The rail community comes together for the 7th Annual International Level Crossing Awareness Day

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) joined the international rail transportation community to raise awareness among cyclists and pedestrians about the dangers of railroad grade crossings during the 7th Annual International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) June 3. Major U.S. freight railroads hosted ILCAD events across the U.S. with an additional 43 countries and numerous international railroad organizations and companies doing the same worldwide with a focus on the common message: "Take your time, don't risk your life!"

 

“Safety is the freight railroad industry’s highest priority and that includes ensuring the public knows about the dangers associated with grade crossings,” said AAR President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Hamberger. “Although the grade-crossing collision rate has fallen 35 percent since 2000, that is not low enough and much more public awareness and education needs to be done. Programs like International Level Crossing Awareness Day bring the industry closer to the goal of zero grade crossing fatalities.”

U.S. freight railroads joined public safety organizations in more than 20 states to bring attention to grade-crossing safety and awareness through events and promotions that included: “Officer on a Train,” where law enforcement officers rode trains and observed risky driver behavior at crossings; participated in community education programs and distributed literature about railroad crossing safety targeting truck drivers.

Turkish Railways also hosted an international delegation of rail and road stakeholders and behavioral experts at a conference in Istanbul. An exhibition of posters produced from a worldwide contest for children and the “ILCAD 2015” was used to remind pedestrians, cyclists and other road users of the importance of grade-crossing safety.

The ILCAD campaign was established in 2009 by the international railroad community in conjunction with various highway organizations, the European Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to raise awareness among road users and pedestrians of the risks at grade crossings. To date, more than 40 countries around the world have participated in ILCAD.

 

 

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