The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with local law enforcement agencies statewide to remind motorists and pedestrians of the importance of rail safety. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) is coordinating the fifth, statewide Illinois Rail Safety Week, which runs from September 23rd to 29th, in partnership with Metra Railroad, and with support from state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, railroads, schools, and various private sector agencies.
Sheriff Mark Curran stated, “Please make safety your priority when you are near railroad tracks and I encourage parents to pass this information on to their children. When you see train signals, heed the warning and stop – the likelihood of surviving a train collision is slim.”
According to Operation Lifesaver, a national nonprofit public safety education organization;
- Trains cannot stop quickly. Even if a locomotive engineer sees you, IT WILL TAKE THE AVERAGE TRAIN MORE THAN ONE MILE TO STOP. That is about 20 football fields.
- The average train weighs 2,000 tons, and the average automobile weighs less than two tons.
- A motorist is 40 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a crash involving another motor vehicle.
- The majority of highway/railroad collisions occur when the train is traveling less than 30 miles per hour.
- Pay careful attention at crossings at night and in bad weather.
- Because of its size, trains look like they are moving slower than they actually are. It is nearly impossible to predict the speed of an approaching train.
- If you are using headphones, please remove them when crossing or walking near railroad tracks.
- Once the warning signals begin, it can take as little as 20 seconds for the train to reach the crossing.
- Get off your bike and walk it across the tracks.
If you would like more information about Illinois Rail Safety Week, please visit www.illinoisrailsafetyweek.org or contact the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
End of Release.