| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 5430 | 2008-01-30 | Troop F | Railroad Crossing Safety Focus in Monroe Traffic Detail |
| LOUISIANA STATE POLICE COURTESY LOYALTY SERVICE News Release January 30, 2008 Railroad Crossing Safety Focus in Monroe Traffic Detail Early this morning, Louisiana State Police, Monroe Police Department, Union Pacific Railroad Police and Louisiana Operation Lifesaver joined forces to remind motorists and pedestrians of highway-rail grade safety. In 2006, Ouachita Parish ranked high in the state for the numbers of highway-rail grade crashes and trespassing injuries/fatalities. In an effort to decrease those figures, the agencies conducted a traffic detail in the Monroe area which resulted in multiple citations being issued. A total of fourteen (14) citations were issued to motorists for either stopping on the tracks or disregarding active control devices. Nine of those citations were issued to those who failed to stop at the flashing red lights and/or drove around the lowered gates. Two (2) of the cited vehicles were Monroe City School buses which were in the process of picking up school children. One of those school buses drove around the lowered gates with a train approaching. Multiple warnings were issued to pedestrians trespassing on Union Pacific Railroad property. It is illegal for pedestrians to use the tracks as “sidewalks” or to cross at non-designated crossing zones. During this effort, the executive director of Louisiana Operation Lifesaver, Betsey Tramonte, was rewarding those motorists and pedestrians, who followed Louisiana laws around the tracks, with brochures and key chains as a means of “positive reinforcement.” It is critical for all motorists and pedestrians to be aware that railroad tracks are the private property of the railroad and all crossings should be treated as intersections. Always yield to an oncoming train, as they cannot stop quickly. Because of its size and weight, it is not uncommon for a train to take up to a mile, or more, to come to a stop. When approaching a highway-rail grade crossing, please remember the Operation Lifesaver motto: “Look, Listen, & Live.” To request a free Operation Lifesaver safety presentation at your school, club, church or place of business, please contact your local LSP Public Information Officer or visit www.laoperationlifesaver.org. For More Information, Contact: Sgt. Julie Lewis Louisiana State Police North District Public Affairs Office: (318) 345-2810 www.lsp.org ____________________________________________________________ xxx LSP xxx | |||
| No attachments for this article. | |||