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NTSB releases findings in Texas grade crossing incident
As soon as a better mousetrap is designed, somebody will invent a better mouse. Government can’t legislate enough laws to protect the stupid people. This does nothing but increase the cost of doing business which directly translates into increasing the cost of products and services for the end user.
And how much money will the taxpayers have to fork over for lighted signs that say “Train” at signalized intersections next to RR crossings? I remember when the lights all went to blinking red (on the Mission Rd. in Alhambra next to the Espee tracks – before the big trench was put in).
And how much money will the taxpayers have to fork over for lighted signs that say “Train” at signalized intersections next to RR crossings? I remember when the lights all went to blinking red (on the Mission Rd. in Alhambra next to the Espee tracks – before the big trench was put in).
- It happened at a “quiet” crossing. 2. The lights and gates were working in compliance with Government Regulations. 3. The Truck Driver ignored the signals. It feels like nobody is responsible for anything these days!
Continue to pray for those affected by this horrible accident.
We’ve been here before: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Fox_River_Grove_bus–train_collision
Bus driver then had singular focus on driving and traffic aspects and ignored any potential interaction with train.
What it boils down to for us as people interested in trains is that Union Pacific’s operations and infrastructure were not found to be at fault for this incident.
THe old true statement: Stop,Look and Listen" is true in this case.Too many times people try to beat the train to the crossing and pay the ultimate price. Especially when the "Bells are Ringing,Lights are Flashing and the gates are coming down.
Were any of the writers there to witness this? This is a tragedy for all involved. My hope is that important lessons learned will be applied so this does not happen again. Please do read the NTSB report. It is not so much as needing a better mousetrap, as being aware of what can happen. And yes the train was blowing the horn.
One of our biggest failings is letting our guard down and expecting someone else to be watching out for us. RULE # 1: ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!!! STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! LIVE! Truck Drivers who want to live thru every day always have a G.O.A.L. STOP!. Get Out And Look! Make sure for yourself every time. D.I.Y. DO NOT DEPEND ON OTHERS to be watching out for your sorry butt, because they may be too busy watching out for their own. Yes, I know this can take extra time or sometimes disrupt things; but isn’t that better than getting killed or killing someone else unnecessarily?
“Quiet Zones” kill! Sorry, NIMBYs.
JEFFERY GUSE FROM ILLINOIS STATEMENT IN THIS NEWS LETTER SHOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN USED TO DESCRIBE OBUMACARE,
Personally, I’m sick of reading the ubiquitous: “truck hit by train” statement re: this and other stories whenever all facets of the railroad operations worked as designed (as in this case). The most accurate statement is: “A truck driver allowed his vehicle to be hit by a train”.
I’ve always said that stupid people and trains do not mix. That’s why whenever I encounter anything unusual at a grade crossing involving vehicles and/or law enforcement or in a community hosting some sort of festival I always ask if someone has called the the railroad so they can get their traffic stopped or significantly slowed down. If I get shrugs, I call the railroad police and demand to be put through to the division dispatcher to warn him directly of the situation because lives and property demand that SOMEONE take action!
There was a recent article in, I believe, the Wall Street Journal, discussed some of the findings that had been released. A couple details not mentioned here:
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The lead truck in the parade, which made it across the tracks, had a locomotive horn installed on it, and the driver had been blowing it during the parade. This might have contributed to the driver of the second truck failing to recognize the horn of the approaching train quickly enough.
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In recent years a city police lieutenant had taken it upon himself to notify the railroad every time there was a parade, and would station himself at the crossing during the parades. The officer retired earlier this year.
Ultimately I think the responsibility for the accident is divided between two parties. One was party required by law to notify the railroad of the parade, and I believe that was the parade organizers. The other was the truck driver. When our previous Vice President accidentally shot a hunting partner, it wasn’t the other guy’s fault for being in the wrong place. It’s the guy holding the gun that was responsible. When a truck drives onto a grade crossing, it’s the guy holding the steering wheel who’s responsible for the safety of his vehicle.
So who will get sued? The railroad of course, because, as I’ve said previously, they have the most money.
I agree with most of the ntsb report, fault lies with the city and parade orginizers for not notifying UP of the parade. The officer who waved the truck driver across the crossing. And the driver for driving across the tracks with the lights flashing (i dont know if there are bells at quiet crossings as we dont have any near me here in WV). Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those hurt or killed and to the train crew who now have those final few seconds before impact forever burned into their minds
This article also stated Highway signal engineering at the crossing, which was definitely a root of the problem. If a traffic light is installed at an intesection next to a rail line where an intersecting road could have traffic waiting over tracks during red signals, then there should be a requirement that an advance signal be installed AHEAD of the crossing so that traffic does not get nuhg up on the crossing. Also, drivers need to KEEP GOING once they have started across tracks during a light change and realize they have already entered the intersection, which includes the railroad track. If the rail line runs parallel to the cross road by a few feet and the light is green when a vehicle has already started across the tracks, finish crossing and to hell with what the traffic light says after that; you entered on green, it means GO, finish crossing the tracks AND the crossroads as well, DON’T STOP!