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The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently released “Ohio Grade Crossing Statistics Report 2010,” an annual publication that provides current and historical grade crossing safety data.

The report shows that last year, there were 64 crossing accidents, 13 accidents that caused injuries and four fatal accidents. A total of 14 injuries and four fatalities resulted from the accidents. In 2009, there were 55 crossing accidents that caused 18 injuries and six fatalities, according to PUCO.

In 2010, the commission ordered safety upgrades at 133 crossings, including the installation of lights and gates, and better circuitry, said PUCO Chairman Todd Snitchler in a prepared statement, adding that the agency has ordered safety upgrades at more than 1,000 crossings during the past decade. In 2009, PUCO approved funding for the installation of flashing lights and gates at 68 crossings.

There are about 5,300 miles of track and more than 6,000 public crossings in Ohio, which is the fifth-leading state in terms of goods transported by rail, according to PUCO. Since the 1980s, the annual number of train-vehicle accidents in the state have decreased from more than 300 to 64.