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Railroad Regulators: Issue More Tickets To Drivers At Grade Crossings

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - National railroad regulators are asking local police departments to issue more tickets to drivers who ignore warnings at grade crossings.

The Federal Railroad Administration says it's the first step in a safety campaign. The campaign was spurred by accidents last month in Valhalla, New York, and Oxnard, California, that killed seven people.

The engineer in the California crash died Tuesday.

The agency is calling for greater police presence at grade crossings and more citations for violations.

Railroad Regulators: Issue More Tickets To Drivers At Grade Crossings

FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond accidents are far too common.

"This happens about every three hours of every day and 95 percent of those accidents are driver error," she said.

Feinberg said technology has come a long way, but driver behavior hasn't.

"Certainly ticketing, photo enforcement at grade crossings get a lot of attention," she said.

It is not providing any new funding.

FRA spokesman Kevin Thompson said Tuesday that the agency has enlisted the cooperation of the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Thompson said his agency will provide materials the groups can pass on to their members.

Congress could vote as soon as Tuesday on a bill that would provide billions of dollars to make railroad crossings safer.

As WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) said the change should not require another disaster.

"The accident in Valhalla should be a wake up for all of us," Maloney said.

On Tuesday afternoon, a Long Island Rail Road train struck a sport-utility vehicle at a grade crossing in East Rockaway. The driver survived the crash and was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside with neck and back injuries, but service was suspended for some time after the accident.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

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