RR X-ings study

I found this on the BNSF web site this morning, kinda makes you wonder about the American public.
Adam

Studies Find Most Americans Don't Recognize "Crossbuck" Sign
2006-04-04

At the urging of North America’s rail industry, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is taking an important step toward improving safety at highway-rail grade crossings, encouraging state officials to install a stop or yield sign at grade crossings.

Numerous studies have shown that the large majority of drivers do not understand the meaning of the crossbuck sign currently posted at most grade crossings, while yield and stop signs are universally understood. Some 60 percent of highway-rail grade crossings in the country are passive crossings, meaning they are protected only by signs instead of flashing lights or gates.

"North America’s freight railroads commend the FHWA for issuing this common-sense guidance," says Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads. "Drivers need to know they should yield or stop to look for oncoming trains. Only one in five motorists today understands that the crossbuck is a warning sign. This will provide drivers clear direction to stop or yield at railroad grade crossings, which we hope will save many lives."

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General found that driver error or poor judgment was responsible for 94 percent of public grade crossing accidents and 87 percent of fatalities.

BNSF Headquarters
BNSF Railway Company
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For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com

 

That's only half the battle though. There are still those idiots out there who know what the crossbuck is and choose to ignore it.

Whenever you see a story on the news about some dufus who ran a sign and got hit by a train, they inevitably start going into how "dangerous" railroads are and how the railroads need to do something about all these crossings.

 

It used to be called "culling the herd". Unfortunately, a new breed has taken over the country and the gene pool is polluted.

 

It's kinda sad to think that it's cheaper to put up Stop signs and yeild signs than it is to just teach people what the existings signs mean.

 

I'll add to that Boxcab - not only do they drive past the signs, they drive AROUND the gates when they are down. The first time I witnessed that a lady was trying to beat a Katy pig train. She paid the ultimate price. The good news.....she was the only one in the car.

 

Won't do any good when people generally don't come to a complete stop at stop signs.

 

These drivers are removing themselves from the gene pool, one by one. I do agree that more education would be a good thing- only the luckiest of them will get a second chance if they pass the crossbucks.

 

UP is now installing double crossing gates to keep traffic from going around them.Other places there putting up concrete walls on the center line of the highway about a 100 feet from the crossing to keep traffic from going around other cars and around the gates. A man was killed in a tractor trailer rig last week from a north bound grain train at cabot ar. A south bound freight cleared the crossing on a double main,when it cleared he tried to cross only to be hit by the northbound freight coming the other way.I had hostled the power on that northbounder not two hours before it left the yard.

 

This is kind of sad, really.

Stats like this always amaze me. In response to this thread, I asked my kids (ages 8 and 6) to identify a few signs. They both aced the easy ones: stop, one-way, school crossing...and had some trouble with a few others. But they both knew what a crossbuck was. They didn't know it was called a crossbuck, but knew it was a railroad crossing sign and that they are posted "where the train goes through". I was also reminded that when I see that sign, I should stop and look, because a train might be coming.

 

I'm curious how these so called studies are conducted.

1) Do they show the outline of the sign only with the words "Railroad Crossing" removed? I could see a few people saying they don't know what this sign is.

2) Do they simply ask what a "Crossbuck" sign is? I could see a majority of people not knowing this term.

My point is if they show the sign complete, unaltered and ask what it is, and they still don't know what it means, then how did they get a drivers license in the first place.

 

Exactly. I'm almost positive that being able to recognize that sign is part of the driver's license written exam...at least here in Ohio.

 

Here in Thailand, we do have some (unprintables) motorists/motorcyclist who disregard X-ing protections and get mowed down.:angry: Sometimes, if the damage is serious enough, SRT will go after the perp for damage; do US RRs go after the perp in grade crossing incident for damages (I.E. lost revenue, crew welfare equipment damage etc.)?

 

X-ings stories

In South Germany there are 99 of 100 railroad crossings with flashlight and crossbucks. But there are always some dodos, here two samples:
2003, a garbage truck went backwards on a x-ing, a short passenger train (66 p on board) get him (speed was 70mph). Three died, the truck driver and two passengers.
2004, a driver ignored the flashing lights, a passenger train hit him (with 90mph). No serious injuries. The case came to court, the judgement: No one is responsible for this accident! :thumbs_down: The car driver was blinded by the sun (at noon) and the trees covered the flashlights (the next tree is 30 yards away!). But now the best: the train driver should recognize that the car wouldn´t stop at the x-ing and try to stop the train!

 

Answered my question

This week the 2 UP crossings here in Walseburg, CO had Yield signs added. I just could not understand why until I found this thread. Of course I don't really understand why yet. Caution at a RR crossing just seems to be common sense. Oh, I just answered my question......