Don’t let your prom picture be your last picture

Prom season is here—a high school highlight for many students. There’s the excitement of finding a date and choosing the right outfit. And then there’s the all-important prom photo.

Unfortunately, some young people seem to think train tracks are the perfect location to capture the memory of their big night. Sites like Pinterest are full of photos of well-dressed couples walking along, sitting on and kissing on railway tracks.

“This troubling photography fad has become all too common and has led to too many avoidable tragedies. Using train tracks and trestles as locations for selfies, videos and portraits of high school seniors, wedding parties or families is illegal—and potentially fatal,” says Steve Covey, chief security officer and chief of police at CN. “There is no safe way to take pictures on a railway track.”

Operation Lifesaver is asking photographers, school administrators and parents to help educate students about the potential dangers of taking photos on tracks.

“You wouldn’t take a prom or grad photo in the middle of a highway, so why would you think of taking it on a railway track?” asks Sarah Mayes, National Director of Operation Lifesaver Canada. “Our message is simple: You’re risking your life by trespassing on railway tracks to take a picture. Find another backdrop.”

People often expect a train to be loud, but today’s locomotives can be remarkably quiet. That means you won’t always hear a train approaching or have time to get out of its way.

So, whether it’s a prom, graduation or other special occasion, don’t use train tracks as the backdrop for your special photos. Find a safe place—and live to take another picture.