The Colorado Department of Transportation is urging citizens to be cautious near trains as part of Rail Safety Week that began Monday.

There were 28 vehicle-train crashes in Colorado in 2019, resulting in four deaths and seven injuries, according to CDOT.

Since 2010, there have been more than 265 train crashes at railroad crossings throughout the state.

RTD operator John Sartin said he encounters two to three near-misses in an average eight-hour shift, where the train nearly strikes a pedestrian trying to cross tracks.

“It happens then and there, but it’s not over with then and there,” Sartin said in a Colorado RTD Rail Safety Week video. “That’s a situation that can and will go with you until the end of your life.”

Rail Safety Week aims to raise awareness of the need for rail safety education and encourage the public to be safe near highway-rail grade crossings and railroad rights-of-way.

Fully loaded trains can take up to one mile to stop on the tracks, causing most pedestrian contacts with trains to be fatal, said RTD chief safety and security officer Mike Meader.

“Near-misses can have a pretty big effect on people,” Meader said in the video. “Many of the operators don’t return to work even after a near-miss.”

In North America, 2,100 people are killed or seriously injured around tracks and trains each year.

In 2018, 270 people were killed at railroad crossings nationally — a 10-year high, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

Of the 270 deaths, 99 were from going around or under lowered crossing gate arms.

“In Colorado, and nationwide, safety at railroad grade crossings is a critical issue that we must address through improvements in signals and by reinforcing the need for all travelers to be extremely careful at these intersections,” Sam Cole, traffic safety communications manager at CDOT, said in a statement.

Rail Safety Week concludes Sunday.

As part of Rail Safety Week, CDOT urges drivers to follow these tips:

• Slow down, look and listen at railroad crossings
• Remember that trains can travel from either direction at any time
• Never race a train. It’s easy to misjudge a train’s speed and distance
• Check that there’s enough room for your vehicle to cross completely before entering a railroad crossing
• Never stop on railroad tracks
• If your vehicle stalls on a railroad track, quickly move away from the track and your vehicle at a 45-degree angle. Call the phone number on the Emergency Notification System sign or, if the sign is not visible, dial 911 for help.