Safety Around Tracks and Trains is Imperative: Operation Lifesaver’s Essential Tips for Holiday Travelers

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 20, 2024 – During this season of holiday journeys and winter adventures, it's crucial to understand the importance of making safe choices around tracks and trains. Rail safety education nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) urges everyone to know the facts, recognize the signs and always make safe choices.

“Every 3 hours in the U.S., a person or vehicle is hit by a train. Whether walking in your neighborhood, driving across the country, or playing in the snow, remember: See Tracks? Think Train!®” said Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Executive Director Rachel Maleh. “With over 140,000 miles of track across the U.S. and more than 200,000 places where roadways cross railroad tracks, travelers and winter weather enthusiasts are likely to encounter trains and tracks this winter.”

“Holiday and winter travel are great opportunities to talk about the importance of making safe choices around tracks and trains,” Maleh continued, “We urge everyone to take extra caution around railroad tracks and trains. Recognize the importance of making safe choices and what those choices should look like before you head out.”

6 Winter Rail Safety Tips:

1. Always expect a train at any crossing, at any time in either direction. Trains are quieter, moving faster and may be closer than they appear - like an airplane that appears to be hanging still in the sky.
2. Look and listen. Snow and wind can muffle the sound of an approaching train. If you’re wearing a helmet or hat in snowy, windy or rainy conditions, the sound of a train can be muffled. Listen carefully and stay focused.
3. Never try and beat a train or go around lights and gates. Trains cannot stop quickly. It can take a train a mile or more – the length of 18 football fields – to stop.
4. Never walk, bike, snowmobile, ski or play on or near railroad tracks. Train tracks are private property. Being on them or close to them is dangerous and illegal. Rails and recreation don’t mix. Stay off and stay away from train tracks.
5. If your vehicle won’t fit completely across the tracks, don’t commit. Leave at least 15 feet between the railroad track and the front and back of your vehicle.
6. Stuck or stalled on the tracks? GET OUT! GET AWAY!  FIND THE BLUE AND WHITE SIGN. If your vehicle gets stuck or stalls at a crossing, get everyone out and far away immediately, even if you do not see a train. Call the number on the Blue and White Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign and share the crossing ID number with the dispatcher. No sign? Dial 911.

Said Maleh, “Share the importance of safe choices around tracks and trains with your family, children, friends and co-workers. Together, we can #STOPTrackTragedies.”

OLI offers free rail safety education presentations as well as online rail safety education assets for a variety of audiences to share, including videos, Public Service Announcements (PSAs), infographics and social media graphics (as shown below) and educational materials for children in grades K-12 such as coloring books, activity books and videos, in addition to tips for new drivers at oli.org.

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About Operation Lifesaver  

Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to stopping track tragedies. For more than 50 years, Operation Lifesaver programs have saved lives via public awareness campaigns and a network of trained volunteers across the U.S. who give free presentations encouraging safe behavior near railroad tracks and trains. The Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) national office supports the efforts of state programs in 47 states and the District of Columbia. Explore OLI's virtual library of rail safety materials on the oli.org website. Learn more about OLI, how to request a free presentation and become a volunteer.  Follow OLI on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.