The primary message from the train/car collision last Saturday that killed three people is clear. Never - ever - drive around railroad safety gates.
But such reckless behavior is not uncommon. Should RT install gates that block all four quadrants of a crossing to prevent gate jumping? The fix would cost $75,000 per rail/street intersection, and there are 75 such intersections in Sacramento County.
Beyond cost, full street-wide gates on both sides of a crossing create their own safety challenges. Systems would have to be engineered to prevent cars from being trapped on tracks between gates.
Education may be a better corrective. Safety campaigns have reduced grade crossing accidents dramatically across the country - from an annual high of more than 13,000 in the late 1970s, to just 2000 or so in recent years. The number of collisions has declined even as train and car traffic at railroad crossings has increased.
Anyone out and about locally knows, Sacramento drivers and pedestrians could use a refresher course that highlights the dangers of gate jumping.
Ginger Rutland writes for The Sacramento Bee opinion pages.