Beating the Train

The other day I was sitting at a red light enjoying the music on the radio. I was relaxing on my day off with the kiddo with a sitter. When all of a sudden, the railroad crossing lights and bars start going. There is no train in sight but a worker truck comes barrelling down the tracks. The lights stop flashing and the bars are rising so the truck stops short of the roadway. The next thing I know, the lights are flashing again and the bars begin to lower. The following actions are what caught my attention. The worker truck started toward the roadway and FIVE vehicles proceed to speed up to beat the lowering bars. Not just one car...I counted five.
So my mental question was how often do I attempt to beat the lowering bars and warning lights in my life.