MODEL LEGISLATION FOR RAILROAD TRESPASS AND RAILROAD VANDALISM
By 1994, the Nation had experienced four consecutive years in which more than 1,000 people were either killed or seriously injured while trespassing on railroad property other than at railroad highway crossings. In 1995, 494 people were killed and 461 people were seriously injured while trespassing on railroad property other than at rail-highway grade crossings. According to preliminary figures, in the first six months of 1996, the Nation has experienced a 30% reduction in the number of rail-highway grade crossing injuries and fatalities, and fatalities and injuries among trespassers other than at rail-highway grade crossings are down 6.7% and 17% respectively, when compared to the same period in 1995. As part of the continuing effort to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities occurring while trespassing on railroad property, the Department of Transportation's Rail-Highway Crossing Safety Action Plan includes initiatives to develop model railroad trespass and vandalism legislation for consideration by State legislatures. Congress affirmed the validity of these initiatives by passing the Federal Safety Authorization Act of 1994 (49 U.S.C. 20151)(Safety Act), which requires the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with State and local governments and railroad carriers, to develop and make available to State and local governments model State legislation covering trespassing and vandalism on railroad property. The following is a summary of the development of the model State railroad trespass and vandalism bills and highlights of the bills.
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Corporate Authors:
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 - Publication Date: 1998-4
Language
- English
Media Info
- Pagination: 63 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Fatalities; Injuries; Legislation; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad safety; Railroads; State laws; Trespassers; Vandalism
- Subject Areas: Law; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00783611
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, USDOT
- Created Date: Feb 14 2000 12:00AM