Photo by David Bartus from Pexels.
Benton Police Department (BNPD) will have officers will join Union Pacific representatives Friday, Sept. 28, in a ride-along enforcement effort. In recognition of National Rail Safety Week, Union Pacific Railroad has partnered with agencies across the state to promote rail safety for drivers and pedestrians.
BNPD has been emphasizing DUI, DWI, seat belt use, and other traffic violations as part of the Don’t Leave Your Life on the Road initiative throughout September, and Captain Eric Haworth says railway safety enforcement is a great addition.
“Just like all of our other traffic enforcement efforts, this is not intended as a campaign to see how many citations can be written,” said Haworth. “We want residents to be safe, and that requires obeying the law. Plain and simple.”
According to Union Pacific, a person or vehicle is hit by a train approximately every three hours in the United States. Trains traveling 55 miles per hour take more than a mile to stop, which necessitates that drivers stop in designated areas when railroad signals, flashers and gates indicate a train is approaching.
“With thousands of tragic encounters still occurring every year, we will continue to partner with other agencies to enforce the law every time,” said Haworth. “These are lives at stake- and we will do everything we can to ensure their safety.”
For more information on rail safety, visit www.up.com.