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Is Amtrak Crash Nevada’s Fault?
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<p>[quote user="tree68"]</p> <p><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;color:#003300;font-size:small;">So, given the information provided so far, and working on the presumption that the current warning is inadequate, what <i>should</i> the overall crossing package look like?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;color:#003300;font-size:small;">We've spent plenty of time discussing what's wrong - what would make it right, to the extent that any normal driver would be as completely protected as possible?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;color:#003300;font-size:small;">Pictures and specifications would be helpful.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;color:#003300;font-size:small;">And I would strongly suggest that such a system be completely fixed - no pie-in-the-sky gotta-be-installed-in-every-vehicle solutions. Use what's available today.</span></p> <div style="clear:both;"></div> <p>[/quote]</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">The crossing needs two elements of advance warning:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 36.75pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.75pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1)</span> <span style="font-size: small;">An at-crossing warning that the red flashing lights are about to activate.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 36.75pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.75pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2)</span> <span style="font-size: small;">A distant warning that the red flashing lights are about to activate or simply have begun to activate.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Item #1 would eliminate the problem of dropping a red stop signal in the face of drivers when they approach the crossing at 70 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could be accomplished by having the red lights flash yellow for say 10-15 seconds before they start flashing red.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or it could be accomplished by installing a separate set of yellow flashing lights near the crossing red lights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Technically, these yellow lights should probably not flash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Constant yellow would be analogous to the meaning of traffic signals where constant yellow indicates that the signal is about to turn red.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, for this unique application to grade crossings, it may be better to flash the yellow to help get the attention of drivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There should also be some signage that explains how the crossing signal works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decent of the gate should not begin until some time interval after the lights begin flashing red.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Item #2 would extend the visual active warning of the flashing lights of the crossing out from the crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the current system, at the point where a train activates the signals, when a vehicle is on a collision course with a train, the driver is 3,000 feet away from the crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is too much distance to expect an instant reaction by a driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the driver is likely to lose some of his or her advance warning before recognizing and reacting to that warning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Therefore, the solution to this problem would be to add yellow flashing lights at some distance out from the crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that distance were say 1,500 feet, an approaching driver on a collision course with a train would see a visual warning begin when that driver is 1,500 feet from the signal instead of 3,000 feet from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not know what that advance warning distance should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe 2,000 feet would be better than 1,500 feet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you get too far out with the advance warning, a driver might pass it just before it activates, and be largely deprived of its benefit. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">These distant flashing lights should activate with the flashing lights at the crossing when those crossing lights begin flashing yellow. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There should also be some signage in conjunction with these distant advance lights that explains how the crossing signal works. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> </span></span></span></p> <p> </p>
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