Last year, 1,200 Canadians were seriously injured or killed because they engaged in unsafe behaviour around tracks or trains. Whether these incidents happened as a result of trespassing or collisions at railway crossings, the tragic part is that almost every one of them could have been prevented.
For the past four decades, Operation Lifesaver has been working to prevent these tragedies from happening. We know that saving lives starts with education. That’s why we are constantly coming up with new campaigns and ways to reach Canadians with the railway safety message.
Educating Canadians of all ages about rail safety
Our
#STOPTrackTragedies campaign shares the tragic stories of people affected by railway crossing and trespassing incidents. The videos remind Canadians that making unsafe decisions around tracks and trains can tear lives apart.
OL’s
Look. Listen. Live. public-awareness campaign uses virtual reality (VR) technology to “scare viewers safe” by giving them the shocking experience of being hit by a train. And our
Train to Drive videos immerse them in a VR driving environment and asks them to make real-time decisions behind the wheel—testing whether they know how to safely approach railway crossings
To help teach younger Canadians about rail safety, our two
Thomas & FriendsTM rail safety books allow children to follow along with Thomas as he learns valuable rail safety lessons. And
Seriously. Read the Signs. takes a light-hearted approach to educating younger Canadians about rail safety. Its three animated videos drive home the point that while it might be easy to ignore signs—or to think that they don’t apply to you—not following them can have unintended consequences.
Spreading the rail safety message is a team effort
By creating safety-conscious attitudes toward railways, promoting safe driving skills, and encouraging Canadians of all ages to adhere to railway signs and warnings, we know that we are making a difference by saving lives.
But we are a small organization, and we can’t do it alone. We need all Canadians to work with us to help spread the rail safety message and to personally ensure they learn—and follow—the rail safety rules. Share our campaigns with the people in your life. It could make the difference between life and death for hundreds of Canadians each year.