Published: July 01, 2009 09:46 pm         

Safety campaign targets railroad tracks

Reducing the number of pedestrians in Indiana who are killed and injured around railroad tracks and trains is the goal of a new safety campaign by the nonprofit group Operation Lifesaver.

The campaign is especially aimed at 18- to 34-year-olds, who make up the largest percentage of these casualties, and Operation Lifesaver is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation and major railroad companies in this effort.

On June 23 in Vigo County, a 21-year-old Terre Haute man and his 3-year-old son were injured while on a railroad trestle across Otter Creek near North Fruitridge and Tuttle Avenue. Both were hospitalized after the father was struck by the train and both fell into the creek below. The father remains at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

The Common Sense campaign is designed to educate the public about the risks of trespassing on railroad property. The campaign includes an interactive Web site, Internet ads, videos, and local events. It will be test-marketed in areas where pedestrian rail trespass incidents frequently occur, including targeted local markets. The Internet ads, videos, safety tips, and other information are online at www.CommonSenseUseIt.com.

“Many Hoosiers have no idea that walking or playing around train tracks, fishing from a railroad bridge, or riding their all-terrain vehicle on the tracks is potentially deadly, and always illegal,” said Jessica Feder, executive director of Indiana Operation Lifesaver.

Injuries and fatalities associated with trespassing on railroad property are a significant and growing problem. According to Federal Railroad Administration statistics, the casualty rate for all rail trespassers rose in 2008. More than 870 Americans died or were injured in railroad-related trespassing incidents in 2008, and the numbers have topped 9,000 in the last 10 years.

In Indiana, there were seven pedestrian rail trespass deaths in 2008, versus 14 in 2007. An additional 11 people in the state were injured last year, compared with 13 in 2007. In the past three years, Indiana has experienced a total of 32 trespassing deaths and 39 injuries.

Feder said Operation Lifesaver is working with the railroad industry and the Federal Railroad Administration to underscore the importance of avoiding train tracks, except at designated crossing areas.