Accidents That Shouldn't Happen: A Report of the Grade Crossing Safety Task Force to Secretary Federico Pena

720960PDFTech ReportRailroad grade crossingsSafetyRecommendationsUnited States. Dept. of Transportation. Grade Crossing Safety Task ForceNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Railroad Highway Grade CrossingsNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-AccidentsUS Transportation CollectionThis report explains how a lack of information and/or guidelines in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and inspection of grade crossings led the Task Force to identify five safety problem areas for detailed examination-interconnected Signals; Vehicle Storage Space; High-Profile Crossings; Light Rail Transit Crossings; and Special Vehicle Operations. The five problem areas are described in the context of current practices using information drawnfrom technical studies, public outreach, and professional sources. As in the Action Plan, the crosscutting issues of funding, enforcement, coordination, information, standards, and educationpermeate the discussion.The report recommends 24 specific follow-on actions to address both physical and procedural deficiencies. In practice, the responsibility for public grade crossings resides with State and local governments, railroads, and transit agencies. Recognizing the constrained budgets that are available to the private sector and State and local authorities, the report emphasizes rethinking existing practices-not requiring new ones from a regulatory approach. This reliance on existing opportunities is emphasized by recommendations that encourage grade crossing safety through coordinated inspections, law enforcement, and driver education