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10/7/2020
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) yesterday launched a national safety campaign to educate drivers on the dangers of rail crossings.
The $6.6 million national campaign, dubbed "Stop. Trains Can’t.", will include radio and online messages meant to raise public awareness to the fact that many fatalities at highway-railway crossings are preventable, FRA and NHTSA officials said in a press release.
Over the past five years, 798 people have died while trying to drive across railroad tracks. In 2019, 126 people were killed and 635 people were injured at grade crossings. Of those killed, about 75% died after the driver went around lowered crossing gate arms, government officials said.
The campaign, which will run through Nov. 8, will target areas where there are high-risk crossings in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee and Texas.
"Evolving technology will continue to help reduce fatalities at our nation’s rail grade crossings, but driver awareness is paramount to bringing down the fatality rate," said FRA Administrator Ronald Batory.