is train time," she said.
Some of the more common mistakes that people make at railway crossings are not looking both ways and thinking they can beat the train, Schmit said.
A typical locomotive weighs approximately 200 tons and can weigh up to 6,000 tons, according to the general rail safety information provided by the North Dakota Operation Lifesaver website. The weight ratio of a car to a train is proportional to a soda can's size compared with an automobile.
The increase in railroad crossing accidents could be a result of the increase in traffic all across the state, Schmit noted. An increase in traffic equals an increase in collisions, as well as an increase in rail traffic.
"So far, almost 50 percent of collisions and trains have been with commercial vehicles," Schmit noted.
Some safety tips for staying safe at railway crossings, according to the Operation Lifesaver website, are to always expect a train at each crossing; never walk on the tracks; remember trains can't stop quickly enough to avoid a collision; and trains have the right of way 100 percent of the time.
It's also wise to remember that trains can move in either direction at any time, and that an approaching train is always closer and moving faster than you think. Cross train tracks only at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings, stay alert around railroad tracks and never mix rails with recreation.
Schmit gives presentations on railroad crossing safety to schools, companies, or other groups and she, along with North Dakota Operation Lifesaver, tries to emphasize the importance of the issue through education, engineering, enforcement, media, ad campaigns and free safety presentations. Schmit said she will talk to any age of people to instruct them on safety at railroad crossings. She operates out of both Beulah and Bismarck.
The North Dakota Safety Council is the lead organization for North Dakota Operation Lifesaver.
The best piece of advice Schmit said she can give to people for staying safe at railway crossings is to look and listen.
"When approaching the crossing, look, listen, and you'll live," she said.