SAFETY AT RAIL CROSSINGS

Operation Lifesaver is one of those projects that ought to be superfluous. The program is intended to promote safety at railroad crossings.

Too many people ignore warning signs and signals and risk injury and death by challenging trains for the right of way at crossings. Not only is it against the law, it is pretty silly. Through either carelessness or to avoid a brief delay, Missouri motorists last year were involved in 118 accidents with trains. Stoddard County leads the Southeast Missouri area in train-vehicle accidents, with three accidents and one death reported. Sometimes the most good comes from stressing the obvious. Operation Lifesaver does that by making motorists more aware of railroad safety.