With fatalities near railroad crossings on the rise, a new public safety awareness campaign from the U.S. Department of Transportation aims to keep drivers safe around the country’s rail infrastructure.
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently launched a public safety awareness campaign designed to keep Americans safer around the country’s railroad crossings. The $5.6 million campaign — Stop. Trains Can’t. — ran from April 16 through May 12 on social and digital platforms, radio, and social media messaging services.
By educating Americans about the challenges with keeping railways safe, the DOT hopes to cut down on the number of accidents at these hazardous intersections. “So many fatalities at highway-railway crossing are preventable,” explains U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, “and this campaign is key to raising public awareness and saving lives.”
While this campaign is an important step toward that goal, raising public awareness is only one piece of the puzzle. In order to keep the country’s rail infrastructure in safe working condition, railway operators need to be sure they’re investing in quality rail switch maintenance products that guarantee trains and tracks are working as they’re meant to.
Managed by U.S. DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the campaign aims to get ahead of a growing trend of accidents. Stop. Trains Can’t. features statistics and information designed to educate drivers about the dangers of attempting to cross tracks when trains are approaching.
Challenges to Railroad Safety
Keeping the country’s rail infrastructure safe — not to mention passengers, crew, and maintenance personnel — requires constant vigilance. While teaching civilians about the dangers of attempting to drive around lowered crossing gates is essential, it’s also important to consider what needs to be done to ensure that trains and valuable cargo are protected, too.
For example, innovative maintenance products that can help train-handling performance, withstand extreme temperatures, and resist washing off in the rain are a must. By keeping rail networks in pristine condition, it’s more likely that conductors can respond to risks — such as vehicles on train tracks — as quickly and effectively as possible.
Proven Strategies to Keep Railroads Safe
To that end, railway operators should be considering top-of-the-line maintenance solutions for their rail networks. Products like rail switch lubrication are indispensable when it comes to keeping the country’s rail infrastructure safe for everyone involved, crew and civilians included. With the help of Glidex® and Glidex® MC rail switch lubricants from Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc., you can be confident you’ve made the right investment in the safety of your rail network.
Indeed, the application of Glidex and Glidex MC to your rail infrastructure can increase train-handling performance, cut maintenance time and costs, and more. With more than 40 years of experience helping public and private organizations care for critical rail infrastructure, Midwest has the expertise necessary to get the job done right.
