The Most Common Causes of Train Crossing Accidents

Railroad officials across the country have dedicated additional manpower and attention to railroad crossings after news of a deadly collision between a train and an SUV left six people dead in New York. The accident occurred when the moving train struck the motor vehicle at a crossing.

According to statistics collected by the Federal Train Administration, nearly 2,500 people are seriously injured or killed in train-motor vehicle wrecks at railroad crossings every year. Though the numbers are down dramatically from their peak in the 80s and early 90s, officials have seen no meaningful decline over the last 15 years.

The Primary Factors Involved in Train Crossing Accidents

Based on the data gathered, train-motor vehicle accidents at railroad crossings are most often caused when:

• The driver unsuccessfully tries to beat the train to the crossing. Experts say that this happens for one of two reasons—the driver either misjudges the speed of the train, or fails to accurately estimate the distance the train must travel. They point to studies that show that larger objects appear to be moving slower than they actually are. In addition, they cite scientific evidence that indicates that using peripheral vision to judge distance is highly unreliable.
• The motor vehicle operator fails to see the warning. Safety experts say that the lights typically used in railroad crossing signs have extremely narrow beams, which are seldom focused so as to be seen by motorists. Train crossing lights have a relatively low output that is further dissipated by the red glass cover. In addition, sunlight tends to wash out the warning lights, a factor supported by statistics that show that most railroad crossing accidents occur during daylight hours.

Contact Attorney Neal S. Axe

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Same as the railroad crossing accidents, we take all personal injury claims on a contingency basis. There are no legal fees unless we recover compensation for your losses.