On Monday, Governor JB Pritzker proclaimed September 18-24 Rail Safety Week in Illinois. This is the 10th year of the statewide safety initiative. Charlie Mathewson Inspector for the Central Division with the CN police service shared some rail safety tips.
“First thing is always cross at railroad crossings at designated and marked crossings- obviously trespassing is dangerous and illegal,” said Mathewson. “The second thing is to always stop and look for the warning signs, and warning indicators at the crossing. Listen for the bells, listen for the whistles, listen for the horn of the train approaching. Always remove your earbuds and headphones while crossing the tracks, listening for the train, and eliminating those distractions. Always walk your bike across the track, not riding them. And if there are lights or gates flashing, don’t proceed until the lights stop and gates go up completely.”
In Illinois, 81 percent of crashes on public crossings occurred when warning signals were active. In 2022, there were 129 reported vehicles crashed on public rail crossings.
