GREENSBORO,N.C. — Every three hours, a person or vehicle is struck by a train, according to data from the North Carolina Department of Transportation Be Rail Safe campaign. 

What You Need To Know

The North Carolina Department of Transportation Be Rail Safe campaign says approximately 1,200 deaths occur each year on U.S. train tracks

The Greensboro Police Department’s ATV Railroad Trespass Program, established in 2016, has experienced no incidents in their target areas since 2020

In 2023, the team received a $96,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for its Railroad Safety Patrol Program

A train safety initiative in Greensboro is decreasing the number of pedestrian-related accidents on the tracks. 

The Greensboro Police Department’s ATV Railroad Trespass Program says since 2020, there have been no incidents in their target areas. 

In October, the state Department of Transportation awarded the team nearly $100,000 to bolster the program.

Corporal Deon Carter is one of 10 officers serving on the ATV patrol team.

He says the money has been helpful to increase resources. 

“We were able to increase the team and get more ATVs, which in turn, allowed us to get out here and increase patrols and make so many more encounters,“ Carter explained.

Carter says the department is also using the money to educate even more people on the importance of train safety.