ATVs and trains can be a deadly combination—When off-roading, keep off the tracks
Spring is finally here. That means Canadians across with country will be jumping on their all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and hitting the roads and trails. Off-road vehicles are a great way to explore Canada’s great outdoors, but they can also be dangerous if you don’t follow the rules. And an event in New Brunswick is driving that point home.
Operation Lifesaver’s (OL’s) Maritime Committee is partnering with New Brunswick’s Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) Program to host an ATV-train mock collision today in McAdam, N.B. The idea is to show local students and members of the media the deadly consequences of ATV riders trespassing on railway property.
“Some ATV riders think that if they ride beside the railway tracks there will be enough room for the train to go by, but this poses a real danger. Trains can overhang the tracks by as much as one meter on each side. And if a train comes they will not have time to move out of the way,” explains Lorrie Johnston of NBM Railways and Chair of OL’s Maritime Committee.“
Today’s mock collision will also mark the official launch of OL’s new
Look. Listen. Live. ATV-focused virtual reality (VR) video. The 360 video gives viewers an incredibly realistic—and shocking—experience of what being involved in an ATV-train collision would be like.
“Our message to ATVers is simple: go off road, but stay off railway tracks and property,” says Sarah Mayes, National Director of Operation Lifesaver Canada. “It’s both illegal and extremely dangerous to ride on or alongside railway tracks.”
It’s a simple message, but it could save a life. So, whether you are ATVing on farmland, in the backwoods or on designated trails, if you come across tracks, find another way around them.
To learn more about how to stay safe around railway tracks and trains check out
OL’s tip sheet for off-road vehicles operators. And watch our
new video to see for yourself why ATVs and trains can be a deadly combination.