Transportation officials and railroad companies are sounding a warning: active railroad tracks are a bad backdrop for prom pictures or selfies.
North Carolina's transportation and public school agencies this month are urging high school yearbook staff advisers to reject student photos taken on or near railroad tracks.
With the season for graduations and prom portraits under way, state officials emphasize that railroad selfies can be as dangerous as stopping for a snap in the middle of an interstate or airport runway.
North Carolina officials say 21 people were killed while trespassing on railroad tracks last year. The head of a railroad safety group says none were due to risky photography.
The railroad-backed nonprofit Operation Lifesaver says 511 people died while trespassing on U.S. railroad tracks, a 13 percent increase.