ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Monday marks the start of National Rail Safety Week, a seven-day initiative aimed at raising awareness about safe practices around railroad tracks and trains.
With 43 at-grade railroad crossings in Roanoke alone, the campaign emphasizes the importance of vigilance for both drivers and pedestrians.
John Fleps, chief safety officer of Norfolk Southern, urges, “If you see tracks, think train. Never let your guard down around railroad tracks.”
According to the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, 90% of railroad-related deaths result from crossing collisions and trespassing incidents, with over 400 fatalities each year. That’s why Norfolk Southern is raising awareness about these dangers.
“If you’re just walking from A to B or are in a vehicle headed to school or work, or on your way to drop your kid off at school or sports, always respect the tracks and assume a train is coming,” Fleps said. “Never find yourself stopped in the path of a train.”
Every three hours in the U.S. a car or person is hit by a train. Fleps says that statistic is preventable.
“Never try and beat a train,” Fleps explains. “If you see the gates flashing and coming down that is not your sign to hit the gas. It is your sign to hit the brakes.”
Fleps says most accidents happen at crossings with those warning signs; people will try and beat the train, but the train is going so fast it doesn’t have time to stop.
“Trains take a really long time to stop,” Fleps adds, “that’s why they are so efficient, they use momentum. Generally, if you can see the headlight or if the train can see you, it is too late.”
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