Guide to Best Practices and Resourcesfor Grade Crossing Safety

The following safety tips and resources are provided to assist the law enforcement community

in partnering with the Federal Railroad Administration to reduce collisions, injuries and

deaths at highway-rail grade crossings, and to keep its own members safe while working

around a rail environment.

Enforcement Saves Lives!

Strong enforcement programs have proven to be highly successful in changing driver

behavior. “Click It or Ticket”, distracted driving campaigns, alcohol checkpoints and speed

checkpoints have all been successful at changing behavior. Here are some successful

enforcement strategies that can reduce violations at grade crossings.

 Take 10, Save a Life is FRA’s message to encourage law enforcement to take just 10

minutes to sit at a grade crossing and make your presence known. Take 10 minutes

and fill out paperwork, or make phone calls. Ten minutes of your time can save a

lifetime!

 Write citations. Grade crossing warning devices are traffic control devices and are

subject to your state’s statutes. If you observe a vehicle driving around the crossing

gates, or ignoring the warning system take the time to write a violation. A collision

with a train can have catastrophic consequences.

 State laws are different. Each state or jurisdiction has laws governing grade

crossings. See below for a link to the State Laws & Regulations Affecting HighwayRail Grade Crossings

Safety Tips for Law Enforcement:

 Consider nearby highway-rail grade crossings when rerouting traffic in emergency

situations. FRA recommends that when an accident, traffic or road closure results in

increased traffic near a highway-rail grade crossing, additional signage and/or a law

enforcement officer at that location will enhance public safety.

 Trains cannot stop quickly. A train can take a mile or more to stop once the

emergency brakes are applied. Do not attempt to stop a train by placing a police

cruiser on the tracks. Position the cruiser adjacent to the crossing with the

emergency lights flashing.

 Look for Emergency Notification Signs (ENS), which are located at each grade

crossing. This sign provides the railroad’s telephone number and the U.S. DOT

grade crossing number.

 Know the proper procedure for stopping a train in an emergency situation. First,

contact the railroad dispatcher by calling the phone number on the ENS to stop train

movements. Position an officer at least one mile from the problem. Stay at least 10

feet from the tracks and swing a red flare back and forth towards the approaching

train.

 Keep a list of contact information for each railroad that operates in your community.

In an emergency seconds count. FRA and National Law Enforcement Terminal

System (NLETS) partnered to facilitate access to the FRA Highway-Rail Grade

Crossing safety database.
 For your own personal safety, do not crawl under or between rail cars in order to

get on the other side of a grade crossing. Trains can move suddenly without

warning.

 Be aware of your surroundings when responding to an emergency. Don’t ignore

flashing lights, gates or traffic signs in an effort to respond to a call. It may cost your

life.

Tools:

 National Law Enforcement Terminal System: Users have access to valuable

railroad crossing data using their existing equipment and network connectivity.

With this new access, law enforcement and other first responders can access FRA

highway-rail grade crossing safety database using their own system. Information

available for direct inquiries concerning highway-rail grade crossing emergency

information such as phone numbers, name of railroads and locations are presented

to first responders within seconds.

 Compilation of State Laws & Regulations Affecting Highway-Rail Grade

Crossings (App for Apple phones): provides an up-to-date and expansive look at the

various U.S. State laws and regulations concerning every aspect of highway-rail

grade crossings, driver behavior at crossings, and railroad trespassing. This

comprehensive, easy-to-use document is a one-stop reference tool for law

enforcement working in the field of highway-rail grade crossing safety. Visit

http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L04989 for additional details.

 Rail Crossing Locator Mobile Application (App for Apple and Android phones):

The Crossing Locator was developed to provide users with access to the highwayrail grade crossing database and map features from a mobile device. The tool allows

users to locate crossings by USDOT Crossing ID, address or geo-location; access

inventory records submitted by states and railroads; and view accident history. Visit

http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0845 for additional information.

EducationalResources

 Operation Lifesaver, Inc. is a non-profit rail safety education organization that

provides safety training for the general public and to targeted audiences, such as

law enforcement.

 The Grade Crossing Collision Investigation Course (GCCI Training) provides training

for law enforcement when investigating the unique characteristics of a train/vehicle

collision. Find information at: http://oli.org/training/law-enforcement-community.

Safety Materials

 Citation Ticket Jackets with driver safety tips can be distributed to drivers during

a safety outreach event, our when issuing a citation for a grade crossing violation.

 Grade Crossing Collision Investigations Checklist is a handy reference card,

small enough to carry in your pocket.

 Key Safety Tips for Law Enforcement provides rail safety tips to prevent injuries

to law enforcement when working around trains.

 Crash Template is a useful tool when diagraming a train-vehicle collision.

For information on how to obtain these safety tools, see contact information below.
Regional Grade Crossing Managers:

Each of FRA’s eight regions has personnel in place that can assist you with safety initiatives

to help keep your officers and your community safe. The crossing managers are an

invaluable resource for any rail safety issues in your community. Contact FRA for the name

of the grade crossing manager in your area.

 Grade Crossing Safety Blitzes are targeted enforcement actions that raise public

awareness at a highway-rail grade crossing. These safety blitzes allow law

enforcement to target a specific location by handing out safety material or making

an enforcement action.

 Officer on the Train Program educates law enforcement officers about motor

vehicle collisions or pedestrian trespassing concerns from the perspective of the

locomotive engineer. Law Enforcement officers will be on board or along the route

to monitor crossings and pedestrian trespasser incidents.

 Roll Call Training targets law enforcement with training during roll call or shift

change in the area of highway-rail grade crossing safety and trespass

enforcement. This brief ten minute training will highlight the need for enforcement

of highway-rail grade crossing laws.

For more information contact: For Media Inquiries

Ronald Ries Michael Cole

Federal Railroad Administration Federal Railroad

Office of Railroad Safety Office of Public Affairs

Highway-Rail Crossing & Public Affairs Specialist,

Trespass Programs Division (202) 493-1306

(202) 493-6285 michael.j.cole@dot.gov

Ronald.Ries@dot.gov