Editorial: Human behavior and the need to focus on rail safety

When it comes to railroad safety, Illinois apparently has some issues with human behavior. Let safety specialist Steve Laffey of the Illinois Commerce Commission set the stage: "Illinois remains the hub of the national network, so while freight train volume was down by about 10% to 15% nationally and Metra and Amtrak also ran fewer trains, human behavior doesn't change."

That was Laffey speaking to our transportation and projects writer Marni Pyke for Monday's "In Transit" column about troubling safety statistics from the first half of 2020. That data compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration found, among other things, that while rail-crossing crashes declined nearly 20% during the pandemic-reduced travel period between last January and June, they went down just 2.2% in Illinois. That's an insignificant figure when you realize it reflects a difference of just one collision. In 2019, there were 45 rail-crossing crashes between January and June; this year, there were 44.

In the matter of deaths, the results are not much brighter. While crashes did decrease significantly between the lockdown months of March and the end of May, deaths did not. Four rail-crash fatalities occurred during the period in both years, but nonfatal injuries actually increased this year - one in 2019; five in 2020.

These statistics come as National Rail Safety Week ended Sunday, and as long as we're noting uncomfortable comparisons, let's add one more - nearby states.

The paltry decline in Illinois' crash rate compares to reductions in Indiana and Wisconsin of 23% and 24%, respectively. The rate went down close to half - 45% - in Michigan.

States are not in a competition to see which can perform best on the grimness scale, of course. But our neighbors' experience does highlight an important lesson that must be appreciated by every Illinoisan - and especially every suburbanite, considering how much trains are a part of our transportation mosaic. Safety starts with each of us as individuals. Rail safety measures may differ from state to state, but with significant expenditures in infrastructure and technology in recent years and increased penalties intended to deter unsafe behaviors, Illinois is by no means indifferent to risk.

So, whatever the state's investment, individuals must make an investment of their own, a personal one, a recognition of the inherent danger posed at every rail line and every crossing. Trains, experts emphasize, are moving faster than it may appear, and it takes a long distance for them to stop - as much as a mile.

Respect these facts. Protect yourself and your family. Let your conscious human behavior be your best safeguard against needless tragedy on the rails.