Crossing violations

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I posted a few weeks ago about a crossing in front of my house that sees a lot of school bus and haz-mat traffic. Well, today I finally took the time to watch the crossing, and was dissapointed, but not to suprised by what I saw.

I started by setting up my video camera in my driveway while I was out shoveling, then when I was done shoveling I just taped for a while. I positioned myself where I had a good view of the crossing but was not easily seen by drivers, and proceeded to video tape every car that went by, after a while

I haven’t gone back over my tape to count numbers, but my rough estimates are: 75-80% of the bus/haz-mat traffic does not make the legally required stop. Most make some form of a stop, but not the stop required by law, i.e. stop, open door, look for busses, and full stop, look, and no shifting for haz-mat.

I watched for a total of about an hour and saw busses open the door, but not stop, stop but not open the door, and even one bus that flew through the crossing like it wasn’t even there, not so much as hitting the brakes. Two minivans labeled “School Students” went right through it too. One slowed down to about 15-20 before going over the crossing, the other just went through at speed. I don’t know if they are required to stop or not. A small minority of the drivers made a full stop, opened the door, and took the time to look.

Haz-mat driver almost always just slow down and look, but not come to a complete stop. Some, when they stop, are so close to the tracks that a train would surely hit them if it had been coming. Very, very few haz-mat drivers made a legal stop.

This crossing is protected by lights, no gates. I plan on using the tape in my bid to get gates at the crossing. I will be taping some more when I find myself with a little extra time.

2

I should add that I hope to get some video as a train approaches, so I can get the multitude of violators who are always crossing as the lights are flashing. A train did pass as I was viedo taping today, but there wasn’t any traffic until the loco was already occupying the crossing, so I couldn’t get a violators on film.

3

I say that you have a great thing going, keep up the good work. See what the government has to say about this, HA!!

4

Don’t wait - send a copy of your tape to the local school district’s transportation department as a concerned citizen. It could take years to get better crossing protection but only a few days to correct a few school bus drivers. Think of the kids.

dd

5

So long as they don’t sue you for taping them without their permission (can they do that?) you s/b ok.

6

I don’t see how. I was on my personal property, taping the crossing, not specific drivers. You can’t identify drivers in the tape anyway, unless you could grab the bus number and track it down that way. But if I showed the district they had a problem, the could reiterate to every driver the rules on grade crossings.

I probably will notify either the district or the bus company in the next couple of days, that one bus that just flew right through was a little unnerving. Luckily I got it on tape [;)]

7

[#ditto][#ditto]!

8

I’d also take your tape down to the police station & show it to the chief.
Might get an officer or two to be on duty. not your job to pass out tickets,
but they can. Might save a life!

9

Hear, hear! Don’t worry about being sued. No lawyer would take it, since the last time I looked, it wasn’t a tort to photograph or tape a public location. Who knows, maybe some good will come out of it like the guy in Oxnard taping the dangerous, unpreempted traffic signal that helped to hang that strawberry truck driver’s load out to dry, or get jammed (sorry) by the Surfliner last week. I am betting that Oxnard will finally coordinate the signal on Rose and Fifth with the crossing signals.

10

Send a copy of the tape.Don’t wait!!

11

Were the buses that did not stop carrying passengers? Here a school bus does not have to stop, by law, if only the driver is on board but our school district requires the stop even if only carrying the driver.

12

I saw one that was full of kids slow to look, but never opened the door. Most others, including the one that went right through, were empty. But here in PA, they’re required to stop anyway, whether full or empty. At least I’m 99% sure.

13

If you are going to make a formal accusation…make 100% sure! Receite the law…chapter and verse!

14

I have a request in with the State Police for a copy of the vehicle code relating to grade crossings. Hopefully somebody can show me in writing just what the law is.