Police Get Onboard for Train Safety

Everyone knows to be careful, but with today's hectic schedules it's easy to tempt fate. Can you beat the train?

The answer is no. And, on May 26, the Hinsdale Police Department will participate in a regional effort to reduce violations and collisions at railroad crossings.The department will join several other local law enforcement agencies in strictly enforcing pedestrian and vehicle safety laws at their respective grade crossings along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad line.  

Once again, the fifth annual Police on Board for Rail Safety campaign will have an educational component on May 19, in which officers from Hinsdale and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe police will distribute train safety information at the Hinsdale Train Station.   

Each year in Illinois, approximately 80 people die on and around railroad tracks and property.  Nationwide, 50 percent of vehicle/train collisions occur at crossings equipped with active warning devices. In Hinsdale, there are eight designated vehicle and pedestrian crossings, and the Hinsdale police remind everyone to proceed across local grade crossings in a safe and lawful manner.   

The department urges the public to obey all railroad crossing signals, to set the example for other commuters and motorists, and to remember that trains always win.   

The May 26 grade crossing enforcement in Hinsdale is being funded by a grant from the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Federal Railroad Administration.