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Railroad safety program nabs crossing violators
(The Associated Press circulated the following on August 8, 2009.)
BLACKFOOT, Idaho — A program to discourage motorists from trying to beat trains through intersections is working, authorities in southeastern Idaho say.
Operation Lifesaver has police officers riding trains and they notify other officers when a crossing violation occurs.
On Friday, five motorists who took a risk to get across the tracks ahead of an oncoming train ended up being pulled over and ticketed.
"Our goal is to eliminate potential problems with people trying to cross train tracks to beat a train," Kim Davids, an Operation Lifesaver presenter, told the Idaho State Journal. "There are a lot of people who don't see the dangers in crossing the railroad if a train is 100 feet away. Well, the truth is anything can happen, and we have seen it all."
Union Pacific provided the train on Friday that also gave free rides to passengers who received a short presentation on railroad crossing dangers.
The free rides were available in Dayton, Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Bancroft, Soda Springs and Montpelier.
Chris Arvas with Operation Lifesaver said the program has reduced the number of drivers willing to chance getting hit by a train.
"If we were to take a trip from Pocatello to Idaho Falls, we would catch about 60 violators," Arvas said. "Since we have started the program it has gotten a lot better. A couple of years ago, in the Blackfoot area we would have about 88 violations on an average day. Now it's down to 20."
Most accidents involving railroad crossings happen within 12 miles of the victim's home, according to Idaho State Police statistics.
"That's because people feel comfortable," Davids said. "They just have to remember that even though those train tracks by their house aren't used every day, they are still used, and not to just zip by them without looking."
Operation Lifesaver has provided the free rides in Idaho since 1990.
"The program was so successful in reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries involving trains that it grew from a single state program to an international effort with programs across the U.S. and in Canada, Mexico and Europe," Arvas said.
Monday, August 10, 2009
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