The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched an ad campaign aimed at young male motorists – who tend to ignore railroad crossings and try to cross the track ahead of an oncoming train. The “Stop! Trains Can’t” ad is the latest in a two-year effort by DOT to reduce accidents and fatalities at railroad crossings around the country. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have partnered in the nationwide effort.
Of the more than 200,000 railroad crossings in the U.S., 15 have been the site of ten or more incidents during the last decade, according to a list released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is urging state departments of transportation to verify that railroad crossing warning systems interconnected to traffic lights function properly. The agency also urged states to add event recorders to traffic lights connected to railroad crossing systems so information obtained during inspections can be used to improve safety.