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COLUMBIA (WACH) -- When you are on the road and you hear the horn of a train or see one heading your way, it can be tempting to speed up to try and beat it. That can be a dangerous and deadly decision. Wednesday, local law enforcement officers boarded a train from Columbia to learn how to reduce the risk at the railroad crossing.

Operation Lifesaver teamed up with Norfolk Southern to conduct the education and enforcement train. Law enforcement officers, bus drivers, and Columbia area officials boarded the train for the lesson.

“It’s a huge problem in Newberry County, just a month ago we had a guy who was on the tracks walking and got hit by a train and we are constantly having cars after the cross arms come down,” said Sheriff Lee Foster.

A camera mounted on the train showed the passengers on board what trains crews see daily.

“That is people trying to beat the train people walking on the tracks which is trespassing,” Janice Cowen, State Coordinator with Operation Lifesaver elaborated.

“We hope that will show our law enforcement agencies there is a problem we do need to be enforcing the laws,” she said.

A highway patrolman rode in the head engine looking for violations. That trooper could radio down to officers on the road to enforce the laws. It is illegal to drive around lowered gates.

Cowen expressed the importance of the enforcement saying, “you are 20 times more likely to die in a crash with a train than any other type of highway incident so it is just not worth the risk to save a few seconds.”

Operation Lifesaver reported 50 crashes between vehicles and trains in South Carolina last year.

“We are all impatient as humans and we want to get where we are going but it is just not worth the risk,” Cowen said.

Not all railroad crossings in South Carolina have the no crossing arms blocking the road to warn drivers of an oncoming train, so it is best to always expect a train when approaching the tracks. 

Have you ever tried to race a train across the tracks, or have you seen someone else do it?  Leave a comment below.