Train Track Safety

With all of the large trucks out on the road, it’s easy to overlook the trains that deliver goods across the nation each day. There are 140,000 miles of railroad tracks across the United States. You may drive over train tracks every day on your commute to work or school and yet may have never actually encountered a train.

The average car weighs one to two tons, depending on the size of the vehicle. The locomotive on a train weighs 200 tons, and with the addition of railcars, can weigh 6,000 tons. For this reason, a car accident involving a train is serious and in many cases, fatal. Therefore, it is important for all drivers to understand train track safety and to know what to do in the event of an emergency or accident.

• Always check for a train when crossing tracks. Slow down and look in both directions. Even if you do not hear a train, you should still check, since modern trains are quieter and faster than older trains.
• Always obey train warning signals. If warning lights are flashing, a bar is lowered, or if you hear a train signal, do not cross the tracks until the train has passed.
• Never try to beat a train across the tracks. Trains may be moving faster than they appear, and because of their extreme weight, they are not able to stop to avoid an accident.
• Never stop in the middle of the tracks. Never allow yourself to get blocked in by other cars on top of train tracks. If your car stalls on train tracks as a train is approaching, leave the vehicle and run in the opposite direction to avoid being hit by your own vehicle during the collision.
• Never let the car in front of you or behind you get blocked in on the tracks. If you recognize that a car near you is blocked in on top of the tracks, make an effort to move your vehicle so that the other vehicle can get off the tracks.
• Exercise extreme caution at night. Many accident involving cars and trains occur because a car drives into the side of a train during low-light situations.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident involving a train, contact the Stevens Point car accident lawyers of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ® at 800-242-2874 to discuss your case with an attorney.