Zero is a good thing when it comes to rail incidents

The October statistics for railway crossing and trespassing incidents are in—and there’s some positive news. (And we could all use a little good news these days!) Not one person was killed or injured at railway crossings across the country last month. No one was seriously injured trespassing on tracks or railway equipment either.
 
The bad news: four people lost their lives trespassing.
 
At Operation Lifesaver, we know that we can prevent rail tragedies like these from happening—if Canadians follow these rail-safety rules:

• Stay off railway tracks, trestles, yards and equipment. They’re private property and trespassers can be fined. You could also be seriously injured or even killed.
• Only use designated railway crossings. Never take a shortcut across tracks. Saving time isn’t worth your life.  
• Never cross the tracks immediately after a train passes. Look for other oncoming trains before crossing tracks. Trains can come from either direction and on any track. Wait until you can see clearly in both directions before crossing.
• Be aware that trains do not follow set schedules. Trains travel up to 160 km/h and can come at any time, from either direction, on any track.
• Never assume a rail line is abandoned. You might never see a train on a particular section of rail, but that doesn’t mean it’s abandoned. Often, tracks can be deactivated and reactivated, so once-quiet tracks could feature a train at any time.
• Keep your distance. Trains overhang tracks by at least a metre on each side and can carry loads that extend even further. If you're next to the tracks, you can be hit by the train.
• Keep one ear out near railway crossings. If you’re wearing headphones on both ears, you won’t hear a train coming.

Come on Canada, help us stop tragic railway trespassing and crossing incidents from happening. Share these and OL’s other rail safety tips with the people you love, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram—it could save a life.