Operation Lifesaver, the national rail safety education nonprofit, welcomed newly released federal statistics showing the lowest number of deaths and injuries from highway-rail grade crossing collisions recorded to date. For the first time, the number of crossing collisions nationwide fell below 2,000 to 1,880, a 21.9 percent drop from 2008.
Decreases were also recorded in both vehicular and freight train traffic, which may have contributed to crossing safety gains. Improvements in the economy could lead to increased traffic, which makes it important to reinforce Operation Lifesaver’s message, particularly in Louisiana with the sixth highest vehicle-train collision rate and fourth highest fatalities.
Louisiana highway-rail incidents dropped by 25.7 percent from 113 in 2008 to 84 in 2009. Fatalities resulting from these collisions decreased from 15 in 2008 to 11 in 2009, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Injuries in Louisiana crashes went down from 43 to 35 in 2009.
“As rail safety advocates, we are encouraged to see double-digit drops in the number of highway-rail grade crossing collisions, deaths and injuries, as well as pedestrian rail trespass injuries,” says Pat Edwards, Operation Lifesaver Louisiana State Coordinator. “These new figures show law enforcement efforts, improvements in highway-rail engineering and signal technology, closure of unnecessary crossings, and Operation Lifesaver's partnership efforts with state, federal and local agencies to raise rail safety awareness are helping to make our communities safer.”
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Operation Lifesaver, the national rail safety education nonprofit, welcomed newly released federal statistics showing the lowest number of deaths and injuries from highway-rail grade crossing collisions recorded to date. For the first time, the number of crossing collisions nationwide fell below 2,000 to 1,880, a 21.9 percent drop from 2008.
Decreases were also recorded in both vehicular and freight train traffic, which may have contributed to crossing safety gains. Improvements in the economy could lead to increased traffic, which makes it important to reinforce Operation Lifesaver’s message, particularly in Louisiana with the sixth highest vehicle-train collision rate and fourth highest fatalities.
Louisiana highway-rail incidents dropped by 25.7 percent from 113 in 2008 to 84 in 2009. Fatalities resulting from these collisions decreased from 15 in 2008 to 11 in 2009, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Injuries in Louisiana crashes went down from 43 to 35 in 2009.
“As rail safety advocates, we are encouraged to see double-digit drops in the number of highway-rail grade crossing collisions, deaths and injuries, as well as pedestrian rail trespass injuries,” says Pat Edwards, Operation Lifesaver Louisiana State Coordinator. “These new figures show law enforcement efforts, improvements in highway-rail engineering and signal technology, closure of unnecessary crossings, and Operation Lifesaver's partnership efforts with state, federal and local agencies to raise rail safety awareness are helping to make our communities safer.”
