Business Fleet, November/December 2019
SAFETY CORNER WWW BUSINESSFLEET COM 31 BUSINESS FLEET November December 2019 PHOTO VIA PIXELBAY KENSTAND BY MARIANNE MATTHEWS In 2018 alone 99 people a 10 year high lost their lives because a motorist went around a lowered gate at a railroad crossing In fact in the U S every four hours an individual or a vehicle is hit by a train The majority of the incidents happen at a grade crossing where the tracks meet the road National Rail Safety Week occurred September 22 28 which is also a fitting time to remind your drivers how to stay safe when driving near or across train tracks Most fatalities involving trains are preventable and involve lapses of judgment according to the National Safety Council so reminding commercial drivers to be vigilant makes smart sense Every roadway rail crossing fatality is preventable when drivers adhere to the following extra precautions Never try to a beat a train When traveling at 55 mph it takes a train at least a mile to come to a full stop Slow down and yield when approaching a crossing Its not just a safety precaution its the law Stop behind the solid white line or at least 15 feet from the crossing Never stop on the tracks If your vehicle stalls on the tracks get out immediately walk to safety and call 911 Keep your vehicle off the tracks whenever the lights are on or the gate is down even if you do not see a train approaching Be aware that trains can suddenly appear at any time of day or night Be extra alert if there are two or more tracks a second or third train may be approaching If a gate is malfunctioning or there is a hazard on the tracks look for the sign that identifies that rail crossing then call the toll free number on it to report the problem More than 210000 railroad crossings in the U S now feature such signage BF SAFETY STRATEGIES FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS MOST FATALITIES INVOLVING TRAINS ARE PREVENTABLE USE THESE TIPS TO MITIGATE ANY POTENTIAL FOR YOUR DRIVERS LAPSES IN JUDGMENT BY AUTOMOTIVE FLEET STAFF
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