As Winter Storms Hit, Operation Lifesaver Shares 5 Travel Safety Tips

WASHINGTON, DC, January 13, 2012 – As the first big winter storms of the season slowed travel from the Midwest to the Northeast, Operation Lifesaver (www.oli.org), the rail safety education nonprofit organization, is offering motorists five safety tips to help people avoid traffic trouble near train tracks. 

“We’re providing these rail safety tips for winter travel to remind drivers of the need for caution around tracks and trains,” said Helen Sramek, president, Operation Lifesaver, Inc. “When it’s snowy or icy, it’s especially important to watch for advance warning signs that indicate an upcoming railroad crossing.”

While highway-rail grade crossing collisions have been reduced significantly in the four decades Operation Lifesaver has been making safety presentations across the U.S., there is still work to be done, Sramek said. Preliminary Federal Railroad Administration statistics for the first ten months of 2011 compared with 2010 show that vehicle-train collisions are down more than three percent; however, injuries resulting from those crashes have increased 15 percent and crossing-related deaths are steady, Sramek noted. 

To schedule a free Operation Lifesaver safety presentation or for information about becoming a volunteer, contact your state coordinator through the web site or call the national office at 1-800-537-6224. More rail safety tips and facts can be found here: http://bit.ly/pWPbzp

5 Rail Safety Tips for Winter Travel  

1.    Slow down. Reduce speeds, as snow or icy conditions increase stopping distances.

2.    Always expect a train at any crossing, at any time.

3.    Focus your attention.  Hang up your phone, remove earphones, turn down music, and don’t text message while driving or walking near tracks.     

4.    Look and listen for the train.  Snow and windcan muffle the sound of an approaching train.

5.    Do not get trapped on the tracks; proceed through a crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear it without stopping.

Operation Lifesaver (www.oli.org) is a national, non-profit safety education group whose goal is to eliminate deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and along railroad rights of way. It has programs in all 50 states with trained and certified presenters who provide free talks to raise the public’s safety awareness around tracks and trains.