Funny thing about people, a willingness to break the rules , versus their reaction to getting caught.
I’d guess that those who hit the brakes, really know better than to do what they did, they just place their common sense in suspension when they decided to risk a dumb stunt
Those who act like it’s all the trains fault, probably deserve the finger
I wonder if it is a condition related to the brake pedal of all those senior drivers that “fails” or the accelerator pedal that “sticks” and causes the aforementioned senior driver to plow into a building or crowd. Without fail the pedal is found to be working after the accident investigation.
There was a video from I think Thailand on one of those “World’s Dumbest Drivers” or something of a guy on a moped getting clocked by a commuter train. He obviously was taking a wake nap when he stopped with his front wheel on the tracks. He just looks a turns the wheel a little until he gets nailed.
I tend to believe it is more something the driver did to stall out the car, but they, like everyone else in the world it seems, wants to divert the blame to someone or something else. The accident I referenced at first was the third one in a row where the report said the car was “stalled”. The one in my reference was there for a few minutes before it got hit.
I might add… one of the rules (often overlooked) for CDL folks is that before entering a crossing, one is to shift (if one has a shift!) into a gear which you can maintain all the way across until you are clear. In other words – do NOT attempt to shift while crossing a railroad crossing. This is mandatory for haz-mat and school busses. Not sure about other types – but I sure obey the thought when hauling horses around…
You have to wonder how many of these “stalled” cars where just stuck be cause the driver drove of the pavement or just plain missed the crossing and got hung up on the rails. We had a girl fall of the edge of the crossing localy about a week ago. She went to get help geting it unstuck but the NS helped her by pushing out of the way with a train. When she got back all she need was a broom and dust pan.
Even A newer car will sometime stall in a panic stop. I had my van stall when a kid ran into my path. I guess the automaitic tranmistion just could not release in time. This was to happen to someone who panic when they saw the train and could not think to put the car into park long enough to let it start.
One can only assume then that common sense is not a factor in all of this. 
I would think that if my vehicle got “stalled” on the tracks and a train was heading my direction, I would be able to pick it up and toss it out of the way.
WELCOME TO LIFE IN "THE STUPID ZONE" ![D)][D)][D)]
I think that there is another likely reason for cars “stalling” on the tracks so frequently. I feel like there is a growing trend to not want to take responsability for our own actions. I’ve seen this in both of my careers- teaching (“I only get bad grades in your class because its so difficult”) and IT (“I feel I got a bad review even though I made some major mistakes which had to be fixed up by others”).
Think of how the “poor schmo” whose car has just been hit feels- not even your normal case of you did something stupid/wrong, but a BIG one, perhaps causing injuries, certainly causing inconvenience to many others. How many people do you know who are honest-enough to accept blame for such?
Just my [2c].
There seems to be some inference that locomotive engineers are at fault by hanging on the horn, if we think about normal reactions to situations, don’t you think the engineeers emotions also go into high gear, just because your’e in a 200 ton locomotive doesn’t always mean you are automatically the winner, survival instincts take over in the cab of the loco too.
But in their case, it means riding out the situation, jumping or swerving is not usually an option and the natural reaction is to throw the brakes into emergency and hang on the horn, from there on, momentum and fate take over. (been there, done that!).
Occasionally - I would class it as an accident, but generally it is through some act of stupidity or senselesness, the train driver generally has no say in the matter.
Imagine if a train stalls on the crossing and the tables are turned, do you think a motorist will keep charging on blowing his horn, no - they have the decisive choice in both situations.
Teditor
I haven’t heard of it happening all that often here (Tulsa), but this weekend, I heard the BNSF Cherokee Sub dispatcher advising trains on the sub that they would be sitting for awhile because a car was stuck on a grade crossing in Tulsa.
Nevermind that train operations have been a nightmare since Friday when the ice storm(s) started. This car had slid off the road onto the track. The ice made it difficult for the tow truck(s) to move it. After several hours, they finally got it moved.
Then the switchs were frozen…what a mess it is around here. Not much moving.
Mike in Tulsa
BNSF Cherokee Sub
We have same problem in UK and here in France. In both countries, tracks are a bit higher than the surrounding land and road goes up each side to cross. Any hesitance adds to the possibility of a stall.
Sadly, in UK, at least one man decided to commit suicide by parking deliberatly in front of a high speed train. Worse, there were points just beyond, so, instead of just killing the man, the train derailed and train driver and many others were killed and injured as well.
Hope you don’t get that in US!
Eric Stuart
Out here on the SRT, many engineers and firemen run into the engine room behind the cab and luck it out when they see tractor-trailers rig or ten-wheel trucks who disregard crossing protections and many has lost their lives in the line of duty in grade crossing accident.[sigh][:(]
FYI, All of SRT’s locos tip the scale at around 80-90 metric tons so when they tangle with loaded tractor-trailers or ten wheel trucks(around 30-40 metric tons). The result is ugly, the loco is derailed and banged up sometimes beyond repair[B)]
This is why I keep my 1995 Ford F-350 in the best shape I can and also why I put in a new off-road suspension, so I dont have to crawl over railroad crossings.
G’day, Y’all,
back in the early '90s a hurricane was forcast to hit southern Florida. Private pilots by the score flew their planes there “on business” in expectation that the storm would hit and destroy their insured aircraft. A friend who went down there afterward to look for parts for his V-tail said an insurance adjuster told him that the insurance companies knew these people did this to get out of paying for their planes but could not prove it and had to pay out millions of bucks. Maybe some people don’t want to keep making payments on their cars.
Sometimes it is not a matter of the car stalling on the tracks, but a way of getting the insurance company to pay for the car. Usually after a car/train collision there is not much left of the car and there is no way to find out if the car actually stalled. As a road foreman of engines, I have investigated many crossing accidents. A few of those turned out to be insurance scams because the person that owned the car could not afford the payments or they wanted a new car. This information I found out thru the claim agent that was assigned to the case.
Bob
Of all my years of driving. I have never had any problems of my car or truck stall on a RR crossing.
I was never lousy enough to get stalled ON the crossings, but my car has stalled numerour times when stopping short of a crossing or for a traffic light. Lots of times, just being careful would likely help keep them from ending up there, though I can understand it does happen sometimes. Like was mentioned earlier, crossings are often graded, and people usually have to slow for them anyways, because they’re so rough.