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Show SatSunMonmies. March 27-30, 2004 The Park Record C-17 Cain Yqp Beat That Tram? Wtoytry '4 A i v Rfioncla Wheeler Wheelbase Communcations vr you're late for work, so 1 you've taken a shortcut jj through an old country road. The traffic is minimal, and you're smoothly sailing along, until you reach a rail crossing. Like most of such crossings in the United States, there are no flashing flash-ing lights andor gates at this stop to warn you of an oncoming train. Moments ago, you noticed an advance warning sign, some pavement pave-ment marking, and a 'crossbuck' sign where the rails cross the highway high-way or road. Off in the distance, you hear the rumble of an engine. Waiting out the long line of freight cars blocking block-ing your way could cost you 10 minutes and some demerit points at work. And the oncoming train seems pretty far off. What do you do? If you risk it, your last worry might not be whether you get to the office on time. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) says drivers are 30 times more likely to be killed in a train collision than in an accident with another car. That's despite a drop in the number num-ber of car-rail crossing deaths in the past decade. The Government has been work ing to increase the number crossings cross-ings that have 'active' warnings, such as Hashing lights and gates that lower. But the cost is enormous: enor-mous: A simple crossbuck sign costs about $700; a flashing signal can cost $65,000; a gate across one lane is about $16,000; and an overpass - the safest answer to the problem of rail crossings - can run more than $2 million. Active deterrents aren't as effective effec-tive as you might think, either. The DOT says deaths are divided roughly between those crossings with active signage and those with passive warnings. However, in Canada, more deaths happen at active crossings than at passive ones, perhaps because the heavily signed crossings are busier. Safety experts say all car-train collisions are avoidable. No one is sure why they happen. Perhaps the problem rests with human drivers' perceptions of time. One theory suggests that because passenger rail use has dwindled, most people don't understand the speed of train travel. Passenger trains travel up to 100 m.p.h. and freight trains rocket by at 65 m.p.h.. It can take a train more than one minute to come to a complete stop. Even under perfect conditions, a train can keep mov ing for more than a mile after engineers helplessly slam on their brakes. And because they're on a set of straight tracks, trains can't swerve to avoid you. Quite simply, even though it looks as though you do, you don't have time to cross. So what do you do? First, don't expect to see active warnings at all train crossings. When you do approach a cross-buck, cross-buck, it should be treated as a yield sign, even if there are no lights. In some states, you could face a stiff penalty for zipping past that sign. After seven Illinois high school students were killed in 1995 when their school bus stopped for a traffic light with its back end over a stretch of track, that state set a minimum fine of $500 or 50 hours of community service for drivers and pedestrians who cross in front of oncoming trains. In North Carolina, the state placed plastic lane dividers on the road so drivers wouldn't pull over into the oncoming traffic lane to jump the queue and get over the tracks. In Canada, the federal Department of Transportation and the railway Association of Canada created a public-education program called 'Operation Lifesaver to deter drivers, pedestrians and bike rid ers from risking their lives out of sheer impatience. Anyone who gets behind the wheel should know there's too much to lose in a race with a train. Especially your life Rhonda Wheeler is a journalist with Wheelbase Communications, a worldwide supplier of automotive news, features and reviews. 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