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Rail crossing safety

It's a fact: Rail crossings are risky business.

• A train/motor vehicle crash occurs about every 120 minutes in the U. S.
• As a motorist, you are 40 times as likely to die in a crash with a train as in other motor vehicle crashes.
• An average of two fatalities occur each day resulting from highway/rail crashes and/or pedestrian/trespasser incidents.  In the course of a year that's more people than die, for example, in all airplane crashes in the country.

Railroads and highway officials go to considerable lengths to warn you of the potential dangers of rail - highway grade crossings.

By understanding and obeying these warning devices and following a few common sense rules you can virtually eliminate your chance of being injured or killed in a train - vehicle crash.

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Questions about the content of this page:
Jonathan Davidson, jonathan.davidson@dot.wi.gov
Last modified: January 26, 2007