Every year, dozens of Canadians are killed or seriously injured in collisions at railway crossings. In 2019, there were 174 such incidents in Canada, killing 28 people and seriously injuring another 29. According to Operation Lifesaver Canada, virtually all these tragedies are preventable.
The City of North Bay, in partnership with the Ottawa Valley Railway, has unveiled a "Look. Listen. Live" decal at the Memorial Drive train crossing.
The "Look. Listen. Live" program is one of many initiatives by Operation Lifesaver (OL) designed to promote community safety awareness for pedestrians and cyclists at railway crossings. North Bay has joined 28 other communities across Canada in taking part and OL has installed 120 rail-safety decals in those 29 communities by working with municipalities to identify locations where the bright yellow and black rail-safety decals can be installed near railway crossings. Each decal features a black silhouette of a train, as well as the words “Look. Listen. Live.” — OL’s important rail-safety message.
"Incidents at railway crossings are tragically common across this country, and each one affects the victim’s family and friends, as well as railway employees, first responders and broader communities,” says Sarah Mayes, National Director of Operation Lifesaver Canada.
OL says the goal of the decals is simple — to prevent tragic crossing incidents by making pedestrians, cyclists and drivers more aware of the need to be extra vigilant around railway crossings.
Mayes adds, "This program aims to make the public more aware of the hazards around rail crossings, which will hopefully save lives. We want people to slow down, look in both directions, listen for approaching trains, and obey all railway warning signs and signals."
Vancouver and London, Ont., became the first Canadian cities to sign onto the Community Safety Partnership Program in 2018 and were swiftly followed by seven more municipalities in 2019. Two dozen additional municipalities ― from Chilliwack to Fredericton Junction and Saskatoon to Kingston ― have now joined the program by installing decals in their communities.
“Rail safety is a shared responsibility, and we’re pleased that so many communities have recognized that and chosen to join forces with us through the Community Safety Partnership Program,” says Mayes. “We hope to build on the program’s momentum, and work with even more municipalities to spread the rail-safety message and save lives.”
Municipalities can obtain more information about the Community Safety Partnership Program, here. OL also recently unveiled a free toolkit for communities to use in promoting rail safety to their residents, available here.
