Story by Michael McKenna
Illinois State Police are getting the word out that together we can save lives at railroad crossings. Because of the ongoing pandemic, that means doing so virtually this year. To that end, participating departments will be emphasizing the importance of obeying rail crossing laws through social media messages and videos posted on their department websites to mitigate challenges faced by COVID 19.
Police point out that it can take a train an entire mile to stop based on its weight and speed. So if an engineer sees you on the tracks, he can’t necessarily stop in time. Police also want to remind motorists that all of these are preventable tragedies.
Every year over 2,100 people are killed or severely injured at railroad crossing because they try to cross as the gate is lowering. Rail Safety Week runs through September 27.