TRAINING
THOMAS J. JEDIC
Grade crossing safety: What to watch for
Railroad grade crossings have advanced quite a bit in engineering over the years. Today’ s busy crossings are vigilantly designed and maintained to ensure safety. A lot of ingredients are in the mix at railroad crossings: vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists— and of course, trains.
Driver warnings: Crossings have signs posted for everyone who approaches: crossbucks at the crossing itself, and round yellow and black advanced railroad signs ahead of the tracks. There are also signs which state,“ Do Not Stop on Tracks.” As obvious as this warning sounds, too many people ignore the warning and place their vehicle atop the track( s) while sitting in a line of traffic. That choice can prove deadly if a fast train is approaching and you have nowhere to go. There are painted stop bars on the roadways, just like at a traffic signal. This bar is the motorist’ s indicator to stop and wait until clearance is available to safely proceed.
Pedestrian crossings: There are smaller operating gates which are meant to control pedestrians as well. The gate will prevent anyone walking on a sidewalk from advancing toward the track( s) as the system is activated. A“ No Train Horn” sign means that the engineer will not sound the horn when approaching the crossing, as he or she would normally do. These areas are designated if a locality and the NJDOT have agreed that all safety measures are sufficiently in place to eliminate the need for the horn. These crossings
need law enforcement attention to make sure that motorists and pedestrians are complying with the safety measures in place.
Full stops for some: Certain vehicles like school buses, fuel trucks and hazmat-carrying vehicles are required to stop fully at grade crossings prior to advancing over the tracks, unless the crossing is posted as“ exempt”( 39:4-128). Vehicles must stop when the crossing signals are activated( flashers are activated and gates begin to lower)( 39:4-127.1).
Sign requirements: All crossings are required to have a sign posted which is part of the Emergency Notification System( ENS). The blue sign with white lettering will have a unique six-digit, one alpha character identification assigned to it, along with a 24-hour emergency contact number and the railroad operating the track( s) at the location. These signs are a critical part of your tool box in communicating with the railroad and pinpointing your location for when you must stop rail traffic flow.
Armed with this info, go to your rail crossings and check them out. See what signs are there, and make sure they are legible and free of obstructions. Remember, safety is key, so never place yourself in harm’ s way on or around the railroad. For more grade crossing information, please visit www. oli. org. And for additional information, reach out to me, and I will be glad to assist your agency. d
Special Agent Thomas J. Jedic is a firearms instructor in Area 4 for the Norfolk Southern Railroad Police. He can be reached at thomas. jedic @ nscorp. com or 908-820-2623.
80 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ APRIL 2018