WINDSOR, Va. — Railroad crossings are common in many towns in Hampton Roads and across Virginia.
This year, Windsor Police and Virginia State Troopers took part in a nationwide enforcement and safety awareness campaign called “Operation Clear Track.”
On Tuesday, Virginia State Police kept their eyes on the railroad tracks in the town of Windsor.
“Every three hours somewhere in the United States there’s a collision with a train whether it be pedestrian or vehicle," said Virginia State Trooper Cody Childress.
Childress wants to remind drivers of the law when driving up to a railroad crossing.
"It indicates you should stop within 50 feet of the railroad track but no less than 15 feet from it. So these stop bars here take out the guesswork and that’s where you should be stopping your vehicle if you're the first car in line," said Childress.
Virginia State Police have teamed up with 600 local, state, and federal railroad law enforcement departments for Operation Clear Track.
“It’s done Nationwide by 48 different states and it’s a collaboration between Amtrak and law enforcement," said Childress.
Childress advises any driver stuck along a railroad track to get out as soon as possible.
“Remove any passengers you have, vehicles or any possessions you have inside are replaceable lives are not," said Childress. “And if we can even save one life or even prevent one injury by doing these enforcements then it’s well worth it."
Since December 2020, 13News Now has reported at least seven train collisions involving pedestrians or vehicles in Hampton Roads.
This year, two Hampton Road pedestrians died. One was in Suffolk, the other was in Newport News.