All passengers safe after Amtrak train crashes into semi-truck stuck on tracks

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

[love_katz]

1. Never stop ON the tracks of a railroad crossing.

When I trained commercial drivers, this issue was one of the many safety procedures covered. Do NOT cross the tracks until there's enough space on the other side to completely clear the tracks and have a large enough space between the rear of your vehicle and the crossing. Trains over hang a wider space than just the tracks and even the vacuum created by their tremendous momentum can pull your vehicle in.

If your vehicle won't fit ( in the containment space beyond the tracks), Don't Commit!

Running a traffic light is better than getting hit by a train, but a good trainer does their best to teach their drivers how to avoid getting into this potentially fatal situation in the first place.
The truck drivers even ran the wrong way. Your best bet is to angle away from the tracks on the side towards the incoming train. This is because the debris from the vehicle hit by the train will most likely fly outwards in front of the collision point. And, avoid crossing the tracks before the collision, if you can. Crossing the tracks wastes precious seconds and puts you in further danger from the train.
Never stop on a railroad crossing and don't try to beat the train to the crossing. If there's a traffic light on the other side of the tracks, make sure you have enough space to completely clear the tracks and have a safety cushion behind your vehicle if the light should turn red before you can pull out on the road beyond the light.
Driver trainers: be sure and teach your trainees about how to cope with this danger. Teach them reliable reference points so they can accurately judge the space in front of and behind their vehicle so this kind of collision is avoided.
Sorry for the rant, but I spent years training people to drive school busses. This kind of collision really gets me on my soap box. I recognize that truck drivers may more frequently drive vehicles of varying lengths, but the driver trainers need to help their drivers deal with this issue. Not doing so, in order to get the training done sooner, puts multiple lives at risk and leads to big money losses for the vehicle owners.

[love_katz]

2. One additional comment.

School bus drivers can end up driving a bus that is a different length than their assigned bus, and drivers who substitute on other routes can also wind up driving a bus that is a different size or body style every shift. Make sure that your trainer teaches you thoroughly about how to accurately judge the space around your vehicle. And, if your vehicle won't fit, Don't Commit!