(Mason City, Iowa – August 4, 2011)
Basing their story on research the station conducted on an advisory from the Iowa DOT, KAAL-TV, Channel 6, the ABC affiliate in Austin, MN, ran a story Thursday in regard to rural roadway hazards posed by crop and tree growth.
IDOT statistics said that 46 crashes occurred at rural roadway intersections last year, resulting in 49 injuries and one death, all attributed to “Trees or tall crops.” Interviewing motorists, KAAL talked to Vicki Warner of Mason City, who said for drivers to “watch closely when approaching railroad tracks.”
She added that “Railroad crossings don’t have the lights, and if you see the engine has already passed a crossing and there are black cars, you might not see that train. So, you really have to be careful with that.”
In proving that Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit, railroad-run organization, had executed effective propaganda, Iowa DOT Assistant District Engineer David Little said “The phrase we use is “look, listen and live”, and that’s a good guideline to use in all your driving tasks.”
NOTE: See our research paper on “Operation Lifesaver: Is it an honest safety program, or is it jury tampering?”.