How many people a year gets hit by a train walking down the tracks?

Question

How many people a year gets hit by a train walking down the tracks?

Answer 1

Hundreds across North America.  It's too many, and entirely preventable.

Contrary to above answers, you don't need to be completely deaf to not hear the train.  Almost every week, someone in front of one of my trains will be using the tracks as a sidewalk, and it takes a lot of loud whistle blasts to finally get them out of harm's way.

People often have portable music players plugged in, are talking on cell phones, or may be upwind of us.  It's not that hard to sneak up on someone or something - I've hit enough deer, raccoons, skunks, cats, possums, and other animals to know.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, very many.

In the US, on average, a vehicle or pedestrian is struck every 18 seconds.  Do the math, and stay off the right of way, please.

Answer 3

Above answer is not true.  Trains are quiet.  They sneak up on you.  You wouldn't think they're quiet... they shouldn't be quiet... they certainly aren't quiet when you're standing next to a parked engine... but on the tracks you will often not hear (perceive) it coming.  I get surprised all the time, and I'm a rail.

It's very hard to be killed by a falling coconut... you have to be standing under a coconut tree, if you're not, you're pretty safe.   Same applies to trains.  No reason in the universe to be walking down the tracks.

(well, I often walk down tracks, but I have a piece of paper saying the dispatcher knows I'm there and won't throw any trains at me.)

Answer 4

Even one is too many and unnecessary.  In my city we have a handful every year that come to grief that way.  The only way to be safe is to assume a train is headed your way at all times.

You also want to stay off the tracks.  The new engines are a lot quieter than they used to be and can't stop.  

We had a young lady walking along the tracks of a mainline who was struck from behind while she was text messaging.   Being deaf did not help either.

Answer 5

I really don't know the % of people that gets hit by a train a year but i'm sure that its a lot of people that get hit by the train, and not just walking down, also driving when the train is close by

Answer 6

Very few, most of which are actually suicides.

Unless a person is completely deaf, you will definitely hear the train in time. Even if someone is deaf, they could feel the vibrations of the train from a long distance away.

Answer 7

more than there needs to be!

Answer 8

All of them that don't get out of the way.