FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June
19, 2002
SENATE
OKs OELSLAGER RESOLUTION FOR RAILROAD CROSSING SAFETY AWARENESS
DAY
COLUMBUS
-- The Ohio Senate today approved a resolution sponsored
by Senator Scott Oelslager (R-Plain Twp.) that would
designate September 8, 2002, as "Railroad Crossing
Safety Awareness Day." Senate Concurrent Resolution
39 passed the Senate with a unanimous vote after also
receiving unanimous support from the Senate Committee
on Highways and Transportation.
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.
"When both
gates and lights are present and working properly at railroad
crossings, they have proven to be 90 percent effective
in curbing the likelihood of accidents," Oelslager
said. "This fact is all the more reason for us to
examine how well our crossings are protected and to commit
to making them 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
important to keep railroad crossing safety in mind every
day, but I feel that by designating September 8th as
Railroad Crossing Safety Awareness Day, we will call attention
to the dangers that tend to get overlooked in the hustle
and bustle of our daily activities," 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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