Rail Safety Week Starts Sept. 11

Submitted by Lake County sheriff’s office

An enhanced enforcement will be present by railroad crossings and commuter stations in Lake County for Illinois Rail Safety Week, from Tuesday Sept. 11 through 17. The special week is designed to bring safety awareness for both motorists and pedestrians around the more than 7,400 miles of railroad tracks and 10,200 railroad crossings that are in Illinois. Officials said drivers and pedestrians will be cited if found violating laws associated with railroad grade crossings and property. In addition, police will distribute literature with information on how to be safe around trains and tracks. Police said there were 140 crossing collisions involving motor vehicles resulted in 79 injuries and 24 fatalities in Illinois last year.

The Vernon Hills Police Department shared a few points on their Facebook page:

• Because of its size, trains look like they are moving slower than they actually are. It is nearly impossible to predict the speed of an approaching train.

• Trains cannot stop quickly. Even if a locomotive engineer sees you, it will take the average train more than one mile to stop.
• A motorist is 40 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a crash involving another motor vehicle.

• Parents, please make safety a priority in an area where tracks and trains exist and instruct your children to stay off the tracks.