{"id":1756,"date":"2013-08-15T08:05:09","date_gmt":"2013-08-15T12:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roadtrafficsigns.com\/blog\/?p=1756"},"modified":"2023-11-23T02:06:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T07:06:34","slug":"pedestrians-or-trespassers-railroad-fatalities-skyrocket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roadtrafficsigns.com/blog\/pedestrians-or-trespassers-railroad-fatalities-skyrocket\/","title":{"rendered":"Pedestrians or trespassers? Railroad fatalities skyrocket"},"content":{"rendered":"

New data released by the federal government tells an unfortunate story about railroad fatalities: Specifically, the number of pedestrians struck and killed by trains throughout the country has increased by 26 percent over the first five months of this year. Pedestrian railroad deaths climbed to 199 in that timeframe, a rise from 158 pedestrians killed during the same period in 2012. Train-collision injuries totaled 356 since May, an uptick since the 344 recorded last year. The trend has been on the upswing, however: Last year, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, pedestrian railroad deaths topped 7.5 percent, although the total U.S. railroad fatalities count fell by 16.5 percent.<\/p>\n

\"Railroad<\/a>

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 26% more pedestrians have been killed by trains in the first five months of 2012 compared to last year. Something’s not working. Image from Adam Tinworth<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Part of the issue is that the FRA considers pedestrians to be trespassers<\/a> — in fact, those walking on the tracks, trestles, railroad yards and equipment may be subject to, in addition to danger, fines and arrest. Reports the Post-Dispatch<\/i>, \u201cPeople walking on the nation\u2019s railroad tracks are considered trespassers since the nation\u2019s railroad network is private property. But railroad tracks cut through dense neighborhoods and provide often-used shortcuts. Every year since 1997, more people have died walking on railroad tracks than in vehicles struck by trains at railroad crossings. The trend seems to be continuing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tracks provide an easier path through parts of town that can be otherwise difficult to access. But lawmakers are often unaware of this.<\/p>\n

According to Streetsblog<\/a>, \u201c[such attitudes] castigate the dead for being \u2018dumb\u2019 and playing with fire. But considering that rail tracks often bisect cities and even neighborhoods, dividing people from services and other community amenities, it\u2019s not fair to treat all illegal crossings as irresponsible trespasses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than treat pedestrians as trespassers, focus might instead be placed on studying which parts of the railroad tracks people are crossing en masse<\/i>, in order to build alternative routes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how it went in Encinitas, California, where beachgoers lugging surfboards regularly crossed train tracks to reach the Swamis surfing spot,\u201d reported Streetsblog. \u201cMore than 50 trains a day went by, making the crossing a dangerous undertaking, but the closest legal crosswalk was more than a mile away. Rather than reprimand the \u2018trespassers,\u2019 however, the city did something far more productive: build a grade-separated walkway.\u201d Solutions like this are intuitive and safe ones.<\/p>\n

Pedestrians who live or work near railroad tracks can take the following precautions, according to Operation Lifesaver (which, incidentally, is partnered with the FRA and with Amtrak). See the full list<\/a> for more details.<\/p>\n