Illinois Rail Safety Week – What most do not know about vehicle versus train crashes

EDWARDSVILLE – The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police is coordinating the third, statewide Illinois Rail Safety Week. During Illinois Rail Safety Week, which runs from September 11th to 17th, the Edwardsville Police Department wants to promote safety for both motorists and pedestrians around railroad tracks. Most Americans are unaware of the dangers associated with railroad crossings and trains. Did you know, according to Operation Lifesaver, that across the United States;
- 333 - Number in millions of vehicles that cross railroad tracks every day.
- 244 - Number of people killed or injured in 2015 at highway rail grade crossings.
- 511 - Number of people killed or injured in 2015 trespassing on railroad property.
- 18 - Number of football fields it takes a freight train, traveling at 55 mph, to stop.
- 50 - Percentage of vehicle/train collisions that occur at crossings with active warning devices (lights, gates, bells).
- 211,600 - Approximate number of at grade highway rail crossings in the United States.
- 40 - Times you are more likely to die in a crash with a train than you are to die in a crash with another vehicle.
- 3 - Average time, in hours, between each incident where a vehicle or pedestrian is struck by a train.
- 50 – Approximate percentage of people who are killed or injured while trespassing on railroad tracks who have drugs or alcohol in their system.
- 95 – Percent of rail related deaths that involve a driver trying to beat a train, or people trespassing on railroad tracks.
If you would like more information about Illinois Rail Safety Week, please visit www.illinoisrailsafetyweek.org or contact the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police

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