It's "Rail Safety Week" and officials remind people how to avoid disaster

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - It's "Rail Safety Week" and officials are working to stop track tragedies across the country.

Every three hours a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States.

Each year more than 2100 people are killed or injured in North America and safety officials say more than 60 percent of these collisions happen while crossings are equipped with lights or gates.

Jeffrey Price, Special Agent and Community Relations Officer of Canadian National Police Service, stated, “So, at a crossing where you may have center dividers leading up to the crossing , those devices help deter vehicles from going around the gates, ultimately it's up to each individual city that puts those devices, anything outside of a crossing."

The Norfolk Southern Line is making repairs as part of their safety efforts and crews started making repairs at the Hively Avenue crossing in Osceola, and going upward until they reach Twykenham Drive in South Bend.

Friday, the Canadian National Railway hosted an event at the Logan Street crossing in South Bend for national rail safety week.

Price went on to state regarding crossings, “Make sure signs are up to date, pavement markings are fresh and just remind citizens that you need to pay attention to these signs.”

special agent price urging people today that it may be a good idea to take your headphones out and to be incredibly mindful of your surroundings when approaching tracks.