Cycling in Waterloo Region

[Viewfromthe42]

What do we call it when a car gets hit by a train?

I would defer to you on the matter of railway systems, but my perception of railways is that it really is the responsibility of everyone else to respect the rails. If you are a pedestrian walking on a railway, or a person biking around a crossing that is down, or a person driving onto tracks you can't get clear of, it's a tragic situation, but I tend to view it as your fault. There are likely some scant exceptions (wasn't it a train somewhere in the States that derailed in the last year because it was going too fast? Can't recall whether the derailed area was improperly signed for speed, or if the conductor of the train didn't follow things). While responsibility generally flows to the larger party in any collision, trains seem to be an exception, probably due to their size, their velocity (in)abilities, and their incredibly predictable and well-communicated movements.