A collision between a train and any other vehicle results in considerable damage and often times loss of life. Because of this, certain safety measures have been put in place, particularly in areas where a railroad crosses a roadway, to try to prevent these devastating accidents from occurring.
The more traveled a road is in the United States, the more elaborate the safety features are when it comes to railroad crossing safety. However, almost every crossing in the U.S. has at least a “crossbuck” for safety purposes. A crossbuck is a sign with a wooden “X” indicating the intersection of a roadway and a railroad.
Oftentimes the more highly-traveled roads will have lights, bells, and movable barriers attached to a crossbuck to indicate to traffic that a train is approaching. These designs are called AWDs. The process of activating an AWD is as follows:
- When a train is about 30 seconds away from a crossing, it sets off a sensor that alerts the crosswalk signals. Lights begin to flash and a bell begins to ring to let people know that a train is coming and that the safety gates are about to be lowered.
- When the train is 15 to 20 seconds away, the train will ring its engine bell and sound its horn. The train is required to produce two long blows, one short blow, and one last long blow on its horn to alert people of its approach.
- Once the train has passed, the safety gates will once again rise, the bells will ring, and the lights will flash. As soon as the gates are fully raised, traffic may continue over the railway.
While these safety features are intended to protect, they cannot do so if they are broken, installed improperly, or forgotten altogether. Sometimes, a railroad crossing may be inadequately maintained or monitored, leading to equipment failure at important moments. The lack of appropriate safety features puts everyone on the road and on the rail at risk, and such egregious errors must be addressed and corrected as soon as possible.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a railroad crossing accident, contact the Minneapolis railroad accident lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. today at 612-362-0000 to schedule a consultation.
