May is International Bike Safety Month. When you teach your kids the rules of the road, be sure to include how to stay safe when they’re riding near or across train tracks. If you live near tracks that your kids might cross when playing or when going to school, show them where the designated crossing is and teach them how to cross safely.

 Here are some rail-safety tips you can share with your kids to help keep them safe:

•  Be alert. It can be difficult for anyone to judge the speed and distance of a train. It’s particularly hard for kids under the age of 10. Developmentally, they just aren’t aware enough. Remind your kids to always be alert near train tracks and to never cross when a train is coming no matter how safe it might seem.
• Walk across the tracks. Crossing rail tracks on a bike can be tricky, especially if the tracks cross the road at an angle. To cross safely, kids should dismount and walk their bikes across the tracks. They should steer across the tracks at a right angle to prevent the front wheel from getting caught in the tracks.
• Be extra careful when rails are wet. Wet rails can be just as slick as ice to a bicycle tire.
• Use only designated railroad crossings. It’s the only safe and legal place to cross the tracks.
• Remove earphones at all rail crossings. Music can prevent you from hearing an approaching train, a deadly mistake.
• Watch out for the second train. Don’t proceed after a train passes until you can see clearly in both directions.
• If you see a train coming, if there are flashing lights or if the gate is lowering, stop! Don’t proceed until the gates go completely up and the lights go off. It is illegal to go around lowered gates, whether on a bike, on foot or in a vehicle.
• You can find more rail safety tips in our Public-Rail Safety Guide (PDF) and Tips for Cyclists (PDF) sheet.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 Just telling your kids how to be safe around train tracks isn’t enough. You also need to model rail-safe behaviour. When you are bike riding with your kids near or across the tracks, make sure you follow these tips, too. They’re watching you. What you do matters as much as what you say. Make sure all of you come home safe.

Drivers who don’t obey the warning signs and signals at railway crossings (intentionally or because they are distracted) are the primary reason for railway crossing collisions. Regardless of whether it’s due to inattention or a flagrant disregard for safety, drivers who don’t take railway crossings seriously are risking lives. This video from Operation Lifesaver Inc. in the United States underscores the dangers of distracted driving.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The OL Public-Rail Safety Guide (PDF) offers these safety tips for drivers at railway crossings:

• Expect a train on any track at any time. Any time is train time—so be cautious any time of the day or night.
• Never get trapped on a highway-railway crossing. Wait on the approach until you are sure you can clear the crossing completely.
• Watch out for a second train. When the last car of a train passes the highway-railway crossing, do not proceed until you are sure that there is no train coming on another track, in the same or opposite direction.
• Never drive around the gates. If the gate is down, or in the process of being raised or lowered, do not cross the tracks.
• Never race a train to the crossing because even in a tie, you lose!

Operation Lifesaver also has special training available for newly licensed and professional drivers. Train to Drive 2.0 is an interactive training website that teaches drivers how to drive safely at railway crossings.

Railway crossing collisions have increased over the past two years. Each increase in the number isn’t just a statistic—it’s a real person who has died. Each one is one too many. Don’t be a statistic. Give railway crossings the attention they deserve and Look, Listen and Live!

Lego display at VIA Rail train station event in Halifax

From crossing blitzes and other events to heartfelt pleas from families who have had loved ones killed by trains, the media reported on a variety of stories throughout the week: 

• Harper government launches Rail Safety Week with new funding for railway crossing improvements , Transport Canada media release
• Safety on the Tracks, KFJC TV, Kamloops, British Columbia
• CN staying on track with rail safety: Recent fatalities have put focus on local tracks, Chilliwack Times, British Columbia
• Airdrie grandmother continues rail safety crusade, Airdrie Echo, Alberta
• Vigilance increased for Rail Safety Week, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Saskatchewan
• Railway accidents, fatalities increase in Sask, Regina Leader-Post, Saskatchewan
• Rail deaths on the rise in Canada, North Bay Nugget, Ontario
• Veteran railway cop sees the victims behind the stats (with video), Windsor Star, Ontario
• Public-Rail Safety Week underway across country, Sudbury Northern Life, Ontario
• Burlington council seeking action on train safety issue, The Hamilton Spectator, Ontario
• Rail Safety Week, Amherst Daily News, Nova Scotia
• Rail Safety Week underway: Special enforcement blitzes are being held at rail crossings in New Brunswick this week, News 91.9, Moncton, New Brunswick

 Check out this video of a mock collision that was staged in Saint John on May 1, 2013. Approximately 200 Saint John students attended.

