Fatal Train Accidents Climb in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, MD — More people are dying in train accidents in Maryland, according to new federal data. Fifteen people were killed in train accidents in the state between December 2015 and November 2016 — that's up from 12 deaths during the previous year, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

That is the highest 12-month death rate since 14 were killed in 2011. On average, the state sees 10 deaths a year. Across the nation, 762 people died in train-involved incidents in first 11 months of 2016. That already beats the total number for all 2015, with the increase attributed to 247 deaths after motorists and pedestrians were struck at railroad crossings.

A new campaign from the U.S. Department of Transportation, "Stop! Trains Can't," promotes more caution around railroad crossings — particularly for young male drivers. A person or car is struck by a train every three hours in the U.S., according to federal safety figures.

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The $7 million ad campaign is targeting men aged 18-49, with commercials running in the 15 states with the highest incidents of crossing accidents. Male drivers are involved in 75 percent of these accidents, according to the railroad administration.

Trains always have the right of way at railroad crossings, according to the FRA. Stoping a train looks easy in cartoons and on movie sets, but it is nearly impossible in real life. A freight train traveling at 55 miles per hour needs a mile to come to a stop, according to the FRA.

The 15 states with the highest railroad-crossing incidents are California, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Mississippi, New Jersey, Arkansas and Arizona.

In Maryland, there were 17 train strikes at railroad crossings between December 2015 and November 2016, causing two injures. All of the fatalities in the state were due to individuals killed elsewhere on the tracks, according to federal data.

See more federal train accident data at the Federal Railroad Administration online.

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