Railroad safety : DOT faces challenges in improving grade crossing safety, track inspection standards, and passenger car safety

722657PDFPolicy StatementGAO/T-RCED-96-114Railroad safetyRailroad accidentsFatalitiesRailroad grade crossingsInspectionPassenger carsStandardsUnited StatesUnited States. General Accounting OfficeScheinberg, Phyllis F.NTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-RAIL TRANSPORTATIONNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail SafetyNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Railroad Highway Grade CrossingsUS Transportation CollectionAccidents at railroad crossings are the leading cause of deaths associated with the railroad industry; almost half of all rail-related deaths in the United States are caused by collisions of trains and vehicles at public railroad crossings. In 1994, these collisions killed 501 people and injured 1,764 others. Strategies to improve safety at railroad crossings include targeting funds to high-risk areas through revisions in the Department of Transportation's (DOT) formula for distributing railroad improvement funds to the states; closing more railroad crossings; installing new technologies, such as four-quadrant gates, at the most dangerous crossings; and developing education and enforcement programs that increase the public's awareness of the dangers of railroad crossings. In addition, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has developed an overall strategy for inspecting and enforcing track safety standards