Railroads are extremely dangerous. In a video called “It is Your Choice” it explains that the supreme court has ruled that trains have the right of way at all times. The vehicle or pedestrian is responsible for yielding to the train. The same video states that each year more than 1,000 people die in railroad crossings or railroad rights of way and several thousand more are injured. School buses and trucks carrying hazardous materials are required to stop at all railroad crossings. If there are flashing lights all vehicles must stop. Trains cannot swerve out of the way to avoid hitting you and it is impossible for them to slow down in time to not hit you. On average it takes trains one mile for trains to come to a complete stop. Engineers can only blow their horn to warn you, apply the brake and hope pedestrians and vehicles are out of the way. Trains are an optical illusion because of their size and the angle they are approaching they seem to going slower than they really are. The statistics in the video explain that you are forty times more likely to be in an accident with a train than you are with another motor vehicle. This is partly because of the tremendous weight difference between cars and trains.
In another video done by Utah Transit Authority Operation
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Most rails don’t have a fixed schedule so you should be cautious around railroads at all times. It also states that if your vehicle stalls you should get out immediately and call local authorities. If you it is safe to do so, you can attempt to remove your car from the tracks while having a lookout for approaching trains. You should never park your car closer than fifty feet away from a railroad crossing. At night you should slow down or stop before crossing a railroad even if there is no light visible. Always practice extreme caution when around railroad crossings or