We also asked our Twitter followers and partners to share their Public-Rail Safety Week messages using the hashtag #prsw2013. Check out what they had to say on Storify:

[View the story "Public-Rail Safety Week takes the twitterverse by storm!" on Storify]

We are pleased with the public engagement during this year’s Public-Rail Safety Week. Education is key to our mission to prevent railway-related injuries and deaths and we thank everyone who helped share the message!

This year’s PRSW theme is A Shared Responsibility, and Mr. Cormier has promoted the public’s awareness of rail safety through his work as an active member of the Nova Scotia Operation Lifesaver (NSOL) committee since 2008. On top of presenting to schools and community groups, he participates by conducting crossing blitzes and mock scenarios, engaging local media and serving as the committee’s secretary and treasurer.

“Mr. Cormier’s background, knowledge and experience make him a very deserving winner of this year’s Roger Cyr award,” said Mike Regimbal, national director of Operation Lifesaver. “He understands that all rail crossing and trespassing incidents are avoidable, and his record as a volunteer speaks volumes about his desire to educate people, prevent needless occurrences and save lives.”

Mr. Cormier’s value as a volunteer in Nova Scotia is backed by a long career in the rail sector, mainly as a locomotive engineer with CN Rail and as an active member on its safety committee.

Nova Scotia boasts one of the best rail safety records in the country. According to the Transportation Safety Board, the province was incident-free in the first quarter of 2013. Additionally, there was only one crossing accident in 2012 and there has not been a fatality or serious injury in the province since 2010.

While crossing and trespasser incidents either flat-lined or decreased across the Maritimes in 2012, the Canada-wide figures were less encouraging. Year-over-year, accidents increased by 10 per cent, fatalities by 11 per cent and serious injuries by 23 per cent from 2011.

There are some 37,000 public, private and pedestrian highway/railway crossings in Canada and most collisions occur within 40 km of the person’s home.

Named after the founder of Operation Lifesaver in Canada, the Roger Cyr Award for Public-Rail Safety began in 1981 and is a joint initiative of Operation Lifesaver, the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada. The award is open to all active Operation Lifesaver partners and volunteers who undertook efforts to improve railway safety and encouraged others to follow suit throughout 2012.

Operation Lifesaver spreads its motto of “Look, Listen and Live” through its many year-long initiatives that complement PRSW, including interactive kids websites, online new and professional driver education modules, and social media outreach on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, OL’s network of volunteers conducts more than 500 rail safety presentations and activities across Canada each year.

About Operation Lifesaver

Established in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national public-rail safety program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada. Through partnerships with provincial safety councils, police, railways, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to saving lives by educating Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway/railway crossings and trespassing on railway property. 

www.operationlifesaver.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/operationlifesaver
Twitter: @oplifesaver

For more information, please contact:

Alex Paterson
Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8111
alexp@railcan.ca

Mike Regimbal
National Director
Operation Lifesaver
613-564-8100
miker@railcan.ca

Paul Goyette
Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8097
paulg@railcan.ca

Train tracks aren’t a running path, they’re not meant for bikes and ATVs, and they’re no place for fishing or hunting. Their clear, direct routes might seem convenient, but there’s nothing convenient about losing a limb or a life.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Trains and tracks are a fascination for some people. It might be the romantic notion of train travel or just the sheer awesomeness of the machines themselves.

Rail fans like to get close to trains, but the best way to appreciate them is from a distance. Get too close and your hobby could become a heart-stopping experience.

Photographers using empty or seemingly abandoned tracks as a backdrop for a newly-married couple might find those are the last shots they ever take. There’s nothing romantic about a wedding day that ends in death.

You can learn more about rail safety all year round on the Operation Lifesaver website or check out these resources for everyone:

• Learn how to be rail safe in the Public-Rail Safety Guide
• Find rail-safety information on our General Rail Safety Resources page
• Check out the tips for outdoor enthusiasts on these PDFs for ATV operators, cyclists and  rail fans.

You can learn more about rail safety and PRSW events happening near you on the Public-Rail Safety Week page. Don’t forget to join the PRSW conversation on Facebook and Twitter (@oplifesaver), too—remember to tag your tweets with #prsw2013.

