One of the initiatives the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is undertaking to save lives on the Nation's highways is to intensify our focus on highway-rail grade crossing safety. FMCSA has launched a nationwide educational campaign (materials below) to remind commercial motor vehicle drivers of the precautions they must take at highway-rail grade crossings.

A highway-rail grade crossing is an intersection where a roadway crosses railroad tracks at the same level or grade. Such crossings may be encountered on both public and private roads. There are more than 250,000 such crossings in the U.S.

Although the highway safety picture has improved considerably over the last decade, 300-400 people are killed every year and more than 1,100 are injured at grade crossings. Of the more than 3,000 highway-rail grade crossing incidents annually, 700 involve trucks or tractor-trailers. This translates to an average of more than 13 per week. Although collisions involving buses at grade crossings are infrequent, results of such incidents can be tragic.

This Web site provides a compendium of highway-rail grade crossing safety information for drivers, motor carriers, and users of commercial motor vehicles. It is a "one stop shop" for readers who want to learn more about the critical importance of rail grade crossing safety.

And, remember: When you see tracks, "Always Xpect a Train"!