Shreveport Police Department

PO Box P • Shreveport, LA 71161 • 318/673-6932 • Fax: 318/673-6933

www.ci.shreveport.la.us/dept/police/spdnews

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: June 10, 2002

Contact: Kacee Hargrave, Public Information Officer

318/673-6932

Operation Life-Saver to take place Wednesday

Trying to outrun a train or ignoring crossing signals can be a deadly mistake. If such a stunt isn’t fatal, it is still against the law.

On Wednesday, June 12, Shreveport Police Department will have officers stationed near railroad crossings throughout the city, as well as on trains, looking for anyone who disobeys a railroad crossing signal.

Those who ignore the signal, or try to beat the train across the tracks will be stopped and ticketed. The project is called Operation Life-Saver and is designed to do just that.

In 2001, an estimated 145 collisions took place in Louisiana at both public and private highway-rail intersections. In that year, 22 people died and 92 people were injured. The number of fatalities was 57 percent higher than in 2000.

In 2001, Caddo Parish had 10 collisions, including two fatalities and 10 injures. Bossier Parish had 8 collisions, including two fatalities and six injuries.

Other statistics about trains and railroad tracks are surprising:

• Louisiana has more than 3000 miles of rail with about 3000 public and 3000 private highway-rail grade crossings.

• Railroad tracks, yards and equipment are private property and trespassers are subject to arrest and fines.

• It takes a 150-car freight train moving at 55 miles per hour 1 miles to stop. A train moving at 30 miles per hour takes 2/3 of a mile to stop.

• 64 percent of all train-related collisions occur in daylight hours.

• Most collisions occur with trains traveling under 30 miles per hour.

• Most collisions occur within 25 miles of the driver’s home.

• Nearly 50 percent of all collisions occur at crossings equipped with automatic warning devices.

• You are 40 times more likely to die in a collision with a train than in a collision involving another moving vehicle.

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