I found this video on Youtube. It may shed light on why some of these accidents happen. I think that the U.S. may need to install better crossing barriers similar to the British gates that swing across the tracks when a train is not coming. It was just luck that no one died in this event.
It will be interesting to see other's thoughts on this accident:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbG95Z6kBfo
Joe
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I'm sorry.....if you can't tell the difference between a road and a railroad right-of-way, even at night, you have no reason being a driver on the road. Plain and simple.
So here's a question. How many times a day does a driver run a red light or a stop sign causing an accident? Does this mean we should install some type of barrier system so these drivers are prevented from entering the intersection? No, we need better educated drivers on the road. Period.
I think that the U.S. may need to install better crossing barriers similar to the British gates that swing across the tracks when a train is not coming.
Go back and look at how many grade crossing there are in the UK, v/s all the ones in the US. Then, come back and talk about how you need a gate at every US grade crossing... Also, have a plan for who's gonna pay for them all.
If an automobile smashes into a railroad crossing gate, the gate will in most cases break or break off, allowing the automobile to continue forward, or to reverse into a safe area clear of the crossing.
This fact needs to be taught and demonstrated to every person being issued a driver license. It is so frustrating to read or see news reports of a horrible collision between a train and a motor vehicle "trapped" on a crossing, when it might easily have been prevented had the driver simply backed up against the lowered gate. Better to pay the fine and the replacement fee, than to lose one's life and cause the deaths of many other people.
There's no accounting for stupid. She needs some intense driver training.
When I was on the road my personal theory as that at last 50% of the drivers around you were stupid, impaired or psychotic - at best. Served me well. Notice the reporter was trespassing on the RR right of way !!
Today's world needs to be engineered to minimize the damage from stupidity and accidents in the most cost-effective way.
Some states are leaning towards legalizing medical marijuana and/or recreational marijuana, and some states have already done so, so the potential for stupid accidents is likely to increase.
It is possible for some people to confuse a railroad right-of-way with a street intersection depending on various circumstances such as:
* visual impairment from various causes
* mental confusion or inattention
* unfamiliarity with the area
* decreased visibility at night
* general stupidity, etc
I think that the U.S. may need to install better crossing barriers similar to the British gates that swing across the tracks when a train is not coming.
Go back and look at how many grade crossing there are in the UK, v/s all the ones in the US. Then, come back and talk about how you need a gate at every US grade crossing... Also, have a plan for who's gonna pay for them all.
I wouldn't advocate a swing gate at every crossing. I do think that it would be advisable along heavily traveled commuter lines. The Metro North collision might have been prevented earlier this year with a gate.
I also think that it would be advisable on freight lines in the middle of towns and on other heavily traveled roads. The accident in this thread and the Oxnard accident earlier this year might have been prevented with gates. Both accidents occurred on heavily traveled roads in towns. A road way out in the sticks probably doesn't need this kind of protection.
As for who is going to pay - I think that a combination of the towns, states and railroads should fund the projects. Our governments and corporations always have enough money for what many of us would consider a waste of money. You can find multiple examples every day.
The first comments people make when someone proposes spending on improving safety is: Who is going to pay? and We can't afford it.
It is interesting that the loss of life, the injuries, and the damage to track and equipment is never counted as a cost when calculating the price of safety. How much money is spent on treating people in hospitals and replacing engines and equipment when a train hits a vehicle? Train crews are scarred for life when they watch people die in front of their eyes. Don't forget the law suits. They amount to millions more. Someone pays even if the injured person is at fault.
People are always going to make mistakes. We have the tools to prevent many of the accidents that happen because of stupidity and just plain old mistakes. Let's start spending on preventing not fixing. It will far less expensive in the long term.
Joe
Joe, I think you seriously underestimate the number of grade crossings in America. In the FRA inventory from 2014, there were over 200,000 grade crossing in the US. Now, many of them are isolated (such as within railroad yards, container facilities, and other non-public property) but you get the idea.
