Summer is the perfect time for outdoor activities, family outings, and exploring new places. Whether you are hitting the road for a vacation or enjoying a walk in your neighborhood, staying safe around railroad tracks and trains is crucial. By prioritizing safety, you can ensure your summer adventures are both safe and fun. Here’s a guide to safe summer activities while promoting rail safety and staying alert whether driving or walking.
Safe Summer Activities Near Railroad Tracks
Here are some family-friendly summer activities that keep rail safety in mind:
Picnics and Park Outings
- Choose Safe Locations: Plan picnics in parks or recreational areas away from active railroad tracks. Check maps or local signage to ensure you’re not near a crossing or too close to the tracks. Stay at least 15 feet away from the tracks.
- Stay Alert: If your picnic spot is near a rail line, teach kids to stay off the tracks and never treat them as a playground. Tracks are private property, and trespassing is both illegal and dangerous.
Biking and Hiking
- Stick to Designated Trails: Choose trails that do not run parallel to or cross railroad tracks. If crossing is unavoidable, use only marked pedestrian crossings and follow all signs, signals, and laws.
Avoid distractions like headphones when near tracks. Trains can approach quickly and quietly, so staying aware is key.
Photography and Sightseeing
- Never Take Photos on Railroad Tracks: Summer is a popular time for photography but never use railroad tracks as a backdrop. Trains can appear suddenly, and taking photos, standing, or posing on or near the tracks is both dangerous and illegal.
- Capture scenic photos by choosing a safer location, never on or near railroad property.
Community Events and Festivals
- Plan Safe Routes: Many summer festivals and events occur near downtown areas with active rail crossings. Plan your walking or driving route to avoid shortcuts across tracks.
- Follow Event Guidelines: Pay attention to your surroundings and follow safety instructions from event organizers regarding nearby rail crossings and tracks.
Rail Safety Tips for Pedestrians
When walking near railroad tracks, whether in urban or rural areas, follow these safety guidelines:
- Only Cross at Designated Crossings: Always use marked pedestrian crossings with gates or signals. Never try to cross tracks where there is no official crossing.
- Look Both Ways: Trains can come from either direction at any time. Look left, right, and left again before crossing, even if signals seem clear.
- Stay Off Tracks: Railroad tracks are private property. Walking, playing, or taking shortcuts on them is illegal and extremely dangerous.
- Avoid Distractions: Put away phones, remove headphones, and stay alert when near tracks. Trains can travel at high speeds, and you may not hear and oncoming train.
- Teach kids to “Stay Off, Stay Away, Stay Safe!” Teach them to cross only at designated crossings, look both ways, and listen for train horns. They should only proceed when the gates are fully raised, the lights have stopped flashing, and it’s safe to cross.
Rail Safety Tips for Drivers
Driving near railroad crossings requires extra caution. Here is how to stay safe:
- Obey Crossing Signals: Always stop at flashing lights, lowered gates, or sounding bells. Never try to beat a train or drive around gates.
- Keep a Safe Distance: Stop at least 15 feet from the tracks when signals are active. If there is no gate, use the painted stop line as a guide.
- Check for Trains: Look both ways for approaching trains, even if signals aren’t active.
- Never Stop on Railroad Tracks: Always make sure there is enough space ahead of you and behind you to completely clear the tracks before proceeding. If stuck in traffic, wait before the crossing. If your vehicle doesn’t fit, don’t commit!
What To Do If Your Vehicle Is Stuck on the Tracks
- If your vehicle stalls on a crossing, immediately: Get Out, Get Away from the Tracks!
- Find the Blue and White Emergency Notification System Sign (ENS) posted near the crossing.
- Call the emergency number on the sign and provide the Crossing ID number.
- If you can’t find the sign, call 911 to report the issue.
Fun Facts: Did You Know?
Trains can take up to a mile or more to stop, even with emergency brakes. That’s about the length of 18 football fields, or 15 soccer fields. This makes it critical to stay clear of tracks and crossings at all times.
By the time an engineer sees a vehicle or a pedestrian on the tracks, it is often too late.
Stay Safe, Stay Alert, Avoid Distractions, Share Rail Safety Tips
Summer is a time for making memories, but safety should always come first. By choosing activities that avoid railroad tracks, staying alert as a pedestrian or driver, and spreading awareness about rail safety, you can make summer a fun and safe season for yourself, your family, and your community.
Remember: tracks are for trains, not for games or shortcuts. Stay alert, follow the rules, and enjoy a fun and worry-free summer!
Save Lives Tell 5! Share your favorite rail safety tip with friends and family. Together, we can stop track tragedies and save lives.
