VIDEO: All Aboard! A Front-Seat Look at Train Safety

With a recent spike in , train officials are spearheading a new emphasis on rider safety.

Through a partnership between Operation Lifesaver Illinois and Union Pacific, about 70 local leaders were invited to ride the train to Kenosha, Wisc. and back on Tuesday.

With boxed lunches, Union Pacific tote bags and a thick packet of information, riders learned about the realities of railroad accidents.

Check out the video for a view from the perch of the locomotive engineer operating the train engines, and peruse the statistics and tips below to educate yourself. As Chip Pew, the state coordinator for Illinois' Operation Lifesaver, said, "There are no second chances. It can happen to you, not just to someone else."

• Nationally, about every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train.
• Trespassing is the leading cause of death associated with railroads in the state.
• There were 250 deaths and 409 incidents statewide in five years (2006-2010).
• Union Pacific railroad line ranked highest in the state for number of incidents and deaths.
• Trespassing increases throughout the spring, peaks in late summer and then drops off during the fall and winter months.
• The most prevalent times for accidents state-wide are at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
• Men between the ages of 20 to 29 are most likely to trespass in Illinois, according to the 2006-2010 data.
• Across the age spectrum, men trespass at least twice as many times as women.
• 68 percent of public crossing collisions in northeastern Illinois occur in Cook County.