Michigan Operation Lifesaver Puts Focus on Saving Lives for Rail Safety Week

Saving lives by alerting pedestrians and drivers to the dangers of being inattentive at highway-rail grade crossings and along train tracks is the focus of a campaign by the rail safety education nonprofit Michigan Operation Lifesaver during the national Rail Safety Week, Sept. 24-29.

"While the number of highway-rail crossing crashes, deaths, and injuries have dropped over the past five decades, it's still a startling fact that about every three hours in the U.S. a person or vehicle is hit by a train," said Sam Crowl, Michigan OLI state coordinator.    

Public service announcements, billboard campaigns, and other activities are planned across the state. The U.S. RSW is supported by the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan OLI, Michigan Railroads Association, Amtrak, the Association of American Railroads, freight railroads, and other safety partners.

Preliminary FRA data for Michigan show that in 2017 54 crashes occurred at highway-rail grade crossings resulting in five deaths and 18 injuries. In addition, 16 pedestrians or trespassers were injured or killed while walking on or near railroad tracks in Michigan last year. All railroad property should be considered private and cannot be accessed without permission from the railroad.

"The goal of RSW is to raise awareness of the need for rail safety education and empower Michigan residents to keep themselves safe near highway-rail grade crossings and railroad property," said Tim Hoeffner, MDOT Office of Rail director. "We fully support OLI and RSW's goal: educating our citizens to automatically expect a train on any track or at any crossing, and to take appropriate precautions."