Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa has improved slightly but still has one of the nation’s worst rates of children being hit by trains, according to a study by a non-profit group that works to protect kids from preventable injuries.
Nadji Kirby, senior program manager with Safe Kids Worldwide, says their surveys find many parents don’t make it a priority to educate their children about the dangers that surround railroad tracks.
In the past year, Iowa has moved from having the third- to the eighth-highest percentage of railroad-related accidents involving kids. In 2020, there were zero reports of railroad-related injuries or deaths of children in Iowa, but between 2010 and 2019, there were 54 such reports, 12 of which were fatal. Kirby says people don’t recognize how fast a train may be moving.
Many kids — and adults — will walk along train tracks as a shortcut or to take selfies, but they may not realize how quiet trains can be, especially when they’re moving toward you.
Kirby says accidents at railroad crossings often happen when a driver isn’t paying attention, when drivers or walkers choose to bypass safety barriers, or when they race to cross the track before the train passes. Learn more about railroad safety at https://www.safekids.org/RailSafetyStation.
