Operation Lifesaver
The accident situation resulting from unsafe behavior by the general public around railroad operations has received national attention for many years. The Operation Lifesaver Program was established in 1972 to provide a widespread and consistent method of eliminating such accidents by focusing public attention on the need to obey safe procedures when around railroad property as well as the need to stay away from railroads, except when unavoidable. In addition, the spotlight has been placed on grade crossings which were abnormally hazardous, with elimination or, at least, improved protection to be sought by all possible means. A media campaign has spread the safety message to all parts of the country, and this continues even as the accidents continue despite these substantial efforts.
A recognition program was held in Washington, D.C. on May 12, an annual event intended to underscore the goals of Operation Lifesaver as well as gain additional media attention. This event, the “9th Annual Operation Lifesaver”, brought together government, railroad and trucking industry representatives to honor the efforts of the campaign as well as to give special awards to individuals of special note. Guilford Rail was represented by Director - Safety and Training Bob DeGroot and Police Captain Fred Fraini. The theme of this “Awareness Day” was “Countdown To Zero”, a reference to the permanent objective of eliminating all accidents involving the railroads and the public.
There were several talks by Operation Lifesaver officials, including President Gerri Hall. Awards included the Congressional Appreciation Award to Senator Trent Lott for his efforts to have a U. S. Postal Service stamp commemorating the Operation Lifesaver effort, as well as his involvement in his home state of Mississippi to educate the public on rail safety issues. The stamp will, through its sales, raise revenue to help finance the Operation Lifesaver campaign.
The Countdown To Zero campaign is worth noting. The effort is being directed at eliminating ALL accidents involving trespassers or motor vehicles. There are several aspects to the program for each “target”. The trespasser program will involve both education of the public and police enforcement. The education effort involves presentations at local schools as well as media publicity. This is largely a continuing effort in order to bring the message to all parts of the population. The enforcement effort is geared to involving local police departments in issuing citations in accordance with the governing laws. The railroad police officials have become highly interactive with community police, both to advise the details of existing statutes and to encourage participation. This effort is seen as being a significant factor in the recent change in Maine law prohibiting trespassing on railroad property, wherein the penalties have been substantially increased and which should act as a more effective deterrent.
The grade crossing accident has been an even greater problem for the railroad industry, and Operation Lifesaver has been extremely active in bringing awareness to the public, and, in particular, in presenting programs in the schools. Guilford Rail has interacted with each community on its lines at some level in order to bring about greater awareness of the hazards involved in lack of respect for trains. This is an ongoing program, and will remain a major part of the “Countdown To Zero” campaign. As with the trespassing situation, law enforcement is being intensified with increased participation by local police departments. Recently, a one day course involving Guilford Rail police was presented to 110 Massachusetts state police recruits, and this course also included instruction on accident investigation. Another program, involving two days of instruction, was given to 25 police officers from local departments and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The joint effort approach has proven to be much more effective in reducing the desire of drivers to race the train.
The final arm of the three way approach to reduction of accidents with motor vehicles is the involvement of Operation Lifesaver in the grade crossings themselves. Elimination of grade crossings is the ultimate means of elimination of these accidents. Of course, the cost is very high, and the logistics of rerouting vehicular traffic can be extremely complex. Identification of the most hazardous crossings is necessary in order to assign priorities. Improvement of the protective devices, such as gates and signals, can reduce the hazard at a particular crossing. Reconstruction of highway approaches to improve visibility, both that of the motor vehicle driver and the locomotive engineer, can also improve a bad situation, and Operation Lifesaver staff people get involved in this aspect as well.
The Operation Lifesaver effort is valuable to the community and the railroad and will continue to receive priority attention from all participants.