NCDOT Secretary Tata pledges commitment to rail safety

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Secretary Tony Tata visited the BeRailSafe booth at the North Carolina State Fair to sign a pledge stating his commitment to rail safety.

The pledge encourages people not to walk on or along railroad tracks and if they must cross, to do so at a public crossing and look both ways to be sure a train is not coming.

“We want all North Carolinians to be safe around railroad tracks and I welcome everyone to join me in signing this pledge and doing their part to keep themselves and their communities safe. Even one death on North Carolina’s railroads is one too many,” said Tata.

Fairgoers are invited to stop by and sign the pledge, which is displayed at the BeRailSafe booth at Safety City, located behind Dorton Arena. Safety City is sponsored by NCDOT’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

In North Carolina, walking on or along railroad tracks without the consent of the railroad company is illegal and a Class 3 misdemeanor. It can also be deadly; each year, an average of 32 people are killed or injured walking on railroad tracks across the state.

BeRailSafe is NCDOT’s statewide rail safety program that provides information and programming to adults and kids alike about the importance of staying safe around railroad tracks. BeRailSafe also trains first responders across the state in how to deal with emergencies that arise around railroad tracks.

 

 

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