FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11th, 2002
CONTACT: Gina Wilt
(614) 466-0626
OELSLAGER
AIMS TO PROMOTE SAFETY WITH RAILROAD CROSSING AWARENESS
DAY
COLUMBUS --
Believing that more public education is needed concerning
the dangers of driving up to railroad grade crossings,
state Senator Scott Oelslager (R-Plain Twp.) today introduced
a concurrent resolution that would designate September
8, 2002, as "Railroad Crossing Safety Awareness Day."
In
2000, Ohio ranked sixth highest in the nation for the number
of accidents involving trains and motor vehicles, and seventh
in the overall number of deaths. Ohio has 6,412 public railroad
crossings, 2,160 of which are protected by both automatic gates
and flashing lights.
The
combination of lights and automatic gates has proven to be
90 percent effective at preventing collisions between trains
and vehicles. However, flashing lights alone mark 2,725 of
Ohio's railroad crossings while 1,170 are designated by only
crossbuck signs.
"Considering
the high volume of traffic on Ohio's roadways, it's only
natural that the number of railroad crossing accidents taking
place in our state will be somewhat higher than others," Oelslager
said. "This fact is all the more reason for us to take
the initiative in making sure that our railroad crossings
are as safe as they can be."
In
1999, America's safest year to date at railroad crossings,
402 people lost their lives in accidents at railroad crossings.
Only an estimated 20 percent of railroad crossings in the
United States are protected by flashing lights and automatic
gates.
Recognizing
the importance of the issue of railroad crossing safety,
September 8th was chosen because it was the first day on
which Ohio took part in the national event known as
"Rally at the Rails" to increase awareness of the
dangers faced even by responsible drivers when crossing railroad
tracks.
"It's
very helpful to set aside a day to raise awareness of the
dangers present at railroad crossings but we need to keep
this important information in mind every day of the year,"
Oelslager said.
The
Angels on Track Foundation supports this resolution, which
seeks to remind drivers to be aware of difficult sight lines,
inadequate protective devices and steep approaches to railroad
grades. The founder for the Angels on Track Foundation is
Stark County resident, Vicky Moore. Ms. Moore has undertaken
the mission of improving railroad-crossing safety throughout
Ohio. Created by Vicky Moore and her husband in 1998, the
purpose of the foundation is to help fund railroad grade
crossing safety upgrades by supplying the local match under
the state funded program in the form of reimbursement grants.
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