We all have a responsibility to promote rail safety and to set a good example for rail-safe behaviour. If others see you on the tracks, they might think it’s a good idea for them to be there too. But trains can appear at any time and more quickly and silently than you might imagine. Don’t take the risk.

It’s Public-Rail Safety Week and Operation Lifesaver volunteers and partners are out telling Canadians about the importance of rail safety. It’s everyone’s responsibility to prevent needless deaths and injuries due to train-related incidents, but teens and new drivers in particular need to understand this important message.

A shortcut to a short life

Train tracks might seem like a good place to hang out with friends or an easy shortcut to get somewhere else. They’re not. About 70 people die every year because they thought trespassing on rail property was a good idea. That’s 70 too many. Don’t be one of them. Teens like Andrew, Ty, and Nick all died because they were struck by trains while trespassing on rail property. Sean and his friends decided to hop a slow-moving train. His friends made it. Sean didn’t and lost an arm and a leg as a result. Watch his story below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

New drivers also need to be especially vigilant around train tracks. Know the rules and know the signs and you’ll know how to stay alive. Almost all collisions between cars and trains are due to driver error. Trains always win and it isn’t a game that you’re losing. It might be a limb or it might be your life.

Here are some resources that will help teens and new drivers learn rail-safe behaviour:

• Operation Lifesaver resources for teens
• Train to Drive 2.0, a computer-based training course for newly-licensed drivers
• Imagine, a video for new drivers:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This Public-Rail Safety Week, make sure the teens in your life get the message. Join the PRSW conversation on Facebook  and Twitter (@oplifesaver)—remember to tag your tweets with #prsw2013—and ask them to share how they plan to stay alert and stay alive.

Operation Lifesaver teaches kids about rail safety through school and youth group presentations, fun activities and rail safety contests. If you’re a parent, caregiver or teacher of children, you can help kids learn rail-safe behaviours too! 

• Teach children where and how to cross railway tracks safely. The safety rules for a railway crossing are similar to those for safely crossing the street. And children should never run across the tracks. Remember… a train cannot stop quickly or swerve to avoid hitting someone.
• Share the Operation Lifesaver activity books with the children in your life
• Explore the interactive Operation Lifesaver kids website with your kids

You can learn more about rail safety and view a calendar of PRSW events happening near you on the Public-Rail Safety Week page. Don’t forget to join the PRSW conversation on Facebook and Twitter (@oplifesaver) too—remember to tag your tweets with #prsw2013. We want to hear how you and your kids stay rail safe! 

Today, a look at how professional drivers can contribute to public-rail safety. This includes bus and truck drivers and emergency responders like paramedics, firefighters and police officers. 

If you’re a professional driver, your day involves staying on schedule. For emergency responders, seconds count. Bus drivers have passengers with places to go. Truck drivers have freight that needs to arrive on time. But taking chances at rail crossings can mean you never arrive at all. 

Operation Lifesaver Canada has a number of rail safety resources available for professional drivers, including:

• Rail safety learning materials for truck drivers – Instructor’s Guide, Student Notes, Safety Quiz (all PDFs)
• Rail safety learning materials for emergency responders – Instructor’s Guide, Student Notes, Safety Quiz (all PDFs)
• Rail safety learning materials for school bus drivers – Instructor’s Guide, Student Notes, Safety Quiz (all PDFs)
• Rail safety learning materials for motor coach and transit drivers – Instructor’s Guide, Student Notes, Safety Quiz (all PDFs)
• The newly redesigned Train to Drive website offers interactive computer-based training for newly licensed drivers, truck drivers, motor coach and transit drivers and school bus drivers.
•  Rail safety presentations for professional drivers

You have the power to make rail-safe decisions when you’re behind the wheel. Make rail safety a priority and you’ll make it to your destination alive.

Remember: railway incidents are preventable. During Public-Rail Safety Week, Operation Lifesaver and our partners will be sharing the rail safety message on social media and at Public-Rail Safety Week events across Canada. We’ll talk to a lot of people, but we can’t reach everyone. That’s where you come in.

Share this post with the professional drivers and emergency responders in your life. Join the PRSW conversation on Facebook and Twitter (@oplifesaver)—remember to tag your tweets with #prsw2013—and share how you stay rail safe! But most importantly, practice rail-safe behaviour every day. We don’t want the next rail-safety statistic to be you.

