Safety Stop

Railroad Safety Tips:
• Only cross the railroad tracks at a marked public crossing.
• Turn off headphones and do not text when approaching railroad tracks.
• Look both ways and listen before crossing the tracks at designated crossings.
• Obey all crossing signs, gates and lights, and never try to beat a train to a crossing.
• Always EXPECT that there will be a train and be prepared to stop.
• Drivers and pedestrians must stop at crossings when warning lights are flashing and/or gates are down. Vehicles may not proceed to cross the tracks until the gates are completely up and the lights are no longer flashing.
• Make sure there is proper clearance to cross over the tracks without stopping. Never stop on the tracks !
• If your car stalls on the tracks, immediately get out of the vehicle and far away from the track and call 9-1-1.
• When standing on a train platform, keep back at least 15 feet or more from the track. The average train overhangs the track by at least three feet; wider loads can extend even further.

All railroad tracks, trestles, trains and railroad equipment are private property and those caught on private property will be charged with trespassing.
Besides being against the law, unsafely crossing any railroad property or climbing on railroad equipment is not smart and could result in serious injury or death !!!

Did You Know?
• School buses and trucks carrying hazardous materials must stop at the railroad tracks, even when warning signals are not activated.
• It takes a loaded freight train traveling at 55 mph takes at least a mile to stop, after fully applying the brakes. That’s the length of 18 football fields!
• The human eye cannot accurately judge a train’s speed or distance. A train will always appear to be farther away and traveling slower than it is. Remember, the train always wins.
• Most crashes occur within 25 miles from home.
• Approximately every two hours either a vehicle or pedestrian is struck by a train in the United States.
• A motorist is twenty times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a crash involving another vehicle.
• Nearly 50 percent of the vehicle/train crashes occur at crossings that have active warning devices such as gates, lights, and bells.

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