Title: Angels On Track®
Headings: 
WHY  RAILROAD-CROSSING ACCIDENTS HAVE DECLINED SINCE 1980
HOW  ACCURATE ARE FEDERAL STATISTICS RELATING TO RAILROAD  GRADE CROSSINGS?

Content: HOW  ACCURATE ARE FEDERAL STATISTICS RELATING TO RAILROAD  GRADE CROSSINGS? The  United States Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad  Administration (FRA), publishes an annual statistical inventory  of railroad crossings and related accidents. Railroad Safety  Statistics, Annual Report 2000 – available on FRA’s  web-site -- reveals that: Inventory reporting is voluntary  for both states and railroads. There are no legal requirements  which mandate reporting. Furthermore, the “Forward” section  of the FRA report states: The completeness and accuracy of the information presented  in this bulletin are primarily dependent upon the data collection  and reporting processes of the nation’s railroads. The FRA conducts  routine audits of these procedures, but does not have sufficient  resources to perform comprehensive reviews of each railroad’s  reporting procedures. We extensively review and edit the reports  we receive and make inquiry when information is incomplete or inconsistent. It is not possible to identify reportable events that were omitted  from a railroad’s submission.