ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 It\u2019s Rail Safety Week in Florida and Orlando Police are taking their message to the streets.<\/p>\n
OPD Officers and the department\u2019s Motors Unit are conducting active enforcement around railroad crossings in Downtown Orlando.<\/p>\n
Sgt. Ross Hutto said drivers are one of the groups officers want to reach.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they come up to a railroad crossing make sure their radio is down, make sure they\u2019re listening as much as they\u2019re looking,\u201d Sgt. Hutto said. \u201cMake sure the gates aren\u2019t coming down, lights aren\u2019t flashing.\u201d<\/p>\n
That warning also applies to those walking or biking through a railroad crossing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t have your earbuds in,\u201d Sgt. Hutto said. \u201cTurn them off and make sure you can hear. Lights, it\u2019s a mechanical piece of equipment, sometimes it\u2019ll fail and all you have is the horn of a train. You have to listen and look.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Orlando police turned those rules into action.<\/p>\n
Officers stopped drivers who failed to stop at crossings in Downtown Orlando.<\/p>\n
Sgt. Hutto said it was a chance to educate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re handing out citations and warnings, we have pamphlets we\u2019re giving people as well,\u201d Sgt. Hutto said. \u201cIt\u2019s mainly education at this point, just trying to get the word out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sgt. Hutto said when it comes to a split-second decision near the tracks, it can turn deadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a vehicle is involved in a crash with a train, the car is not going to win,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not worth the risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
This enforcement is part of a larger statewide effort during Rail Safety Week.<\/p>\n
FDOT said law enforcement agencies are conducting high-visibility enforcement at busy rail crossings throughout the state.<\/p>\n
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