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By Sgt. Troy Christianson

Question: Can you talk about railroad crossing safety and the laws that cover it?

Answer: I have responded to and investigated a number of train/vehicle crashes in my career.  A majority of them resulted in fatal or serious injuries to the vehicle occupants.  In Minnesota, failure to yield the right of way, disregard of a traffic control device, improper turn and inattention and impatience are cited as the most common factors contributing to motor vehicle/train crashes.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has worked to share the following rail safety tips:

1. Yield the right-of-way to trains at highway-rail crossings. It’s the law.

2. Never drive around lowering gates, it’s illegal and deadly.

3. Never race a train to the crossing; even if it is a tie, you lose.

4. Always expect a train on the tracks; trains do not follow set schedules.

5. Look for a second train when crossing multiple tracks.

6. Exit your vehicle immediately if it stalls on the crossing, get clear of the tracks and call 911.

Always stop your vehicle, behind the white line when crossing gates are down or lights are flashing. Wait for the crossing gates to rise and lights to stop flashing; look both ways, listen and proceed with caution.

The chance of death or serious injury from a motor vehicle/train crash is 11 times greater than for other highway collisions. At 50 mph, it takes a fully-loaded freight train 1.5 miles to come to a full-stop. By the time the train engineer sees a vehicle or pedestrian on the tracks, it is often too late.

Because of their size, approaching trains may appear to be traveling at a slower speed therefore drivers often misjudge the distance of the train. 

As a bicyclist or pedestrian you must always look both ways before crossing railroad tracks, cross only in designated areas and never cross when gates are down.  Railroad tracks and property close to the tracks (railroad “right-of-way”) belong to the railroad. People who don’t have permission to be on railroad property are trespassing.  Even if there is not a “No Trespassing” sign, it’s still illegal and dangerous to be on the property.

You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and of course, drive sober.  Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths. If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848. (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)