“People are in a hurry these days” said Mundelein Police Chief Raymond J Rose. “Slowing down at railroad crossings would avoid these tragedies”. Drivers are going around downed railroad gates and using the tracks as short cuts. Since January 2005 there has been a dramatic increase in crashes involving trains. These crashes are directly attributed to drivers disobeying the railroad signals or pedestrians walking and crossing the tracks where they shouldn’t be.
“One extra minute could save lives and millions of dollars in property damage” said Chief Rose. Trains can’t stop like cars, it may take over a mile for a train to stop after applying its brakes.
“With the newly expanded schedule of Metra trains on the North Central Line, commuters should be aware that there are now two sets of tracks for train traffic. You should now expect trains to be going north and south at the same time. It is extremely important for everyone to realize that you should use extra care and caution when crossing the tracks” Chief Rose commented.
Parents should remind their children not to play on the tracks. Teaching children to cross only at intersections can also save lives.
Drivers as well as pedestrians should remember to Stop, Look and Listen before crossing railroad tracks.
Page last updated on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 at 12:52 PM -0600