Bringing the “Look. Listen. Live” message to communities
When someone loses their life or is critically injured in a railway incident, it has a ripple effect. It not only affects the victims, but it often tears apart the lives of their families and friends. It can also have a lasting effect on railway employees, first responders, and broader communities. The “Look. Listen. Live.” Community Safety Partnership Program is one of the ways that Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada works to prevent tragic rail crossing incidents from happening in communities across the country.
This national initiative encourages municipalities to install “Look. Listen. Live.” decals on the sidewalks or pavement near railway crossings; the bright yellow and black decals act as a reminder to drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists that they need to be extra vigilant before crossing the tracks.
“Incidents at railway crossings are tragically common, but almost all of them are preventable,” says Sarah Mayes, National Director, Operation Lifesaver Canada. "The Community Safety Partnership Program aims to make the public more aware of the hazards at rail crossings, so that they obey all railway signs and signals, look in both directions, and listen for trains before crossing. We hope these simple actions will save lives.”
Sharing OL’s motto across the country
OL’s first rail safety decals were installed in Vancouver, B.C., back in 2018. Since then, 80 Canadian cities have joined the Community Safety Partnership Program. As part of this year’s Rail Safety Week (September 19th to 25th), OL is unveiling 89 new decals in 16 communities across the country.
Twelve of these communities are new to the program, and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for getting on board and helping us save lives. They are:
- Burnaby, B.C.
- Calgary, Alta.
- Grand Prairie, Alta.
- Stony Plain, Alta.
- Eston, Sask.
- Morden, Man.
- Winkler, Man.
- Toronto, Ont.
- Guelph, Ont.
- Jonquière, Que.
- Moncton, N.B.
- Stellarton, N.S.
Why not get your community involved? To find out more about the Community Safety Partnership Program check out OL’s website. Remember, we all have a part to play when it comes to promoting rail safety.