Rail Safety PSAs for Delivery Drivers Released During Peak Holiday Package Season
WASHINGTON, DC, November 17, 2022 – As package deliveries ramp up for the holidays, rail safety education nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) is releasing three new public service announcements (PSAs) in English and Spanish to help delivery drivers make safe choices near railroad crossings.
Every three hours a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States; over 50 percent of vehicle-train collisions occur at crossings with lights and or gates. Preliminary statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration show that collisions between all vehicles and trains at railroad crossings rose 12.9 percent in 2021 to 2,146 incidents. Crossing incidents involving automobiles rose 20.8 percent and incidents involving vans were up 23.3 percent in 2021.
“Delivery drivers are crucial to our economy every day of the year, but with the busy holiday package delivery season upon us, it’s imperative that these drivers make the safe choice around railroad tracks,” said OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh. “Whether you are delivering holiday gifts, groceries or someone’s dinner, you are more important than your delivery.”
OLI’s new rail safety materials for delivery drivers include “Hustle,” a PSA available in 50, 30 and 15-second versions for package delivery drivers; “Radio,” a humorous 30-second PSA for local food and grocery delivery drivers; and “Pizza,” a 30-second PSA showing what to do if stalled or stuck on the tracks.
Funding for the new PSAs was provided by the Federal Highway Administration. The new delivery driver PSAs are available on the OLI website as well as in the website’s Materials section.
###
About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver, which this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1972, is a non-profit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. In 1986 the non-profit Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) national office was created to help support and coordinate efforts of state Operation Lifesaver programs, saving lives by sharing rail safety messages with audiences across the U.S. and beyond. OLI programs are active in 47 states and the District of Columbia. A national network of trained volunteers gives free rail safety presentations encouraging safe behavior near tracks and trains. OLI’s free Railroad Investigation and Safety Course (RISC) provides critical information for first responders when managing incidents around tracks and trains. Learn more about OLI and Rail Safety Week; follow OLI on social media via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
