RAILROAD HYRAIL VEHICLE EQUIPPED, AFTER MARKET, WITH HYRAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLIES WHICH ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE ON RAILROAD TRACKS. ONCE HYRAIL (FLANGED) WHEELS ARE RETRACTED, THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED OVER THE HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC ROADS LIKE ANY OTHER VEHICLE. ON 7/23/2010, AT 20TH ST. AND US 34 IN WARREN COUNTY, IL., RAILROAD EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A HYRAIL-EQUIPPED VEHICLE ON PUBLIC ROADWAY WHEN IT WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN. STRIKING VEHICLE WAS TOWING A TRAILER AND BOTH VEHICLES LEFT THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A FENCE. AIRBAGS IN THE HYRAIL-EQUIPPED VEHICLE DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS MADE. CONCERN IS THAT THE INSTALLATION OF HYRAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLIES MIGHT BE IMPACTING THE AIRBAG SENSOR. THE HYRAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLIES EXTEND APPROX. ONE FOOT OF STEEL FRAMEWORK AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS. THE PLACEMENT OF THESE ASSEMBLIES MIGHT INADVERTENTLY BE AFFECTING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IN CRASHES ON THE RAILROAD TRACK AND ON PUBLIC ROADS. *TR