The statement “U.S. trains fatally strike more than 800 people annually, an average of about 2.5 daily. About 500 are suspected suicides.” is incorrect. FRA-regulated trains fatally strike about 1,100 people annually, although I don’t blame the author or the AP, because FRA intentionally publishes undercounted death totals. FRA’s “Total Fatalities” DOES NOT INCLUDE confirmed suicides, which total about 300 per year. The 300 suicide fatalities MAY be closer to 500 (who knows?) because of a variety of factors, which tend to categorize deaths as accidental, which count into the total, instead of suicide deaths, which don’t count. If interested about this undercount, please email topelkurt@gmail.com.
The statement “U.S. trains fatally strike more than 800 people annually, an average of about 2.5 daily. About 500 are suspected suicides.” is incorrect. FRA-regulated trains fatally strike about 1,100 people annually, although I don’t blame the author or the AP, because FRA intentionally publishes undercounted death totals. FRA’s “Total Fatalities” DOES NOT INCLUDE confirmed suicides, which total about 300 per year. The 300 suicide fatalities MAY be closer to 500 (who knows?) because of a variety of factors, which tend to categorize deaths as accidental, which count into the total, instead of suicide deaths, which don’t count. If interested about this undercount, please email topelkurt@gmail.com.