Rail Safety Week 2017: Innovation used to
raise public awareness in campaign to save lives
MONTREAL, April 24, 2017 /CNW/ - Fatalities along railway
tracks in Canada rose last year
with 65 people killed in 202 trespassing and crossing incidents. To
put a stop to these preventable tragedies and as part of its
year-round effort to save lives, CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) today
kicked off its renewed railway safety awareness campaign at the
beginning of Canada's Rail Safety
Week.
"Too many people die while trespassing on railway property
across Canada and those fatalities
are entirely preventable," said Stephen
Covey, chief of police and chief security officer at CN.
"These tragedies can be avoided by staying off railway tracks and
by simply obeying crossing signals."
In 2016, there were 69 trespasser incidents across Canada that resulted in 46 fatalities and 20
serious injuries. Level crossing accidents represented another
serious type of rail incident. There were 133 crossing accidents in
Canada in 2016, resulting in 19
fatalities and 24 serious injuries. A year earlier, 30 people were
killed while trespassing and 15 died in crossing accidents.
During Rail Safety Week, CN Police Service (CNPS) will be out in
communities across Canada raising
awareness of the potentially devastating consequences of
trespassing on railway tracks and disregarding railway safety signs
and devices at level crossings.
CN Police officers will have custom virtual reality viewers to
demonstrate 360° rail safety videos to the public. Visitors to CN's
Rail Safety Pledge website can view the videos on a desktop, laptop
or mobile device, and visitors with access to any Google Cardboard
viewer can experience this immersive virtual reality
environment.
CN is encouraging the public to take the Rail Safety Pledge
online which they can easily share with their Facebook friends and
Twitter followers.
The Rail Safety Pledge asks people to share rail safety tips in
their community, talk about rail safety at their local schools, or
report unsafe behaviour around trains or railway property.
"Rail safety is everyone's responsibility," said Covey. "By
looking out for each other and working together, we can help keep
our communities safe and prevent fatalities and injuries on or near
railway property. Together we can save lives and help bring
crossing and trespassing accidents down to zero."
Get rail safety tips, take the Rail Safety Pledge, and live the
360° rail safety experience on your computer or mobile device at:
www.mysafetypledge.com.
CN has been promoting railway safety for more than 25 years
through its All Aboard for Safety community education
program. Every year, CN employees make hundreds of All Aboard
for Safety presentations and talk to more than 300,000 children
and adults at schools and community events in Canada and the
United States about the importance of safety and the dangers
of walking or playing on or near railway tracks. For more
information about CN's Rail Safety Week initiatives in your area,
click here.
About CNPS
Every year, CN Police Service responds to
hundreds of events along CN's network across eight Canadian
provinces and 16 U.S. states. In addition to patrolling CN
property, CNPS officers deliver rail safety presentations to
schools, trucking agencies, bus operators and community
organizations. By rolling out strategic educational initiatives and
conducting targeted operations, CNPS aims to promote safe
behaviours and increase awareness of rail safety. CNPS is committed
to making CN the safest railroad in North
America.
SOURCE CN