Trespassing incidents up in August 2018

The rail incident statistics for August are in—and once again, the news isn’t good.
 
In July 2018, the number of Canadians killed in railway crossing and trespassing incidents had decreased down by more than half compared to the year before. But a month later, the numbers were back up: in August, two people were seriously injured and four lost their lives after trespassing on railway tracks or property.
 
This is disappointing news, especially because these stats were released on the heels of one of most successful Rail Safety Weeks ever. From September 23 to 29, 2018, Operation Lifesaver (and Operation Lifesaver Inc., which operates in the United States) held events from coast to coast to coast in an attempt to increase awareness about the risks surrounding railway tracks and property.
 
As part of this year’s campaign, called #STOPTrackTragedies, we also launched seven new rail safety videos. Each video told the tragic and very personal story of someone affected by a railway crossing or trespassing incident—from the victims themselves to their friends and family members to locomotive engineers and first responders. Our hope is that these videos—which are still online—won’t just make people think, but will change how they behave around railways.
 
Rail Safety Week may be over, but the August statistics prove there’s still a lot of work to be done. Help us continue to spread the rail safety message year-round and #STOPTrackTragedies. Visit stoptracktragedies.ca and share the videos with your friends, family and community. You could save a life.