On any given day, a car-train crash is far less likely than a multiple-car accident.
Yet a car collision with a train can cause far more severe injuries, and it can easily result in death.
If your car stalls or stops on the train tracks, get out immediately. If a train is coming, turn to face it, and then walk at a 45-degree angle away from the train and your vehicle in order to be out of the way of flying debris. Call the railroad’s emergency phone number or 911 and tell them there is a car stalled on the tracks and you need help. The railroad’s phone number and the Department of Transportation number for the crossing should be posted on one of the crossing signs or on railroad equipment.
To protect yourself and your passengers, practice these railroad crossing safety tips, courtesy of the Federal Railroad Administration:
- Approach the train crossing with care. Use your brake lights and hazard lights to warn those behind you that you are slowing down, and stop 15 to 50 feet from the closest rail.
- Stop, look, and listen. Roll down your windows and turn off the car radio. Move your head and body as necessary so you can see around any obstacles, like crossing signs.
- Keep looking and listening as you cross the train tracks. Use the highest gear that you can, but do not shift gears while on the tracks.
- Once you have started crossing the tracks, do not stop, even if the lights begin to flash or the crossbars come down.
Even the most careful drivers may be involved in a car accident or train accident. When an accident occurs, Texas residents have certain legal rights and options. An experienced Texas train accident attorney can help those injured in an accident find the answers and compensation they need in order to move forward with their lives.
