• 19
  • September
    2011

When a truck and a train collide, there are almost always disastrous consequences. The seriousness of these crashes was highlighted in a series of six collisions across the country since June, from Nevada to South Carolina. One of the most tragic was between an Amtrak Train and a tractor trailer when the driver failed to stop at a railroad crossing. The crash killed six people including the driver. In four out of the six crashes, at least one fatality was recorded. The Federal Railroad Administration reports that over the past year 70 people have died in collisions between trains and large trucks.

Collisions like these can be monumentally more devastating than other accidents that occur on the roadways every day. While stopping at a railroad crossing may appear routine, the process is not always as simple as it seems. Both trucks and trains cannot stop very quickly. But how can such collisions be avoided or least minimized?

Video Game Training for Truckers

One company thinks training is the answer. Operation Lifesavers Inc. (OLI), which focuses on preventing collisions on and around railroad tracks, has created an online video game safety course for truck drivers to help prevent accidents at railroad crossings. The safety course places drivers in virtual worst-case scenarios that may pop up while driving to help truckers to improve their decision-making skills behind the wheel. These simulations go above and beyond the typical safety instruction courses that truck drivers may have to take. One positive result of more safety courses for drivers is to reduce driver negligence in these types of crashes.

Although accidents will always occur, safety courses like the one created by OLI are always a step in the right direction in the prevention of truck accidents and the various injuries that can result.