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[quote user="Murphy Siding"]        I've always wondered why crossing or just being on a railroad was  really much different than crossing or just being on a busy highway.  If I'm crossing a railroad, the crossbuck, etc. would be real similar to a yield sign in my mind.        <div style="clear:both;"></div> [/quote]  <o:p></o:p> A route conflict between trains and motor vehicles seems more frequently to result in collisions than does a similar route conflict between motor vehicles.  This is only my observation, and it would be interesting to learn of any research that happens to back it up.  But assuming that it is true, I believe the reason is due to the general public perception that trains can cause a serious delay to drivers.  So they take a greater risk to try to beat the train.  The railroad industry will incredulously assert that drivers are idiots for trying to beat a train rather than wait a couple minutes for it to pass.  <o:p></o:p> But they don’t all pass in a couple of minutes, and the driving public is fully aware of that fact.  And the driving public is also aware of the fact that no such delay is possible while waiting to share the right of way with conflicting highway vehicles.   <o:p></o:p> Coupled with the worry about unreasonable delays at grade crossing is the fact that there is a long history and tradition that allows drivers to use their own discretion in deciding whether or not it is safe to cross in front of an approaching train.  <o:p></o:p> Further complicating the driver decision to wait for the train or try to beat it is the fact that trains always appear to be moving slower than they actually are.
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