CNO hits truck in Kenner La

[offroad437]

The southbound 59 today hit a plumbing truck that tried to beat the train by going around the gates. News reports engineer complained of minor injuries and was transported to the ER. Truck driver sited for going around gates and driving with a suspended DL.

 

[Bob Dylan]

This turd should be in jail or else thrown in the swamps as gator bait!

 

[offroad437]

I agree. On the good side they were close enough for a rescue engine from NOL to come get them. Only was 30 min late.

 

[Lonestar648]

When will people learn or the penalties so severe or both that people wait at crossings. A couple days ago, I was at a crossing with a line of cars in front of me backed up over the tracks. My wife keep saying I wish they would move forward, I wish they would move forward when the crossing signal started flashing and the gates started to lower. The cars on the tracks accelerated into the on coming traffic lane almost getting hit and blocking traffic, just as the crossing arms came to a rest and a high speed train came roaring by. Though there were seconds to spare, this was so close, our hearts felt like they had stopped. What is the matter with people!!!! Is the loss of time more valuable that your life? And do you care so little for those people you could hurt or kill??

 

[BAV]

Being from the UK I have a different perspective.

Firstly you have many more crossings in urban areas than the UK

However over the last year I have been watching some of the Railstream cameras one in particular is located in Chesterton IN and faces a crossing.

I have seen many long slow trains and by slow I mean walking pace take ages to clear the crossing, several times for what ever reason they have stopped totally blocking both crossings for 15 minutes or more.

I also saw a tamper or grader that activated the crossing and came to a stop just past, while the barriers stayed down the operator got out and spent several minutes doing something, this meant all the cars seeing this went round the down gates. Also the NS maintenance guy comes along and tests the crossing regularly lowering the barriers and walking round to check the lights. I have seen cars go round the barriers while this is happening. In the UK both of these jobs would require two persons to avoid just that situation.

I think there is a mindset in vehicle drivers that the crossing barriers don't always mean a train is approaching, and if it is it will be long and slow.

Not sure there is anything that can be done, but the rail roads need to make sure they don't cause drivers to have the wrong perceptions, currently from what I have seen they are not helping

 

[Devil's Advocate]

When will people learn or the penalties so severe or both that people wait at crossings.

The potential repercussions already include the death of the driver. Just how much more severe do you think we can make it? At this point I think it's pretty clear that rather than further penalizing the driver we need to look at penalizing the company that dispatches the truck. Private vehicles rarely much of a threat to a train but commercial vehicles, including commercially modified versions of private vehicles, have proven time and again that they represent a serious and present threat to trains of all types.

I have seen many long slow trains and by slow I mean walking pace take ages to clear the crossing, several times for what ever reason they have stopped totally blocking both crossings for 15 minutes or more. I also saw a tamper or grader that activated the crossing and came to a stop just past, while the barriers stayed down the operator got out and spent several minutes doing something, this meant all the cars seeing this went round the down gates. Also the NS maintenance guy comes along and tests the crossing regularly lowering the barriers and walking round to check the lights. I have seen cars go round the barriers while this is happening. In the UK both of these jobs would require two persons to avoid just that situation. I think there is a mindset in vehicle drivers that the crossing barriers don't always mean a train is approaching, and if it is it will be long and slow. Not sure there is anything that can be done, but the rail roads need to make sure they don't cause drivers to have the wrong perceptions, currently from what I have seen they are not helping

I think you make an interesting point. There are a surprising number of malfunctions where I live and in years past freight trains would routinely come to a rest while fouling one or more crossings, sometimes for hours on end. According to my recollection it took the city many years of fighting to get Union Pacific to stop leaving trains parked across major thoroughfares. Based on comments I've read right here on AU it would seem that freight railroads face few if any legal repercussions serious enough to prevent them from parking trains wherever and whenever they please. I wonder if America's "Operation Lifesaver" initiative includes reviewing inadvertent and counterproductive driver behavior conditioning as part of the overall solution.

 

[Eric S]

I think (or guess) that the problem isn't so much the severity of the possible punishment, but the likelihood of facing any punishment for violating the law. If cameras were fairly commonplace at crossings and drivers knew that it was quite likely that the owner of the vehicle would receive a ticket in the mail for many/most/any railroad grade crossing violation, we might start to see fewer such crashes and incidents. But such camera/automated enforcement systems, although they do exist at a few crossings, are altogether too rare.

 

[BAV]

I wonder if America's "Operation Lifesaver" initiative includes reviewing inadvertent and counterproductive driver behavior conditioning as part of the overall solution.

I would hope it would be included!!

I receive the regular reports from the UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), a couple of near misses were cause by the crossing timing having been extended for one reason or another and the RAIB were quite strong in reminding Network Rail that if local drivers get used to how long a crossing is down before the train arrives any lengthening of this can cause the drivers to believe it has malfunctioned and drive around.

They have said may times that whilst drivers should not attempt to drive around crossing barriers, the onus is on the rail network (Network rail in the UK) not to give drivers false perceptions of crossings timings..

 

[Montreal Ltd]

Out in the sticks where I live you can call the sheriff if a train blocks a road for an unreasonable length of time. He will issue a ticket if the road is blocked over 15 minutes. Doubt it makes any difference.