What held true 70 years ago, also holds true in today's world. Especially since trains have gotten faster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2tgPjKFE8k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2tgPjKFE8k&feature=related
Wonderful and excellent video put together by Operation Lifesaver and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in regards to railroad safety.
http://youtu.be/muVzbB4i6po Always expect a train; look both ways prior to crossing the tracks Remove earphones and end all cell-phone conversations prior to crossing. More than half of train versus pedestrian incidents between 2004 and 2011 involved headphone use (Lichenstein, Smith, Ambrose, & Moody, 2012) Never try to “beat” the train when crossing and you note a train coming Only cross in those areas designated for pedestrian crossing Remain drug and alcohol free if you decide to cross the railroad as both can greatly impair your judgment Source: Lichenstein, R., Smith, D., Ambrose, J., & Moody, L. (2012). Headphone use and pedestrian injury and death in the United States: 2004-2011. Injury Prevention. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2011-040161 
 In 2009, 7 major railroads existed in the United States compared to 14 in 1990 (United States Census Bureau, 2012)
There was an estimated 160,000 miles of railroad in the United States for 2010 (Association of American Railroads, 2010) Every 120 minutes in the United States, there are train collisions with motor vehicles or pedestrians (Chattar-Cora, Tutela, Daum, & Cromack, 2007) In 2005, railroad trespassers accounted for 53% of rail fatalities (Savage, 2007) The transcontinental railroad was built in the 1860s as a means to link the eastern US with the west (The first transcontinental railroad, nd) Sources: American Association of Railroads. (2010). Class I railroad statistics. Retrieved from: http://www.aar.org/~/media/aar/Industry%20Info/AAR%20Stats%202010%200524.ashx Chattar-Cora, D., Tutela, R., Daum, A., & Cromack, D. (2007). Experience with railroad injuries at a major urban trauma center serving the United States-Mexico border. Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection and Critical Care 62, (5), 1123-1126. Savage, I. (2007). Trespassing on the railroad. Research in Transportation Economics, 20, 199-224. The first transcontinental railroad. (nd). Retrieved from: http://www.tcrr.com/ United States Census Bureau. (2012). Table 1122: railroads class I summary: 1990-2009. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1122.pdf Railroads are private property and those who trespass on them are subject to fines and/or arrest (Federal Railroad Administration, nd) A majority of freight trains are approaching much faster than they appear; it can take up to a mile for a train going 40mph to make a complete stop Trains have the right-of-way over cars, emergency vehicles and pedestrians in the state of Michigan (Michigan Legislature, 2009) The modern train is very quiet when it approaches Unlike passenger trains, freight trains do not run on set schedules The State of Michigan ranks 15th in the nation in regards to train/motor vehicle collisions (Operation Lifesaver, 2012) Sources: Federal Railroad Administration. (nd). Chapter 9: trespassing. Retrieved from: http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/cross_chp9.pdf Michigan Legislature. (2009). Section 462.273: railroad code of 1993 (excerpt). Retrieved from: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28z4z4ji55wsmckb55gq1rjbyh%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-462-273 Operation Lifesaver. (2012). Collisions by state: highway-rail crossing collisions-top 15 states. Retrieved from: http://oli.org/about-us/news/statistics/collisions-by-state 
· Railroads are private property; those who trespass are subject to fines or arrest[1] · Many modern trains approach silently and most do not follow set schedules · Most freight trains are approaching faster than they appear · It can take up to a mile (or 18 football field lengths) for a train going 40 miles per hour to come to a complete stop · 500 people annually die while trespassing on railroad property[2] · Trains have the right-of-way over cars, emergency vehicles and pedestrians in the State of Michigan[3] What can you do to be safe near the tracks? · Look both directions before crossing · End all cell phone calls and take out earphones prior to crossing · Near an area that has two tracks, be on the lookout for a train to come from either direction. Just because one passed going one way, doesn’t mean another isn’t behind it or going the opposite way · Only cross in designated areas for pedestrians Sources: [1] Operation Lifesaver. (2012). Pedestrian safety. Retrieved from: http://oli.org/education-resources/pedestrian-safety [2] Federal Railroad Administration. (2008). Rail trespasser fatalities: developing demographic profiles. Retrieved from: http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/tdreport_final.pdf [3] Michigan Legislature. (2009). Michigan Compliance Law 462.273: railroad code of 1993. Retrieved from: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28flceljf0ktxrfvuacx53uu45%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-462-273 | 
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