Campaign is set forth with hope of preventing train accidents

Recently, an Orange County Supervisor addressed a troubling issue. He believes that people are not careful enough when they are near railroad tracks. Specifically, he thinks that when people cross the tracks, by either foot or vehicle, they often do so while lacking proper respect for how powerful a train is and how fast it can go.

Of concern are so-called “trespass fatalities.” Nationwide, in 2013, there were 476 pedestrian trespass fatalities. California recorded 76 such deaths, the most of any state. In 2013, California also saw 43 fatalities attributed to railroad-highway related collisions.

A number of individuals and organizations work together as part of the year-round rail safety campaign. Their hope is to increase the public?s awareness so as to combat dangerous behavior among pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists when near railroad tracks.

Railroad Safety Awareness month is a fine idea, and hopefully the campaign will help get people to realize the dangers that trains can present. But as the statistics demonstrate, much work still needs to be done.

A pedestrian or a typical passenger vehicle is no match for a moving train. Train accident victims can suffer devastating or even fatal injuries. Anything done to prevent more suffering due to these accidents is a step in the right direction.

Should you ever have the misfortune to be in a train collision, you should examine all of your insurance and liability options for recompense. A California accident attorney may be able to provide the legal assistance you need to do just that.