One of most basic rules of driving that I learned in Driver's Ed - never, EVER enter the rail crossing area unless there is room to cross completely. EVER, NEVER!!
I have suffered the horns of assholes behind me in faith to this rule, which is based on physical science that clearly exhibits the inability of a hundreds of thousands of pounds heavy train to stop when a car or other object is in its path.
Out here in rural Montana we have somewhat regular collisions between trains and vehicles - some are from foolish drivers attempting to beat the train, but most are suicides. It is a very efficient method - albeit a hateful thing to do to a train engineer.
I feel such pity for the poor souls burned alive in the front car of the MN train. I have none whatsoever for the idiot driver of the SUV who, while in an already slow-moving line of traffic, felt so 'rushed' to fulfill her self-centered expectations for the evening that she drove into the crossing zone and then, when the crossing arm closed on her vehicle, proceeded onto the tracks rather than staying put. Stupid silly bitch.
