Louisiana Operation Lifesaver announced March 5 that the state ranked fourth nationally in the number of train collisions and injuries, according to the preliminary 2011 data from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Nationally, the number of vehicle-train collisions decreased by 3 percent to 1,956. These collisions resulted in 262 deaths and 964 injuries.
Eleven deaths in vehicle-train collisions occurred in Louisiana during 2011, which marks a decrease from 2010’s total of 25 deaths.
For vehicle-train collisions, Louisiana ranked 14th in injuries and 30th in fatalities nationally.
Among the parishes with the most vehicle-train collisions, Caddo Parish ranked first. Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, Tangipahoa and Iberville parishes all followed in the top five.
Louisiana Operation Lifesaver Executive Director Patricia Edwards said train accidents are more prevalent because the state is located near ports that allow the transfer of goods by railroad throughout the country.
Of the railroad crossings, 44 of them are in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to Louisiana Operation Lifesaver’s incident map.
East Baton Rouge has the most railroad crossings in the state, followed by Calcasieu, Jefferson, Ouachita and Caddo parishes.
Edwards said one of the causes in vehicle-train collisions is people being distracted while driving. Edwards said people need to focus as they approach railroad crossings by putting down their cell phone, turning down music and looking and listening for an oncoming train. 
“Too many drivers don’t judge how close the train actually is to the crossing and may mistakenly think that they can cross before the train gets there,” Edwards said.
Edwards said complacency is another factor. Many people travel over the same railroad crossing every day and may not see a train there for weeks, creating a false sense of security, she said.  
“Trains don’t travel on schedule, so people should always anticipate that a train may be nearby,” Edwards said. Edwards said Louisiana Operation Lifesaver the organization works closely with law enforcement agencies and transportation safety agencies to promote rail safety.
“The more that we can spread our message to all audiences, then hopefully we can get people to ‘Look, Listen and Live,'” Edwards said.
 
____ Contact Lauren Duhon at [email protected]