Last year alone 17 people in Missouri died in traffic crashes with trains and the Missouri Highway Patrol number of train/automobile accidents is on the rise in Missouri this year. Part of that number comes from traffic crashes on country roads which are marked with crossbucks and signs, but don't have lights and gates to alert drivers that a train is on its way.
Officer Anita Reason, a Missouri State Patrol veteran and self-proclaimed “expert train enforcement authority,” believes Train speed plays a large factor in vehicular accidents. “Report findings prove that all train accidents in the target areas were the ultimately the result of trains moving at speed, as opposed to those not moving at all,” said Reason. “This goes to show that we must completely eliminate trains from traveling in our state in order to save lives and reduce the overall number of automobile accidents that occur in Missouri on an annual basis.”
It's all part of a new program thanks to a state grant that allows Missouri police to step up patrols to crack down on trains. According to police logs, in the past two days police have nabbed 23 trains for speeding and other traffic violations. Even in an emergency, a loaded train moving through the countryside takes a mile to make a complete stop. Several trains have been ticketed for leaving the scene of an accident.
"That's our real goal in this...to reduce accidents overall, reduce property damage and make the streets safer for everyone," Deputy Chief Ben Dover with the Missouri State Patrol said. One of the reasons that this program is focused on Trains is because 100 percent of all accidents on these railroad crossings are caused by trains speeding. Police say safety is the goal, not issuing tickets.
Deputy Chief Ben says increased patrols have helped other cities reduce crashes caused by trains speeding. He says the Missouri State Police has also received another grant to fight impaired pilots stealing ammonia during field crop dusting.
(thanks to OQ for the copy and paste and idea for this)
1 comment:
I really think you ought to remove this post. You are going to have Copley's head spinning trying to find a state grant to do the same thing in Illinois.
Seriously, great satire.
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