Iowa DOT Warns Drivers To Beware Of Trains Hidden By Bumper Corn Crop
(Ames, Iowa – July 25, 2011)
Citing statistics that claim Iowa’s 2011 corn crop to be one of the largest ever recorded, Iowa Dept. of Transportation officials are warning motorists to use extra caution at railroad crossings where the driver’s view may be obstructed as the corn grows taller.
Iowa DOT State Safety Engineer Jeremy Vortherms pointed out that “highway-rail grade crossings are marked with a crossbuck that serves as a yield sign.”
“Trains can be difficult to spot when tall corn limits the view at a rural crossing,” added Tammy Nicholson, director of the Iowa DOT’s Office of Rail Transportation. “Although trains are considerably taller than most crops, it still becomes difficult to see them approaching at an uncontrolled intersection where the view is obstructed by vegetation and other visibility hazards.”
