Over the past few months, three tragic accidents at railroad crossings devastated three families. A mother and three-year-old child were killed in an incident in San Leandro, California; a mother, son and two other children in Arkansas; and a mother, father and three of their four young children on their way to church in Colorado. These heartbreaking deaths added to the other 87 fatalities and 236 injuries suffered at railroad crossings nationwide this year alone.   

The news prompted an address by Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg, calling for improved safety at the nation’s more than 200,000 railroad crossings.

“While many of these incidents are still under investigation, we know that incidents like these are almost always preventable. And yet, they still happen,” Feinberg said. “We all must do more to protect drivers and their passengers – many of whom are children. The responsibility to improve safety at railroad crossings rests on all of us – safety regulators, state officials, the railroads themselves, law enforcement and even the private companies that conduct business in the transportation sector.”

In her address, Feinberg spoke to states, railroads, technology partners and Congress.

She urged state officials to apply for federal grants and work to leverage their own funds to improve safety, while noting that the Federal Highways Section 130 Program has contributed more to railroad crossing improvements in 2016 than in years past. She called on railroads to increase reporting of problematic or dangerous crossings and to boost efforts to integrate new technologies aimed at safety improvements. She asked tech companies to integrate FRA railroad crossing data into mapping applications and other pertinent technologies. And urged Congress to continue to work with safety regulators, state and local officials, railroads, law enforcement and private companies on awareness and improvements.

Recent efforts by the FRA include awards of nearly $10 million in grants for nine projects in eight states to upgrade and increase the safety of railroad crossing along energy routes; a redesigned website aimed at helping drivers, pedestrians and law enforcement to stay safe around railroad crossings; and the release of a list of the railroad crossings with most incidents over the past decade.

If you have suffered an injury or loss in an accident at a railroad crossing, call 888-519-RAIL to speak with an attorney with Jacksonville’s Rail Justice.