MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — According to a report from Operation Lifesaver, Alabama ranked 8th in the United States for train collisions in 2022. In Mobile, there have been at least three train-car collisions in the past month.
In 2022, there were a total of 87 train-car collisions in Alabama. Eight people died and 37 people were injured. As for the U.S., there were a total of 2,188 collisions. That resulted in 274 deaths and 777 people injured.
On Tuesday night, a car was hit by an Amtrak train on Hamilton Road after the driver ignored the crossing gates and drove around other vehicles. The driver did suffer injuries but none of them were life-threatening. On April 26, one person died after the car they were driving was hit by an Amtrak train at the Navco Road crossing.
Operation Lifesaver offered safety tips for those driving near train tracks. Those tips include:
- Trains and cars don’t mix.
- The train you see is closer and faster-moving than you think.
- Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly.
- Never drive around lowered gates — it’s illegal and dangerous.
- Do not get trapped on the tracks; proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping.
- If your vehicle ever stalls on the tracks, get out and get away from the tracks, even if you do not see a train. Locate the Emergency Notification System sign and call the number provided, telling them about the stalled vehicle.
- At a multiple-track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching from either direction.
- When you need to cross train tracks, go to a designated crossing, look both ways, and cross the tracks quickly, without stopping. Remember it isn’t safe to stop closer than 15 feet from a rail.
- ALWAYS EXPECT A TRAIN! Freight trains do not follow set schedules.
