Crossings for the 21st Century

Michael Martino

Senior Director Operation

Association of American Railroads

Standing Committee on Rail Transportation

Washington, D.C.

March 14, 2011

Crossings for the 21st Century

• Safety Statistics & Trends– Grade Crossing Safety– Trespassers

• Next Steps

U.S. Railroad Safety Statistics:Main Themes

• Railroads have dramatically improved safety over the last three decades.

• Railroads compare favorably with other industries & transportation modes.

• The most troubling railroad safety problems arise from factors largely outside railroad control.

• Railroads implemented numerous and effective technological improvements and company-wide safety programs.

U.S. Railroad Safety Statistics:

In 2010, U.S. railroads again achieved their safest year ever by the following major safety yardsticks:

• Train Accidents and Accident Rates, down 3% and 9%, respectively, from 2009.

• Employee Casualties and Casualty Rates, down 4% and 5%, respectively, from 2009.

• Grade Crossing Collision Rates, down 2% from 2009.

Sources: FRA website: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx

(2010 data) FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report, 1997-2009, Tables 1-1, 1-2. FRA, Accident/Incident Bulletin, 1975-1996, Tables 1, 51.

In 2010, over 95% of rail-related fatalities weregrade crossing users and trespassers.

Trespassers: 451 (60.5%)

Grade Crossing Users: 260 (34.9%)

Employees: 20

Passengers: 3Others: 12

Source: FRA website: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/publicsite/summary.aspx(2010 data).

Grade crossing collisions declined 81% since 1980 and 43% since 2000.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009

Sources: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx (2010 data). FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report, 1997-2009, Table 1-1. FRA Highway/Rail Crossing Accident/Incident & Inventory Bulletin, 1980-1996, Table S.Notes: Includes collisions involving pedestrians. Includes collisions at private crossings.

10,611

5,715

2,004

3,502

Grade crossing fatalities have declined 69% since 1980 and 39% since 2000.

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Sources: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx (2010 data). FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report, 1997-2009, Tables 1-1, 1-3. FRA, Highway/Rail Crossing Accident/Incident & Inventory Bulletin, 1980-1996, Table S.Note: Includes pedestrians, employees, passengers, and collisions at private crossings.

833

698

425

261

Grade crossing injuries have declined79% since 1980 and 34% since 2000.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Sources: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx (2010 data). FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report, 1997-2009, Tables 1-1, 1-3. FRA, Highway/Rail Crossing Accident/Incident & Inventory Bulletin, 1980-1996, Table S.Note: Includes pedestrians, employees, passengers, and collisions at private crossings.

3,890

2,407

810

1,219

Freight Car Reflectors May be Reducing Collisions at Dark Crossings.

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

Source: AAR Analysis of FRA Highway-Rail Incident Database, 1985-2010.Excludes Passenger Railroads and Passenger Trains.Rule became effective in March 2005.

Reflector-Preventable Grade Crossing Collisions,Passive Crossings Only, in the Dark

Since 1980, the total number of public crossings has declined 36%, while the number with gates has increased over 150%.

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

1980 2009Sources: AAR Analysis of March 2009 FRA Grade Crossing Inventory Database. FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report 2009, Table 9-3. FRA Highway/Rail Crossing Accident/Incident & Inventory Bulletin, 1980, Table 46.

36% Decrease

Passive 75%

Passive 53%

Lights 17%Lights 17%

Gates 8% Gates 30%

Grade crossing warning device upgrades work. Gates cut the accident & fatality rates by 93%.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Passive Flashing Lights Gates

No InjuryInjuryFatal

Source: AAR Analysis of FRA Grade Crossing Incident & Inventory Databases, using 1999-2003 incident data and the December 2003 inventory data.Note: Collision opportunities are measured here as the average number of trains per hour multiplied by the average number of vehicles per hour moving over each crossing. It is useful primarily as a measure of relative, not absolute, exposure, since the time period (hour) is arbitrary.

Grade Crossing Collisions per Billion Collision Opportunities296

63

21

Grade crossing collisions are usually caused by motorist error.

Drove AroundGate: 206 (14%)

Did Not Stop 586 (39%)

Sources: AAR Analysis of Highway-Rail Incident Database for 2009 (August 2010).FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report 2009, Table 8-6.Note: Motor vehicle highway-rail incidents at public crossings.

Stopped on Tracks: 416 (28%)

Stopped, Proceeded 98 7%

Other 189 (9%)

Trespasser fatalities continue to be a significant safety problem.

0

300

600

900

1,200

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Sources: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx (2010 data). FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report, 1997-2009, Tables 1-2, 10-3. FRA Accident/Incident Bulletin, 1980-1996, Table 13.Note: Excludes "trespasser" fatalities at grade crossings.

457 543427

463

Total Trespasser Incidents

Trespasser Fatalities

89% of trespasser fatalities in 2009 resulted from being struck by trains or freight cars.

Struck by On-TrackEquipment 393

Source: AAR Analysis of FRA Casualty Database for 2009 as of August 2010.FRA, RR Safety Statistics Annual Report 2009, Table 10-10.Note: Excludes "trespasser" fatalities at grade crossings.

Other 45

Train Accidents 5

Many Trespassers are Killed While Intoxicated.• A North Carolina study for the period 1990-1994 found that

78% of 128 trespassers killed on railroad property were intoxicated. The median blood alcohol level for this group was 2.5 times the legal limit.

• A 1994 South Carolina study of 24 train-related pedestrian fatalities found that 79% were intoxicated.

• Toxicology results on 78 of 132 railroad trespassers killed in Georgia in the period 1990-1996 found 40 (51%) with alcohol levels above 100 mg/dL.

• A 2005 survey of coroners and Chief Medical Examiners found that alcohol and/or drugs were judged to be a factor in 530 (57%) of 929 trespasser fatalities in the period 2002-2004 for which the additional data could be obtained.

Sources: Andrew Pelletier, MD, "Deaths Among Railroad Trespassers: The Role of Alcohol in Fatal Injuries,” Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 277, No. 13, April 2, 1997, pp. 1064-66.Center for Disease Control, Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 48, No. 25, July 2, 1999.Bruce George, “Rail Trespasser Fatalities: Developing Demographic Profiles,” presentation to Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, January 15, 2008.

Next Step Emergency Notification Signage

International Awareness Day

Thank you

Questions