Dodging train crossing signals: Are you really that stupid?

cosmonut

A guy in our area tried to drive around a train crossing signal and ended up getting hit on the passenger side of his Jeep. Fortunately he was able to walk away from it, but I'm just amazed that people do this. I saw one with my own eyes the other day.



Why would anyone think that playing chicken with a train is a good idea? Are these people really in that big of a hurry that they're willing to risk their lives? Do you dodge train crossing signals?



Unbelievable.

jimdreamworx

When driving through Saskatchewan, and listening to the radio, there were many public service announcements about people trying to beat a train at a level crossing. Must be the illusion that trains seem to be going slow, and folks think they can beat them over the tracks, when in reality they are going pretty fast. One of the funnier ones was on TV, where a bunch of teenagers in a car start goading the driver: "C'mon, Wayne, you can beat the train!" - and of course he doesn't, so let that be a lesson to you!

eugene

Have you seen the video of hurried commuters running across the traintracks to get to a soon departing train on the other side? They weren't paying attention as an express train was rolling through...



You see one man with a briefcase suddenly stop and flinch backward, but a woman doesn't react in time and splish-splash...

anders

Survival of the least stupid

luca

I've never actually encountered this situation while I was driving, but occasionally there will be a stopped train about a hundred feet from the crossing, or the gates will be down for no reason, and in that case you can cross. I've never actually had to go around the stop arms though.



I would never think of crossing if there was actually a moving train approaching. That's just stupid.

groverat

We used to get a lot of phantom trains in the town I went to high school where all of the arms and such would go down and flash the lights with no train. So yes, I've crossed against train signals dozens of times.



The only time I came close to a train was way out in the boonies and the crossing signals apparently didn't work. My oldest sister and I just shot right across the tracks (which were obscured by trees right up to the edge of the road), heard a loud noise 3 seconds later and watched a train pass right through the dormant signals in the rearview mirror.

moogs

*cringe*



Anyone who intentionally races a train has crossed the line from "ballsy" to "mentally retarded", though I can see how these things happen by accident like Groverat mentioned. I think malfunctioning rural signals are pretty common actually. The railroad depots are too far away to maintain them with any regularlity....

luca

I think it's probably almost never necessary to go around the crossing arms, because train signals that have the arms are newer and probably more reliable. Generally I would only have to go through on ones that have only the lights and no arms (those are more common out in the boonies where I live). They are older and don't work as well.

guest

Has anyone else seen the video where they tested the 18 wheeler truck against the train? Guess who won. The truck's engine was squished flat. Good luck trying it with a car.

drewprops

The thing that really gets me are the asses who park right on the tracks at a signal. Sure, maybe they'll get a big long warning that the train is coming...but what if they don't? It's just stupid.

709

I'd heard a statistic a couple of weeks ago that said most train drivers would hit someone on a road-crossing at least once per year, and I thought to myself "Yeah, right. How often could that realistically happen?"



As it turns out...a lot. I asked an engineer buddy of mine about it, and he scoffed "Only one?". Holy hell. He said he'd hit at least a dozen vehicles in the last 5 years...I didn't dare ask him the results.

jwri004

Where I lived we seemed to have a level crossing accident every weekend. Everybody was talking about it. Some bright spark asked a talk back radio host why the train didn't stop for the cars!!??!!



Something about weight and inertia? Your guess is as good as mine