It's wholly unrealistic to do anything more than put a warning sign on many of them, especially the extreme rural ones or those on lightly-travelled lines.
But even if you did, I promise you, you won't prevent accidents like the one in this thread. Even in Europe, where grade crossing as much fewer, they still have these things happen there too.
Like they told me in the Army; if you make something idiot-proof, someone will simply create a bigger idiot.
What's scary is.. there still lots of high speed main line road crossings in rural areas with just the old cross bucks. I think when a person takes a driving test they should have to go over a railway crossing. If they don't slow down or look both ways an automatic failure. got to start someplace.
I think when a person takes a driving test they should have to go over a railway crossing. If they don't slow down or look both ways an automatic failure. got to start someplace.
Heck, I never left the parking lot when I took my driver's test when I was 16. Had to re-take the written exam when I moved to another state, but that 20 minutes was the only time anyone tested my driving skills. And we weren't within 15 miles of an RR tracks at the time.
I've never thought the DMV takes driver certification all that seriously.
i think the survival of the fittest should come into play here. why are we worried about these extremely stupid people and why do the rest of us have to pay to keep idiots safe.
read the instructions that come with equipment today why do you have to think of bizarre circumstances and tell idiots not to do that. i recently purchased a new large sandblast cabinet one of the warnings do not open mail with the sandblaster really! a neighbor of mine in Tn decided to cut a large branch off his tree he leaned the ladder against the branch he was cutting and ladder fell when the branch was cut through so now we shouldn't sell ladders or saw?? another neighbor bought a table saw he decided not to install the guard as he didn't need that nor did he need his index finger and thumb. if you are that stupid you don't need a car and look at that reporter standing close to the tracks why bother thinking it gives me a headache.
So here's a question. How many times a day does a driver run a red light or a stop sign causing an accident? Does this mean we should install some type of barrier system so these drivers are prevented from entering the intersection? No, we need better educated drivers on the road. Period.
Yes, I can still remember from my Driver Ed days that there was next to nothing on the testing regarding RR crossings.
At any rate, my state, and I suspect others as well, require neither a general intelligence or psychiatric evaluation to obtain a driver's license. 
I'm sorry.....if you can't tell the difference between a road and a railroad right-of-way, even at night, you have no reason being a driver on the road. Plain and simple.
AMEN.
i think the survival of the fittest should come into play here. why are we worried about these extremely stupid people and why do the rest of us have to pay to keep idiots safe.
read the instructions that come with equipment today why do you have to think of bizarre circumstances and tell idiots not to do that. i recently purchased a new large sandblast cabinet one of the warnings do not open mail with the sandblaster really! a neighbor of mine in Tn decided to cut a large branch off his tree he leaned the ladder against the branch he was cutting and ladder fell when the branch was cut through so now we shouldn't sell ladders or saw?? another neighbor bought a table saw he decided not to install the guard as he didn't need that nor did he need his index finger and thumb. if you are that stupid you don't need a car and look at that reporter standing close to the tracks why bother thinking it gives me a headache.
The problem with just letting idiots suffer the consequences of their actions is that they quite often take out innocent people as well. In the Oxnard, CA crash the idiot who caused the crash wasn't hurt, but his actions caused the death of the engineer of the train.
Stuart
I hope they took her license away.
Often times when stupid things like this happen the driver has been on the sauce. Wonder if they tested her ?? Probably not.
quote:So here's a question. How many times a day does a driver run a red light or a stop sign causing an accident? Does this mean we should install some type of barrier system so these drivers are prevented from entering the intersection? No, we need better educated drivers on the road. Period.
The quality of driving in my area has taken a nosedive. The population has grown, and with it, traffic. More traffic means people are less polite, and always seem to be in a hurry. I do a lot of walking. Every day I see people speeding, running stop signs, and talking on their cell phones.
The other day one of the NYC newspapers carried an article about a woman who killed two children as a result of texting while driving.
I think that the U.S. may need to install better crossing barriers similar to the British gates that swing across the tracks when a train is not coming.
Joe
swing gates? across tracks?.....is this some kind of joke?
