The National Advisory Council

The National Advisory Council -- NAC, for short -- supports Operation Lifesaver's mission of ending collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights-of-way. Serving as an advisory body, the NAC assists the National Office in creating the programs and materials used by Operation Lifesaver to deliver safety messages to the public, including training videos, public service announcements, brochures, and other public outreach materials. In addition to this, the NAC helps the National Office establish priorities for developing new educational materials and programs.

The council includes representatives with expertise in the three E's of traffic safety -- education, enforcement and engineering -- as well as representatives from the major railroads, federal agencies, and others knowledgeable about highway-rail grade crossing or railroad trespass prevention. Operation Lifesaver state coordinator representatives from each of the FRA regions are also on the council. Experts are brought in to serve on project teams when complex projects require expertise beyond that available on the NAC.

Newly established in 2008 to replace the original Program Development Council, the NAC was created to streamline projects and optimize operational efficiency.