| |
| |
|
|
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Train safety is a vital issue that affects all |
|
|
Texans, and promoting awareness of correct safety procedures around |
|
|
railroads can potentially save many lives; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Insurance reports that a |
|
|
train hits someone in the United States every 115 minutes, often |
|
|
with fatal results, and the nonprofit Operation Lifesaver |
|
|
calculates that an average of nearly 1,200 Americans are killed or |
|
|
injured each year on highway-rail grade crossings; according to the |
|
|
Federal Railroad Administration, in 2015, Texas led the nation in |
|
|
highway-rail grade collisions with 224 such incidents and suffered |
|
|
42 pedestrian rail trespass injuries and 27 pedestrian rail |
|
|
trespass fatalities, the second most of any state; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, An average train consisting of 100 cars can weigh 12 |
|
|
million pounds and can take up to one mile to halt after first |
|
|
applying its brakes; because the average weight ratio of a train to |
|
|
a car is 4,000 to 1, collisions between the two usually result in |
|
|
tragedy for motor vehicle drivers, and a motorist is 20 times more |
|
|
likely to die in a train/vehicle collision than in a collision with |
|
|
another vehicle; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, It is important to always use caution near railroad |
|
|
crossings, including slowing down, looking both ways, yielding to |
|
|
flashing lights and other signals, and keeping a safe distance from |
|
|
the railroad when stopped; train safety is equally important for |
|
|
pedestrians, and the only safe and legal place to cross railroad |
|
|
tracks is at a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, It is imperative that motorists and pedestrians |
|
|
throughout the Lone Star State better understand the dangers that |
|
|
exist around railroads and the necessity of following proper train |
|
|
safety practices; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
|
hereby designate July as Train Safety Awareness Month; and, be it |
|
|
further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That in accordance with the provisions of Section |
|
|
391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
|
|
until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
|
|
passed by the legislature. |
| |
|
|
Anderson of McLennan |
| |
| |
| |
______________________________ |
______________________________ |
| |
President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
| |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.C.R. No. 49 was adopted by the House on May |
|
|
9, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 6, 2 present, not |
|
|
voting. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.C.R. No. 49 was adopted by the Senate on May |
|
|
24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
APPROVED: __________________ |
|
|
Date |
|
|
|
|
|
__________________ |
|
|
Governor |