Rail Crossing Locator App from DOT

Mobile apps have the power to grant us access to data beyond our expectations, help us get things done easily and quickly, and have some fun, too.

But what about apps that can potentially increase our personal and the greater public safety in our neighborhoods and communities?

That’s the reason to get behind the Rail Crossing Locator, a mobile app from DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration for iPhone and iPad users.

Rail Crossing Locator gives you the opportunity to find and report conditions (via email) at 200,000-plus highway-rail crossings by using an address, an official DOT Crossing ID for the location or manipulating the interactive map. You can also view official DOT records of any collisions that have occurred at a specific rail crossing — thus fulfilling the DOT’s goal to empower people to make smart travel choices.

The ‘why’ behind the app

According to a DOT June 2013 press release, highway rail incidents and deaths resulting from such incidents fell by at least 30 percent in the last 10 years. But collisions at highway-rail crossings still accounted for nearly 20 percent of “reportable rail accidents and incidents” in 2012 — that’s nearly one-third of all rail-related deaths.

DOT hopes that feedback from the crowd — from the general public to community organizations to emergency responders to safety organizations– will help them improve the safety of these rail crossings as well as improve your travel and traffic experience.

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Before you set out on your next excursion, take a trip over to the USA.gov Apps Gallery to find and download the latest government mobile apps.