With trespassing remaining the leading cause of rail-related fatalities in Canada, is marking Rail Safety Week through May 4, 2014, with a public awareness campaign stressing the deadly risks of trespassing on railway tracks and property. CN Police are urging the public to call CN Police at 1-800-465-9239 to report unsafe behaviour on railway property.
In 2013, in Canada, there were 58 trespasser accidents that resulted in 44 fatalities and 10 serious injuries. The proportion of trespasser accidents that were fatal (76 per cent) was up compared to the five-year average of 66 per cent.
“We will not tolerate that individuals put their lives and those of others at risk”, says CN Police Chief Stephen Covey. “Too many people die from injuries sustained while trespassing on railway property in Canada and those fatalities are avoidable. The railway is not a safe place for children to play and it is not safe for adults to take short cuts across it. It is important to remember that when you see tracks, think trains!”
Crossing accidents represented another serious type of rail incidents in 2013, with 20 per cent of these accidents resulting in either serious or fatal injuries. There were 188 crossing accidents in Canada in 2013, consistent with the average of the past five years. These tragedies can be prevented simply by obeying the crossing protection that is in place. Trains cannot stop quickly and they cannot swerve to avoid a collision.
CN Police will be out in full force during Rail Safety Week, conducting safety initiatives at commuter stations, CN intermodal terminals and railway crossings in Canada and the United States. CN will visit commuter stations to target a larger audience of rail users, particularly parents who will be urged to pass on safety information to their children.