=jim
Gee, the solution seems rather obvious, albeit a tad regressive...
We provide a measure of crossing safety to our school children...
We could start treating our under-educated 'adults' like children at choo-choo crossings...
Oh, wait! We've progressed beyond that...thinking that we were smart enough to know better!!
OTOH, think of how that would help the unemployment 'problem'?!?!?
Oh, wait!.....
Never mind....
You're right....there is no cure for stupid.
I'm sorry.....if you can't tell the difference between a road and a railroad right-of-way, even at night, you have no reason being a driver on the road. Plain and simple.
She seems totally clueless even now. She turns onto the tracks thinking it's a road, doesn't know that a train is coming because it was behind her even tho the gates came down and the lights and bells were going off and the college guys were telling her the train is coming and she needs to get out now. Thank God those guys were there to pull her out. Some people should not be allowed to drive, or use matches or scissors or (insert everyday item that can be dangerous if you're stupid)!
Jerry
It would appear to be a world-wide problem...
Rusty
NJCJOE & Rick O,
Man do I agree with you guys, you can't fix stupid, the lady who stopped on the RR crossing because she went around the one gate, and the other came down and hit her car, and she got out to look, to see if her car had been damaged, now this lady got herself and others killed, when the on coming train collided with her car, sitting on the crossing. At 1st I thought she had to be someone from a Mex small town or something who had no drivers license, and did not understand RR Crossings, turns out she was a fully licensed American driver and she worked in a store in the next town.
Good grief how did this lady get a drivers license?
PCRR/Dave
Hey Mom. the examiner failed my drivers test because I didn't look both ways at the railway crossing. Imagine!! I'm going to mention this my friends.
Driving test? When I got my licence way back in 1973, my driving test consisted of a few areas-- how to pull out of a parking spot, drive 6 blocks, make a left turn across oncoming traffic, proceed halfway down the block, make a 3 point U turn, and drive back to the DMV office. All of 10 minutes. As far as RR crossings went, they were never taught in my High School drivers' ed course, nor was it on the written exam!
The driver that drove on the tracks and abandoned his vehicle did "not make as mistake".
He was obviously on drugs and should be prosecuted and convicted spend spent the rest of his life breaking rocks.
This is as litigenous society. We don't need more warning bells and whistles. You cannot compensate for lack of common sense.
read the instructions that come with equipment today why do you have to think of bizarre circumstances and tell idiots not to do that.
Exactly. I tell people all the time, "This is why sleeping pills have, 'do not operate heavy machinery' warnings written on the bottle..."
On my day job of investigating liability in auto accidents, you can't imagine how many people argue that they aren't at fault for things that an intelligent layman should really already know otherwise.
Dealt with people who hit parked cars or rear-end cars stopped at red lights all the time and those drivers will argue that the other driver caused the loss! Sometimes you can get them to understand it, but often you can't, and they often never get that they're at fault.
I think most people do backwards logic, starting with the premise that they're a good driver. So:
Puh-lease...
Perhaps the driver's test passing grade is too low. Maybe raising it to lets say a 90% minimum passing grade and being a lot more inclusive into possible accident scenarios I do agree with some of the others though. She obviously was not paying attention as to where she was. How can one NOT know the difference between a vehicle road and a RAILROAD!?!?!?
How can one NOT know the difference between a vehicle road and a RAILROAD!?!?!?
You'd be amazed if you saw the records of as many traffic accidents as I have.
If a car can fit somewhere, I promise you I've seen a loss where it went there. Handled accidents where cars were on sidewalks, jogging trails, even saw one where the driver got lost, drove into a mall, and hit several things trying to get out.
And no, none of them were elderly folks or teenagers.
What about the Engineer who does everything correctly, but there is a resulting mishap thanks to a poor, or dopey driver.
The Engineer has to go through all sorts of questioning and an investigation and GOD forbid if the worse occurs of a fatality and/or injury.
The Engineer has to live with replaying the event in his mind and dreams, for the rest of time.
Ralph
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
