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Yes, but that doesn't help the people who got killed in the crash. As I said if somebody drives a car into the path of a train, they will probably just kill themself. If a truck driver does the same thing, he could easily kill hundreds of people. That is a good reason to require extra precautions for all truck drivers IMHO. In a perfect world they shouldn't be required to stop. But since the world is not perfect and this type of stuff happens, there needs to be more safety precautions.
And once again, I'm asking if you have any statistical data that those "precautions" reduce the likelihood of being hit by a train at a crossing?
The truck driver was not charged. He did nothing wrong. The cause of the crash was a Utah Transit Authority employee who was working on the gate and bypassed the protection system to open the gate. The truck driver was not required to stop and verify that no train was coming. If he had been required to stop, there is a good chance the crash could have been avoided.
I believe I had heard this before and forgot it. Getting old before my time. (Well, not really. It is my time.)
Any data on how often the gates fail versus vehicles stall after a stop? We can find examples of anything. The question is which examples are most probable.
Obviously all three of those happen. A lot of 18 wheelers seem to get hit because they can't clear a rised crossing which, by the way, is warned by a sign warning of clearance issues. Without seeing the data myself, I am going to say most grade crossing accidents are because the driver or the car/truck/bus tries to beat a train.
With sincere sympathy to anyone injured its just too good to pass up saying the republicans were derailed by garbage.
To the best of my knowledge so far, the train did not derail, and the incident isn't even a rail accident in the normally-used sense of the term. My only personal guess is that the truck's driver misjudged the speed of the approaching train -- quite possible if (s)he's used to working and driving in city neighborhoods where speeds are usually much lower.
And people not familiar with railroading also tend not to recognize that heavy vehicles take a much greater distance to stop; at 60 MPH, a passenger auto (2 tons) takes 100 yards to stop; a fully loaded tractor-trailer rig (40 tons) takes twice as much. And a 1000-ton train will take at least a half-mile under optimum conditions, because the friction between steel wheel and steel rail is a lot less than that between pavement and rubber tire.
An Amtrak engineer operating in open country with highway crossings is given to understand that there is, at least, a one-in-three chance that (s)he will be involved in a fatal crossing accident during a twenty-year career; the figure can be higher or lower depending upon the territory involved. And that doesn't include the unfortunates, mostly in the high-speed corridors, who commit "suicide by train".
And every engineer's nightmare is that the vehicle will be handling hazardous materials. Back around 1970, the Illinois Central promoted the first African-American known to hold an executive role. Not long after, he was sent on a "familiarization trip" in the cab of a passenger train (ironically, the famous City of New Orleans). The train hit a truckload of gasoline stopped on a grade crossing, and the exec, plus the engineer and fireman, died a horrible death.
No, he ignored all the warning systems in place -- bells, whistles, warning signs, flashing red lights and crossing arms
Understood ... perfectly. But up until 1985 (and quite a bit later in some places) trackage of lightly-used rail lines, often in city neighborhoods, weren't kept in good repair. If the driver was used to this, (s)he might have dismissed the warning signals -- it just happens.
Not an uncommon accident at all and was VERY common in the first half of the 20th century as automobiles became a common form of transportation. Eventually, electric signals and crossing guards were installed at major train/auto crossings and the number of train/auto accidents decreased significantly. People used to just blitz across railroad tracks without stopping. I remember this from the 1930s and 40s. I was in a car once as a very young child that barely missed getting creamed by a train.
Obviously all three of those happen. A lot of 18 wheelers seem to get hit because they can't clear a rised crossing which, by the way, is warned by a sign warning of clearance issues. Without seeing the data myself, I am going to say most grade crossing accidents are because the driver or the car/truck/bus tries to beat a train.
Without data, I was looking at several train/truck collision compilations on youtube. It seems the vast majority of them involve a vehicle completely stopped on the tracks, not trying to beat it.
And people not familiar with railroading also tend not to recognize that heavy vehicles take a much greater distance to stop; at 60 MPH, a passenger auto (2 tons) takes 100 yards to stop; a fully loaded tractor-trailer rig (40 tons) takes twice as much. And a 1000-ton train will take at least a half-mile under optimum conditions, because the friction between steel wheel and steel rail is a lot less than that between pavement and rubber tire.
This one seems the most far-fetched. Everyone and their brother knows trains can't stop. I can't imagine anyone crossing the tracks thinking the train will brake to avoid a collision. More likely, they just can't gauge the speed of an object approaching from an angle.
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