If I am certain I can make it, should I beat a train at a crossing?
In regular vehicle flow, when a person crosses in front of a car or a truck, the driver may perform a series of maneuvers (braking or changing route) to reduce the risk of running over the person. When it comes to trains, these maneuvers are practically impossible, since the train cannot get off the railway. The inertia the train brings disables any capacity to trigger or activate brakes in a quick enough manner.
In general, the time taken by a train to pass through a crossing is no more than a couple of minutes. Trying to beat a train at a crossing translates into an insignificant timesaver, in exchange for a huge risk.