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U.S.Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm News

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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Issues Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Guidance

Contact: Duane DeBruyne
Telephone: (202) 366-0456

Monday, October 16, 2006 (Washington, DC) The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hopes to reduce the number of truck collisions at railroad crossings by distributing new safety tip cards to every truck driver. The cards are designed to help reduce the more than 700 truck and bus highway-rail grade crossing collisions that occur each year.

"This new card will remind professional drivers of steps they can take to avoid needless tragedies," said FMCSA Administrator John Hill.

Nearly 250,000 of the cards, which were produced in collaboration with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), will be initially distributed – including 150,000 cards that will be sent to the Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association, Hill noted. The cards will also be distributed to specialized carriers and industry associations, the Administrator added.

“The more commercial vehicle drivers abide by these safety steps, fewer crashes will occur and more lives will be saved,” said FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman.

The two-sided laminated card reminds truck drivers of specific actions required to safely cross railroad tracks, such as making certain there is enough space on the other side of the tracks before proceeding and what to do if their vehicle stalls or hangs upon the tracks. The card also includes emergency contact numbers for the major railroads.

The visor card can be downloaded free-of-charge at
www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/outreach/visor-final-9-1.pdf.

Requests for free print-ready Adobe Illustrator files should be sent to rrsafety.fmcsa@dot.gov.

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