Beware Of Railroad Crashes

Did you read my first write-up on the above subject? In my introduction, I listed out some of the causes of train crashes I listed? As I wrap up my focus which was prompted by the Lagos train/BRT bus crash that caused the nation pains and trauma, I wish to bring you up to speed with other causes. They include negligence, human error, reckless pedestrians and drivers, mechanical failure, speedy trains, defective tracks, derailments, unprotected railroad crossings, stalled cars on the track and .Suicides

Last week, I prioritized some especially human, negligence as well as speedy trains. Speed I reminded you is a killer not just on the road with cars but also with trains. Just like with cars, the faster the train the worse the consequences should there be a crash and higher the likelihood of derailment. In the case of defective tracks, this could be caused by foreign objects left at the site where the train passes.

 Derailment was cited as one of the reasons for the train crash. Last week I cited the famous train crash. It was the Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment in France which occurred in 1917.This crash caused the death of more than 700 people. Till date, it is the greatest rail disaster in French history. It was caused by brake failure.

For the sake of space, I will stop with unprotected railroad crossings which I am confident will form part of the report being expected from government on the Lagos train/BRT bus crash. It is said that about 80percent of crossing lack adequate warning devices such as lights and gates where more than half of all railroad crashes occur. If you care to know, poor visibility, distraction, intoxication as well as malfunctioning signals are others. 

So what tips are there to prevent train crashes from occurring? I know I gave you some tips last week but if you allow me I will run through the summarized tips before continue with the details of what I started. The first is always assume a track is in use. This assumption will guide you never to stop on a railroad track. It will equally guide you from entering a train tunnel or crossing where you can get trapped without escape if a train enters. You must never drive around lowered gates even where it appears the gate is stuck.It is advisable you find another route. You must never walk down or play on a train track, and please never try to race or beat a train. Just like the safe rules for using the road, always look both ways before crossing a track and understand that trains are wider than the track they’re on. And for those with suicidal tendencies, remember that it can take a train traveling 55 mph up to a mile to come to a complete stop.

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To be specific, always yield the right of way to the train which the BRT driver failed to do hoping he would outrun the train.  The train cannot yield to you. More than half of all motor vehicle-train collisions occur at crossings equipped with the automatic signals. It’s because some drivers choose to drive around the gates or through the flashing red lights because they believe they can beat the train, or they assume a stopped train has activated the signals or the signals are malfunctioning.

The third which I hear the BRT driver also fell short of, is, never ignore active warnings at crossings. Locomotives are huge;17 feet high and 10 feet wide. As a result, they appear to be traveling much slower than we think when viewed from a slight angle at the crossing. The combination of the size and angle create this illusion. The parallel lines of the rails converging toward the horizon contribute to the illusion and fool our minds into thinking the train is farther away than it actually is. It is virtually impossible to accurately judge the speed of a train when these combinations of illusions are present.

The fourth which the BRT driver was guilty of as testified by a witness is that trains will arrive at a crossing faster than you anticipate. One in four crashes occurring at highway-rail crossings takes place when vehicles run into the side of the train. Often, it’s because the vehicle is traveling too fast for conditions, such as darkness, rainy weather or fog. Many drivers “overdrive their headlights.” This means driving too fast to be able to stop in the distance illuminated by your headlights. By the time drivers see the train at the crossing, it’s too late to avoid the crash. In other instances, there may be high levels of noise in the vehicle, which distracts the driver from noticing the train’s warning devices.

 The fifth which is applicable to even road transportation safety is to look and listen when you see advance warning signs indicating a rail-highway crossing. I don’t know if the there was one but the plea by passengers was enough advance warning sign which again was ignored by the driver. Drivers who pass vehicles when approaching a highway-rail crossing run the risk of a collision at the crossing and this was exactly what happened in Lagos. The vehicle being passed may obstruct a clear view of the tracks, or vehicle speed while passing may be too great to stop in time.

Sixth, don’t get trapped on railroad crossings. Many vehicles get trapped on the crossing, between other vehicles, and end up getting hit by a train or are abandoned by drivers just before they’re destroyed.

Seven, before starting across the tracks, be sure there’s room to get completely across. Many crossings are on a surface higher than the roadway. Shifting gears with a manual transmission while going across this raised surface may cause the vehicle to stall on the tracks. If your vehicle is ever stalled or trapped on the tracks and a train is approaching, quickly get yourself and all other passengers out! Don’t try to take any other items with you. 

When the train strikes the vehicle it will send flying metal and glass ahead of and outward from the locomotive. Many people have been seriously injured and even killed because they ran the wrong direction. When running away from a vehicle stuck on tracks, run away from the tracks at an angle in the direction of the approaching train.

If a train is not approaching when a vehicle is stuck on the tracks, be sure to get yourself and all other passengers out of the vehicle and to a safe location. At crossings, there are signs with a toll-free number to call the railroad directly and warn them of stalled vehicles or other problems at the crossing.

When crossing has more than one track, don’t try to cross immediately after the end of the train passes — there may be another train approaching on the second track. Many crossing crashes have resulted because of impatience or inattentiveness at multiple-track crossings. You will always know how many tracks are at the crossing by observing a sign posed under the cross buck. Directly below the cross buck is a sign that indicates the number of tracks present if there are multiple tracks at the crossing.

Stay off railroad property and stay safe. Some people believe railroad tracks are public property. Railroad tracks, railroad service roads, and other railroad right of way are often used by joggers, hikers, people walking their pets, or as a pathway to ride motorcycles or other all-terrain vehicles or a wide variety of other activities. The danger with these activities on or near railroad tracks is these people are concentrating on their own activities not a train! Many joggers wear headphones and cannot hear a train warning horn. Motorized vehicle noise also drowns out the locomotive horn. Many people who do not hear the warning fail to escape the danger. More importantly, railroad tracks, service roads, and right of way are private property and only persons authorized by the railroads can be on that property.