After wasting a lot of my life sitting at crossings, I try to beat them out, too.
Railroads seem indifferent to the traveling public.
Trains block crossings way over time limits with obvious impunity. Trains also creep along at a few miles per hour. It takes a while for a hundred or more cars to pass. Sometimes, the trains just stop for 10-15 minutes. I think that people will continue to be injured or die trying to beat trains to crossings.