Vanderburgh County, Indiana, sheriff's deputies will issue citations — not warnings — to drivers who violate railroad crossing rules during Indiana Rail Safety Week, according to 14news.com.

The change in enforcement posture applies throughout the annual safety campaign. Drivers stopped at grade crossings for gate violations, ignoring flashing signals, or stopping on tracks will receive tickets instead of the verbal or written warnings deputies have historically issued during similar initiatives.

What does the policy change mean for drivers?

The shift removes the discretion deputies had previously exercised during safety weeks. An officer who observes a driver going around lowered gates, ignoring active warning signals, or stopping across the tracks during the campaign can write a citation on the spot.

Indiana treats railroad grade-crossing violations as traffic offenses. Penalties are processed through the Vanderburgh County court system and typically include fines. Certain violations carry license points or court costs, depending on the specific charge.

Where will the stricter posture apply?

The ticketing approach applies in Vanderburgh County, a southwestern Indiana jurisdiction that includes Evansville. The county sits along a working freight-rail corridor. Indiana Rail Safety Week is an annual statewide observance coordinated among local law enforcement agencies, railroad police departments and state transportation authorities.

What is the campaign trying to change?

Indiana Rail Safety Week forms part of a broader effort to address driver behavior at public grade crossings. The state's crossing inventory runs into the thousands of locations, and incidents at those sites remain a leading source of highway-rail casualties nationally. Law-enforcement saturation efforts are intended to change driver compliance through visible enforcement presence rather than passive signage alone.

What is at stake for freight operators?

Collisions at grade crossings impose direct costs on railroads:

• Equipment damage to locomotives and rail cars
• Blocked mainlines and delayed shipments
• Infrastructure repair at damaged crossings
• Federal incident-reporting obligations

A single week of stricter enforcement will not eliminate those costs, but sustained ticketing campaigns aim to reduce the repeat-violation rate that drives them.

Forward outlook

The ticketing posture remains in effect through the conclusion of Indiana Rail Safety Week. Whether the participating jurisdictions, including Vanderburgh County, extend the stricter model into routine patrol cycles afterward will shape whether this year's campaign produces a durable change in driver behavior at the county's crossings.