Daily Journal
In recent weeks, CSX Transportation and the Louisville & Indiana railroads have begun moving more trains through the county each day.
Those trains also seem to be longer and faster as promised by the two railroads on the 106½-mile north-south line that runs through Johnson County, from Edinburgh to Greenwood and through Franklin.
While the additional trains mean more delays for motorists, they also pose safety issues at many of the crossings. Many of the local crossings do not crossing arms.
Recently, three vehicle-train crashes occurred in Greenwood on one day. The leaders of the communities have been pursuing money to upgrade the crossings and asking federal legislators to change the law to require the railroad companies to do more of the work.
Many drivers, however, pay little or no attention at rail crossings they drive across day after day because they never see a train there, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
According to Indiana Crash Facts 2016, published by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, there were 356 railroad crossing crashes that year, including five fatalities and 66 that left motorists injured.
The department offers the following safety tips in an effort to help save lives:
Remember trains do not run on set schedules. They can be on any track, at any time, going in either direction.
Always yield the right of way to 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.
Never ignore active warnings at crossings.
Trains will arrive at a crossing faster than you anticipate.
Look and listen when you see advance warning signs indicating a rail-highway crossing.
Don’t get trapped on railroad crossings.
Before starting across the tracks, be sure there’s room to get completely across.
When running away from a vehicle stuck on tracks, run away from the tracks at an angle in the direction of the approaching train.
Stay off railroad property and stay safe. Railroad tracks, service roads and right of way are private property, and only people authorized by the railroads can be on that property.
While it is impossible for the railroads to make every interchange completely accident proof, we would urge them to do more. We are already dealing with massive inconveniences and interruptions to our businesses and neighborhoods. Ignoring interchanges with significant safety risks is unacceptable.
