How Many People Died at Illinois Railroad Crossings in 2016?

Train-related fatalities in Illinois were down last year, and while that’s good news, accidents at railroad crossings still claimed 41 lives.

That’s down from a decade ago, when 53 people were killed in train accidents, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Train accidents were also down significantly in 2016, with 99 compared to 200 in 2015.

Illinois was among 15 states with the highest number of railroad-crossing incidents, alongside California, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Mississippi, New Jersey, Arkansas and Arizona.

The numbers of accidents and fatalities in Illinois has ebbed and flowed over the last decade, reaching a high point in 2008, when 71 people died, according to the FRA.

More: Coroner IDs Pedestrian Killed by Metra Train

A new campaign from the U.S. Department of Transportation, "Stop! Trains Can't," promotes more caution around railroad crossings — particularly for young male drivers. A person or car is struck by a train every three hours in the U.S., according to federal safety figures.

A $7 million ad campaign is targeting men aged 18-49, with commercials running in the 15 states with the highest incidents of crossing accidents. Male drivers are involved in 75 percent of these accidents, according to the railroad administration.

See more federal train accident data at the Federal Railroad Administration online.

Image via Pixabay

By Greg Hambrick (Patch National Staff)/Shannon Antinori contributed to this article.