The familiarity of an area can also be an issue in many of the train incidents.
I had a friend who fortunately escaped serious injury when a train struck their car. Their house was along the bank of the Mississippi River with a common neighborhood access road that had to cross tracks to reach the highway. The driver was so accustomed to constantly crossing the tracks that it became commonplace and he got careless about it. Fortunately the train just clipped the car, but 6 feet more and he would have been gone.
I think we all fall victim to the familiar without noticing. I know that I pay more attention and am more cautious when driving or biking in an area that is new or unfamiliar. Add in stress, haste, distraction, etc. and it is a formula for disaster. Unfortunately, when the conflict is between a human and a train, the train almost always wins. Can they add more gates, more signs? Sure - but it is impossible to remove the human element. I have to constantly remind myself to drive or ride defensively.
As a side note - I recently read that pedestrian and bicycle deaths from auto accidents are up nationwide - forgot the exact figures and can't find the documentation now. The article did list distraction as a significant factor.
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