“See Tracks? Think Train” Highlights Track Safety

On the Shoofly - September 2025

The Shoofly Magazine expresses condolences to the family and friends of the two people killed this week in the railroad crossing incident in Pass Christian. In a sad irony, September 15-21 was “See Tracks? Think Train®” week, a time each year when groups around the country seek to raise awareness about rail safety. 

- Story by Ellis Anderson

Mississippi ranks #24 for highway-rail grade crossing collisions, according to the most recent stats. Let’s help make it #50. We are asking our readers to partner with us and help amplify these safety messages by sharing through your own social media. Help stop accidents before they happen!

On the Shoofly
is supported by

More than half of all motor vehicle-train collisions occur at crossings equipped with automatic signals. That’s because some drivers choose to drive around the gates or past the flashing red lights because they believe they can beat the train, they assume a stopped train has activated the signals, or they believe signals are malfunctioning.
​

Things to know:
​
Trains can’t stop.
The average freight train traveling at 55 miles per hour can take up to a mile to stop – that’s the length of 18 football fields!
 
Never ignore active warnings at crossings.
Locomotives are huge, 17 feet high and 10 feet wide. As a result, they appear to be traveling much slower than we think when viewed from a slight angle at the crossing. The combination of the size and angle create this illusion.

The parallel lines of the rails converging toward the horizon contribute to the illusion and fool our minds into thinking the train is farther away than it is. It is virtually impossible to accurately judge the speed of a train when these combinations of illusions are present.
 
Trains will arrive at a crossing faster than you anticipate.
One in four crashes occurring at highway-rail crossings takes place when vehicles run into the side of the train. Often, it’s because the vehicle is traveling too fast for conditions, such as darkness, rainy weather or fog.

Many drivers “overdrive their headlights.” This means driving too fast to be able to stop in the distance illuminated by your headlights. By the time drivers see the train at the crossing, it’s too late to avoid the crash. In other instances, there may be high levels of noise in the vehicle, which distracts the driver from noticing the train’s warning devices.
 
Look and listen when you see advance warning signs indicating a rail-highway crossing.
Drivers who pass vehicles when approaching a highway-rail crossing run the risk of a collision at the crossing. The vehicle being passed may obstruct a clear view of the tracks, or vehicle speed while passing may be too great to stop in time.
 
Don’t get trapped on railroad crossings.
Vehicles can get trapped on railroad crossings between other vehicles. They can end up being abandoned by their inhabitants just before being destroyed – at best.

Before starting across the tracks, be sure there is room to get completely across.
Many crossings are on a surface higher than the roadway. Shifting gears with a manual transmission while going across this raised surface may cause the vehicle to stall on the tracks.
 
If your vehicle is ever stalled or trapped on the tracks and a train is approaching, quickly get yourself and all other passengers out!
Don’t try to take any other items with you.
 
When running away from a vehicle stuck on tracks, run away from the tracks at an angle in the direction of the approaching train.
When the train strikes the vehicle, it will send flying metal and glass ahead of and outward from the locomotive. Many people have been seriously injured and even killed because they ran in the wrong direction.

If a train is not approaching when your vehicle is stuck on the tracks, get yourself and all passengers out of the vehicle and to a safe location. At crossings there are signs with a toll-free number to call the railroad directly and warn them of stalled vehicles or other problems at the crossing.
 
When crossing has more than one track, don’t try to cross immediately after the end of the train passes -- there may be another train approaching on the second track.
Many crossing crashes have resulted because of impatience or inattentiveness at multiple-track crossings. You will always know how many tracks are at the crossing by observing a sign posted under the crossbuck. Directly below the crossbuck is a sign that indicates the number of tracks present if there are multiple tracks at the crossing.
 
Stay off railroad property and stay safe.
Some people believe railroad tracks are public property. Railroad tracks, railroad service roads, and other railroad right of way are often used by joggers, hikers, people walking their pets, or as a pathway to ride motorcycles or other all-terrain vehicles or a wide variety of other activities.

The danger with these activities on or near railroad tracks is these people are concentrating on their own activities, not on a train! More importantly, railroad tracks, service roads, and right of way are private property and only persons authorized by the railroads can be on that property.
 
Listen!
Many joggers wear headphones and cannot hear a train warning horn. Motorized vehicle noise may also drown out the locomotive horn. Many people who do not hear the warning fail to escape the danger.
 
Our thanks to the Indiana Dept. of Transportation website for this informative list.

---

Enjoy this feature?