Every railroad crossing presents a potential for tragedy.
When collisions between cars and trains occur, the results are almost inevitably tragic and often fatal. Train collisions frequently involve a multitude of causes, including failure to properly mark a crossing, operating the train at an illegal speed or without sounding proper warning whistles and maintaining crossings with inadequate visibility to allow cars to cross safely. The number of persons killed in train crashes in 1998 was almost double the amount killed in 1997. In 1998, the age group in which most injuries or death occurred due to train collisions was 15 to 29 years old. There are many laws, both state and federal, which apply to railroad operation.