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FHWA Lowers Boom on Rail Crossing Scofflaws

Jeff Johnson
 | Staff Reporter

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Reckless truckers who tempt fate at railroad crossings by trying to beat oncoming trains stand to lose their commercial driver licenses, and their employers could lose thousands of dollars, under new regulations.

The Federal Highway Administration issued rules that will suspend the CDLs of drivers convicted of ignoring railroad grade-crossing safety. Carriers found to have knowingly allowed drivers to break crossing laws face civil fines of up to $10,000.

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FHWA is attempting to put the clamp on truckers who do not exercise caution at railroad crossings — a problem that government statistics show results in more than nine truck-train collisions a week. Recent, high-profile accidents involving trucks and trains, including the March 15 Amtrak crash in Bourbonnais, Ill., that killed 11 people, have further focused attentions on the issue.

The guidelines cover convictions of federal, state or local laws dealing with six types of offenses:
  • Failing to make a required stop before railroad tracks.
  • Failing to slow down and check for a train.
  • Failing to stop if a train is coming.
  • Getting caught on the tracks for lack of sufficient space to clear the crossing.
  • Failing to obey a railroad signal or the directions of an official at a crossing.
  • Getting hung up on the tracks because of insufficient ground clearance.
For the full story, see the Sept. 13 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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