St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers Examine High Number of Railroad Crossing Crashes

October 15, 2013
Data from the Federal Railroad Administration show that last year, almost 2,000 crashes occurred between trains and motor vehicles. The St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers point out these accidents resulted in 273 people losing their lives and another 946 being seriously injured.
These high numbers leave many wondering what contributing factors could be playing a part in allowing so may crashes to occur. Some researchers believe a lack of safety equipment at some crossing could be a major part of the problem.
Experts say that in Missouri alone, there are roughly 3,000 private roadway rail crossings. It would be an extremely liberal estimate to say 25 percent of those crossings are equipped with safety features, such as:

• Crossing Arms
• Flashing Lights
• Signage
• Warning Bells

Some believe more crossings having such equipment installed would reduce accident numbers. One of those individuals is a woman whose story was highlighted in a recent article by KFVS 12 News. The woman said she was the passenger in a pickup truck driving along a county road in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, when she looked over to see an oncoming train. The two collided and the woman was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, where she says she is lucky to be alive.
Cofman Townsley’s team of St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers ask that even when safety equipment is installed at a railroad crossing, motorists stop, look in both directions, and listen before attempting to cross.