Deputies in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, will issue traffic citations rather than warnings to drivers who violate railroad crossing rules during Indiana Rail Safety Week, WRDW reported.

The enforcement shift covers violations at the county's at-grade highway-rail crossings. Motorists who run activated signals, drive around lowered gates, fail to stop at stop signs, or stop on the tracks will receive tickets carrying fines and a permanent record on their driving history.

What changes for drivers?

The county's move ends the grace period drivers have come to expect at railroad crossings. Deputies have typically issued warnings during routine patrols, treating crossing violations as teachable moments. Under this week's enforcement, every violation produces a citation.

For drivers, the difference runs deeper than the fine. A citation creates a record that insurers, employers, and licensing authorities can review. A warning leaves no trace.

The shift from warning to ticket also signals a change in local priorities. Drivers who cross the tracks daily — commuters, commercial operators, school traffic — will see deputies staffed at crossings throughout the week.

Why shift from warnings to tickets?

Most grade-crossing collisions result from driver behavior rather than infrastructure or equipment failure. Drivers who race across tracks to beat approaching trains, who drive around lowered gates, or who stop on tracks during congestion account for the bulk of incidents reported to federal regulators.

Citation-based enforcement creates an immediate financial cost and a permanent record that verbal warnings cannot match. The fine varies by jurisdiction and violation, but the record remains long after the citation is paid.

Local enforcement priorities typically follow federal incident trends, with small-county and rural crossings producing a disproportionate share of fatalities. Citation weeks aim to interrupt that pattern.

What is Indiana Rail Safety Week?

Indiana Rail Safety Week is a recurring campaign run in coordination with railroad operators, state transportation officials, and rail-safety advocacy organizations. The campaign typically pairs public outreach through schools, media, and operators with targeted enforcement at known incident locations.

Vanderburgh County's decision to ticket rather than warn places this year's local enforcement on the stricter end of what counties typically deploy during the week. Other Indiana counties and other states have used similar citation-only approaches during their annual rail safety weeks, with enforcement details and fine schedules varying by jurisdiction.

What should drivers expect this week?

The WRDW report does not specify which crossings deputies will monitor, the hours of enforcement, or the fine schedule. Drivers in the county should expect deputies at multiple crossings throughout the week and should treat every signal, gate, and stop sign at a grade crossing as enforceable.

The annual timing, paired with the shift to citation-only enforcement, is intended to change driver habits at the most dangerous intersections of road and rail. The effectiveness of citation-only weeks in past campaigns has varied by county, with collision rates at affected crossings typically falling during enforcement windows before returning to baseline.

Drivers who cross the tracks daily face the greatest exposure, particularly those who run yellow warning lights as part of routine commuting habits. The county has not indicated whether additional signage or pre-enforcement warnings will be posted at affected crossings.

What comes after the enforcement window?

The enforcement window runs during Rail Safety Week. After the week closes, deputies are expected to return to standard patrol practices. Whether the citation-only approach extends beyond the campaign will depend on collision data and any follow-up direction from county leadership.