The two pedestrian deaths on railroad tracks near a farm in Sale Creek in August brought the number of people trains have killed in Hamilton County in 2011 to three. All three people could have avoided the accidents that ended their lives by following a few safety guidelines, says Jill Moody, state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver Tennessee, a public awareness and education program dedicated to ending collisions at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad property.
For example, pedestrians should cross railroad tracks only at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings, and obey all warning signs and signals at those crossings. “Designated pedestrian and roadway crossings are the safest place to cross tracks,” Moody says. Crossing a track at any other point could put a pedestrian on private property, and make him or her subject to arrest and fines, Moody says. “Tracks, trestles, rail yards and equipment are all private property, and if you hunt, fish or ride your ATV on them, you’re trespassing.”
One of the biggest mistakes pedestrians make is assuming they’re safe because there’s no train in sight. Moody says pedestrians should always treat railroad tracks as through a locomotive is approaching. “Look both ways and listen before crossing train tracks. Freight trains do not travel on a predictable schedule, and schedules for passenger trains change, so expect a train at every highway rail intersection,” she says.
Even though a train might look as if it’s approaching slowly, appearances can be deceiving, as the large mass of a locomotive makes it almost impossible to accurately judge their speed, Moody says. She likens the seemingly leisurely approach of a train to watching an airplane from a distance; the airplane might appear to be traveling slowly, but it’s actually going a few hundred miles per hour. “It’s an optical illusion. You might think you can beat a train, but the truth of the matter is the train is moving much faster than it appears to be,” Moody says.
A safety tip on the Operation Lifesaver Web site puts it more bluntly: “Racing a train to a highway rail intersection is a fool’s game. If you lose, you may never have another chance.” Pedestrians who rely on their ears to warn them about an approaching train are making a similar mistake, says Moody, as modern trains are quieter, with no telltale clickety-clack.
Moody also advises pedestrians to never walk across bridges or through tunnels, as those structures are not designed for pedestrian traffic, and there’s not enough room along the sides of a track to ensure a person’s safety should a train pass through at the same time.
“There are no sidewalks alongside railroad tracks, and trains are wider than the tracks on which they travel; they hang over the tracks by at least three feet, and things hang off the sides of them, so if you stand too close, you could be hurt or killed.”
Other do-nots include: Do not operate an all-terrain vehicle on a railroad track; do not hunt, fish or bungee jump from railroad trestles; do not attempt to hop aboard railroad equipment at any time, as the slip of a foot could cost a person a limb; do not listen to an MP3 player near a railroad track; and do not text on a cell phone near a railroad track, as it could be a deadly distraction. When pedestrians ignore these safety tips, as well as the laws regulating behavior on or near railroad tracks, they put themselves at risk of bodily harm, Moody says, as there’s no guarantee the engineer on an approaching locomotive will be able to stop the train.
“It takes an engineer more than a mile to stop a locomotive that’s traveling 55 mph. That’s 18 football fields lined up end to end. So even if the engineer sees you, he won’t be able to stop the train in time to avoid hitting you,” Moody says. According to data from the Federal Railroad Administration, there are 196 public railroad crossings in Hamilton County. Citizens in the area can avoid tragedies at these crossings by following the guidelines and obeying the laws, says Moody.
Hamilton County residents can also join together with Operation Lifesaver to promote pedestrian safety. Each year, the organization trains people around the country to conduct free rail safety programs. Most presenters are volunteers who donate their time to speak with schoolchildren, community organizations, and others about highway-rail grade crossing safety and the importance of staying off railroad tracks and property.
Moody says their mission is important, as a train in the U.S. hits a person or vehicle about every three hours. “We’re trying to educate people to save lives.”
For more highway-rail grade crossing safety tips or to inquire about becoming an Operation Lifesaver presenter, visit www.tnol.org.