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The most pedestrian/train fatalities occur in California, and during the past 12 months, fatal train incidents increased in the San Francisco Bay Area. So, Amtrak, Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI), and several transportation agencies and freight railroads are launching “Common Sense,” a rail safety campaign in California that targets 18- to 34-year-olds — the age group that accounts for more than one-third of all rail-related pedestrian casualties.

Featuring an interactive Web site (www.CommonSenseUseIt.com), Internet ads and public-service announcements, the campaign aims to prevent trespassing. The campaign is sponsored by Amtrak and OLI, and supported by the California Department of Transportation, Caltrain, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad.

After California registered 60 train/pedestrian fatalities and 48 rail incident-related injuries in 2008, 56 train/pedestrian fatalities occurred in the state during 2009’s first 11 months, according to preliminary Federal Railroad Administration data.
 
“Our goal for this campaign is to save lives by letting people know that walking or playing around train tracks or using railroad tracks as a shortcut is potentially deadly and always illegal,” said OLI President Helen Sramek in a prepared statement.