Why do we say “Make our rail crossings safer, stop the train horns?”
Because train horns when blown constantly become “ambient” noise. We get used to them or ignore them just as we ignore car alarms that go off all the time.
Restricting train horns to emergency use only will cause us to pay more attention to them when we do hear them.
A Quiet Zone will make crossings safer in two ways:
- To qualify for a QZ, the crossings must meet tougher federal standards. So safety increases because the crossings are safer.
- If we only hear a train horn in an emergency situation, we will pay more attention to it. We will know we need to get out of the way.
What is a Railroad Quiet Zone?
Currently, train engineers are required by law to blow their horns two long, one short, and one long beginning 3/4 mile prior to any crossing.
In August of 2006 the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) adopted a new “horn rule.” This new rule allows for cities and other municipalities to request a “quiet zone” where engineers would not be required to sound their horn prior to each highway crossing if the crossing meets certain standards. However, it would not prohibit them from sounding their horn in an emergency.
