California agencies kick off rail safety month

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Metrolink, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Operation Lifesaver Inc., launched a combined safety campaign September 4 of "See Tracks? Think Train!" to honor Rail Safety Awareness month in California.

 

“If a car can’t stop on a dime then a train definitely can’t,” Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “Every year, thousands of people’s lives are destroyed by what has become a nonchalant attitude around train tracks. People carelessly walk or drive across tracks without fully comprehending the speed and power of an oncoming train. Tragically, these unfortunate individuals pay consequences that cannot be taken back. See tracks, think train is a simple message, but one that will save lives.”

In addition to passenger rail, the region has thousands of freight trains that cross before pedestrians and drivers in Southern California.

Mark Kalina, a “See Tracks? Think Train!” spokesperson and an Operation Lifesaver volunteer, shared his story about the night his life changed due to a shortcut across train tracks. In the fall of 2012, the then-college senior had both legs severed when he was caught underneath a moving train.

Though losing his legs was tragic, Kalina considers himself fortunate to be alive. According to Federal Rail Administration statistics, 476 pedestrian rail trespass fatalities occurred in 2013 nationally. California had the highest number (76) of trespass deaths of any state, nearly three times as any other.

In addition to the number of pedestrian trespassers, there were 2,087 highway-rail grade crossing collisions in 2013. Of those collisions, 146 occurred in California, claiming 43 additional lives.

The California Office of Traffic Safety has worked collaboratively with Metrolink and other rail partners in the campaign to save lives at highway-rail grade crossings.

Rail safety is a year-round campaign involving many organizations and individuals. The rail safety partners continue to raise public awareness to improve driver and pedestrian behavior around railroad tracks. The safety campaign includes new public service announcements regarding motorist, bicyclist and pedestrian safety, along with awareness information provided to professional drivers, tow operators, public transportation passengers and school children.

Caltrain also kicked off Rail Safety Awareness Month. The passenger railroad will highlight its continuing efforts to address death by a suicide, a complex community health issue. Nearly 40,000 suicides were reported throughout the United States in 2011, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans.

For the past 20 years there has been an average of 13 deaths a year on the Caltrain right-of-way; the majority of these were caused by suicide. Although suicides on the Caltrain right-of-way make up only three percent of suicides in the Peninsula region, they are the focus of public attention because they impact so many people.

Caltrain is committed to working with community partners to prevent suicide and lift the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

To provide another resource to the community, Caltrain will introduce a new page on its website dedicated to suicide-prevention. The page, which will launch at the end of September, will feature a crisis hotline number and highlight local resources for people. Caltrain’s website received 779,678 visits in August alone and a total of 7,055,945 in 2013.

 

 

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