Deputies in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, will issue tickets rather than warnings to drivers who violate railroad crossing rules during Indiana Rail Safety Week, according to WBRC.

The enforcement shift means motorists who ignore crossing signals, drive around lowered gates, or attempt to beat oncoming trains in the county will face citations carrying fines rather than the cautionary approach officers often apply outside targeted campaigns. The sheriff's office is applying the stricter posture for the duration of the statewide safety week.

Indiana Rail Safety Week is an annual statewide initiative that draws attention to collisions between vehicles and trains at grade crossings. During such campaigns, law enforcement agencies across Indiana typically station officers near crossings with a record of violations or collisions, working in coordination with rail operators and state regulators.

Collisions at grade crossings remain one of the most persistent safety problems on the US rail network, and enforcement blitzes of this kind are a standard tool regulators and local agencies use to change driver behavior at signed and gated crossings.

For Vanderburgh County, home to Evansville, the move from warnings to citations marks a harder line on crossing violations. Whether the campaign produces a measurable drop in violations or collisions will depend on follow-up enforcement once the safety week concludes.