Rail
Trains are estimated to kill 1 person every 100 minutes. Each year nearly 1,000 people
are killed in train related accidents. More than half of all railroad accidents occur at unprotected crossings. More than 80 percent of crossings lack adequate warning
devices such as lights and gates.
Train Accident Statistics
- According to the Federal Railroad Administration, in 2014 there were 11,896 train accidents at railroad crossings, resulting in 804 fatalities and thousands of injuries over the course of that year.
- Trains are estimated to kill 1 person every 100 minutes. Each year nearly 1,000 people are killed in train related accidents.
- More than half of all railroad accidents occur at unprotected crossings.
- More than 80 percent of crossings lack adequate warning devices such as lights and gates.
- Occupants of vehicles that collide with a train are 40 times more likely to die than if they had collided with another vehicle of comparable size.
- Every two weeks a train carrying hazardous materials derails in the United States.
Top 10 Causes of Train & Railroad Accidents
There are a variety of reasons why train accidents occur – most of which take place at crossings when cars try to “beat” the train. When these accidents occur, they often involve the passengers, driver, and some passersby.
While every case is unique, the most common causes of train accidents include:
- Negligence
- Human error
- Reckless pedestrians and drivers
- Mechanical failure
- Speedy trains
- Defective tracks
- Derailments
- Unprotected railroad crossings
- Stalled cars on the track
- Suicides