While we’re proud of these numbers, our mission won’t be complete until there are no Canadians killed or injured at highway-railway crossings or due to trespassing on railway property. But we can’t do it alone – we need your help.

Today marks the beginning of Public-Rail Safety Week 2013. As in previous years, all week we’ll be hitting the streets along with our partners to share our rail safety message with Canadians. This year’s message: rail safety is a shared responsibility. That’s right – ALL Canadians have a part to play in promoting rail safety and saving lives!

With this in mind, all week we’ll be highlighting what you can do to stay safe around trains and tracks. Watch for blog posts every day, as well as daily posts on the Operation Lifesaver Canada Facebook page, and tweets using the hashtag #prsw2013 on Twitter. In addition, we’ll be holding a number of rail-safety events (PDF) across Canada, including school presentations, public awareness campaigns, traffic enforcement blitzes, and crossing and trespassing blitzes. Visit the Public-Rail Safety Week 2013 page to find tons of rail safety information and the calendar for the week’s rail safety events.

Do your part to promote rail safety: attend a Public-Rail Safety event (PDF), read and share the Public-Rail Safety Guide (PDF), and take the Operation Lifesaver rail safety quiz to see how much you know.

And help us spread the rail safety word! Chat with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@oplifesaver). Set your searches for #prsw2013 and tell us what you do to be rail safe!

PRSW 2013 runs from April 29 to May 5 under the theme of A Shared Responsibility, emphasizing that Canadians play an important role in rail safety. During PRSW, OL partners and volunteers promote the importance of rail safety by engaging in dozens of community-level events and local activities including school presentations, crossing blitzes and mock collisions.

“With crossing and trespassing incidents up in Canada last year, the need to raise awareness around the issue has never been greater,” said Mike Regimbal, national director of Operation Lifesaver.

“This year’s theme, ‘A shared responsibility,’ means that preventing needless occurrences is a joint effort. Public-Rail Safety Week is the biggest of the many initiatives put forth by the rail industry throughout the year to promote rail safety and if the public learns about best practices, there’s no reason why we can’t avoid these incidents.”

According to polling conducted by Leger Marketing for the Railway Association of Canada in March 2012, the vast majority (83 per cent) of Canadians perceive railway transportation, including freight and passenger transportation, as the safest means of transportation and best for society overall compared to trucks, buses and cars.

While these positive results reflect the rail sector’s enviable safety record, crossing and trespassing incidents across the country are on the rise. In 2012, there were 261 railway crossing and trespasser accidents in Canada, including 78 fatalities and 53 serious injuries. Year-over-year, accidents increased by 10 per cent, fatalities by 11 per cent and serious injuries by 23 per cent. Moreover, the rates of fatalities and serious injuries were both higher than the five-year average from 2007 to 2011.

Western Canada, particularly the Prairie Provinces, remains a cause for concern. Fatalities in the Prairies more than tripled from 2011; crossing and trespassing accidents jumped by 90 and 200 per cent respectively and serious injuries also spiked. Conversely, incidents in British Columbia declined or held steady across nearly all categories.

Rail statistics are compiled monthly by the Transportation Safety Board.

In Ontario, there was very little change in accidents, fatalities and serious injuries, year-over-year. Quebec and the Maritimes had the best record, as all types of incidents either declined or remained unchanged in 2012.

There are some 37,000 public, private and pedestrian highway/railway crossings in Canada and most collisions occur within 40 km of the person’s home.

Operation Lifesaver spreads its motto of “Look, Listen and Live” through its many year-long initiatives that complement PRSW, including interactive kids websites, online new and professional driver education modules, and social media outreach on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, OL’s network of volunteers conducts more than 500 rail safety presentations and activities across Canada each year.

About Operation Lifesaver

Established in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national public-rail safety program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada. Through partnerships with provincial safety councils, police, railways, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to saving lives by educating Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway/railway crossings and trespassing on railway property.

www.operationlifesaver.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/operationlifesaver
Twitter: @oplifesaver

For more information, please contact:

Alex Paterson
Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8111
alexp@railcan.ca

Mike Regimbal
National Director
Operation Lifesaver
613-564-8100
miker@railcan.ca

Paul Goyette
Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8097
paulg@railcan.ca