Rail industry shares public safety message during 'Rail Safety Week'

Rail Safety Week begins today in North America. Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI), Operation Lifesaver Canada and the Mexican Association of Railroads are joining forces to use this week to highlight safety around railroad tracks and trains.

The annual week-long event concentrates public attention on the need for rail safety education and saves lives by educating and empowering the public to make safe decisions around tracks and trains.

Every year, 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured when they engage in unsafe behavior around tracks and trains. In the United States alone, a person or vehicle is hit by a train every three hours, OLI officials said in a press release.

OLI’s national office and state Operation Lifesaver programs across the United States will connect with their communities virtually and in person, sharing rail safety messages and urging the public to help #STOPTrackTragedies.

"Across the United States Operation Lifesaver state programs will share rail safety messages each day during Rail Safety Week underscoring our core mission — to save lives," said Rachel Maleh, executive director of OLI.

Today through Sept. 26, new video and audio public service announcements (PSAs) as well as social media campaigns are being released. An ongoing campaign called #STOPTrackTragedies features videos with the personal stories of people directly affected by rail crossing or trespassing incidents — including victims, friends and family members, locomotive engineers, and first responders. The full campaign can be viewed at oli.org/stop-track-tragedies or stoptracktragedies.ca.

"Our goal during Rail Safety Week is to drive home the message that an unsafe decision made in a split second — whether it’s to go around a lowered gate at a rail crossing, or to trespass on the tracks — can have devastating consequences for you, your loved ones and members of your community," said Sarah Mayes, national director of Operation Lifesaver Canada. "Our wish ― especially given OL Canada’s 40th anniversary this year ― is to bring the number of rail crossing and trespassing-related deaths and injuries in Canada to zero."

For more information about the week's activities, click here.