(Canwest News Service circulated the following story by Dean Tester on December 9, 2009.)
OTTAWA — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has called for national standards to prevent collisions at steep railway crossings, in a report released Wednesday.
The report stems from a collision at a crossing near Mallorytown, Ont., in July 2008. A low-clearance tractor-trailer stopped on the crossing and was struck by a train. The truck was completely destroyed and five people on the train were injured, the report said. The crossing was too steep for the vehicle, but the area was not signed to warn drivers.
The truck driver was not aware that there was any danger of the vehicle getting stuck, nor are drivers given any training for what should be done if they are stuck on a railway crossing, the report said.
“In the last 10 years, there have been four collisions between trucks and trains on this busy railway corridor,” said Tom Griffith, the investigator in charge of the incident. “It’s time to put clear warning signs where they’re needed and take the guesswork out of safety,” he added.
The board estimates there are about 10,000 low-clearance vehicles on Canadian highways.
The report urges drivers to promptly alert railways if their vehicle becomes stuck or immobilized at a crossing.
“The board is concerned that, unless trucking companies and drivers . . . are educated on grade crossing emergency situations, including when and how to alert railway authorities, grade crossing collisions involving trains and immobilized vehicles will continue to occur,” the report said.
Mallorytown is about 65 kilometres east of Kingston, Ont.