Just like speeding cars, when trains travel faster, it increases the danger to those around them. Higher-speed trains require longer stopping distances. When a train engineer sees a car or a pedestrian in his path, speed prevents the engineer from slowing down enough to avoid an accident. When a crash occurs, speed increases the impact force, causing extensive damage and catastrophic or fatal injuries. Tri-Rail trains run at speeds up to 79 miles per hour. Amtracks average speed is 87 mph. Neither has a per-mile fatality rate equal to Brightline/Virgin Trains USA. As speed affects Brightline/Virgin Trains USA trains disproportionately, their high casualty rates likely involve other factors. One concern with speed is that Brightline/Virgin Trains USA trains travel faster than the freight trains that have operated for decades and continue to operate on local tracks. Even train company executives have acknowledged that pedestrians and motorists arent capable of judging an oncoming trains speed. That presents a major challenge for people who are accustomed to ignoring signals and moving over crossing grades because those people expect plenty of time. The train companies knew the danger but didnt fully explain the inherent risks. When a higher-speed train moves at 79 miles per hour through a residential or urban neighborhood, it introduces an unanticipated risk.