Public-rail safety programme OPERATION LIFESAVER Canada has released three public service announcements (PSAs) to warn about the dangers of trespassing on railway properties in the country.
The programme is sponsored by both Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada.
The PSAs primarily focus on people engaging in all-too-common behaviours such as wearing headphones or taking pictures with their mobile devices while walking along railway tracks.
These announcements highlight the tragic results of forgetting about rail safety.
OL Canada interim national director Sarah Mayes said: “People assume they’ll be able to hear a train coming, or that a train can stop to avoid hitting them.
“Often that’s not the case, and last year we saw more and more Canadians tragically paying the price for those assumptions, losing their limbs or their lives.”
The programme is urging Canadians to join its campaign to reduce trespassing-related rail incidents by sharing its videos and messages through social media.
It is also requesting people to engage in conversations about rail safety with friends, family and members of community.
Last year in 69 trespassing-related rail incidents in Canada, 46 people were killed and another 20 were seriously injured.
This represents a 38% increase in the number of incidents, in addition to a rise of 53% in trespassing-related fatalities over the previous year.
Operation Lifesaver educates Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway-railway crossings and trespassing on railway property.
