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Amtrak Accident - Non-Working Crossing Signals
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>I don’t want to sound like I am piling on the victim in this crash, but it raises a perplexing question.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Drivers are supposed to yield at grade crossings no matter whether the signals and gates are activated or not, and no matter whether the signals and gates fail to activate upon the approach of a train.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>The crossbuck alone requires a driver to yield, and for a driver to yield, a driver must know that no train is approaching before the driver crosses.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That is the law according to the FRA, Operation Lifesaver, and the state DOTs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P><FONT face=verdana,geneva> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>While there may be some hair-splitting over what it means to yield in merging situations where no collision occurs, it is 100% clear that <U>if a driver gets hit by a train, that driver did not yield</U>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P><FONT face=verdana,geneva> <o:p></o:p></FONT> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>Therefore, in cases where a driver gets hit by a train at a grade crossing where the signals have failed to activate, that driver has failed to yield, as the law requires.</FONT></P><FONT face=verdana,geneva> <o:p></o:p></FONT> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>So, who is at fault in such a collision?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To most people, it would seem to be the railroad’s fault because their warning signals have failed to activate; and most people are not aware of the requirement to yield at signalized grade crossings even when those signals are not activated.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=verdana,geneva size=2></FONT></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=verdana,geneva size=2>But the full-time yield law is there at every crossing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How can a driver break that law and not be at fault for the resulting collision?</FONT></SPAN></P>
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