Train tracks and pedestrians can be a dangerous combination. About 450 people are killed every year while trespassing on railroad tracks. While automobiles may be able to stop quickly or swerve to avoid hitting a person or object, train movements are restricted by the tracks and stopping a train traveling at 55 mph can take more than a mile – often too long a distance to prevent these tragedies.
With so many tracks located in residential areas, SEPTA has taken a proactive approach to safety education and awareness through Operation Lifesaver – a national program dedicated to rail safety.
SEPTA has presented the Operation Lifesaver program to thousands of people throughout the region, including students, seniors, law enforcement officials, bus operators and others. Each presentation is tailored to the specific audience and includes a slide show, video and question-and-answer session.
See Tracks? Think Train!
Operation Lifesaver, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1972 and dedicated to rail safety public education, has partnered with federal safety agencies and the nation’s railroads to launch the See Tracks? Think Train! campaign aimed at raising awareness about risky pedestrian and driver behavior around railroad tracks.
Did You Know?
- A person or vehicle is struck by a train roughly once every three hours
- According to FRA statistics, 1,901 highway-rail grade crossing collisions occurred in 2020. Pennsylvania ranked 10th with 54 collisions, four deaths, and 16 injuries.
- 95 percent of all rail-related deaths involve drivers trying to beat a train, or people trespassing on railroad tracks
- More than 50 percent of people injured or killed while trespassing on railroad tracks have drugs or alcohol in their system
Statistics and information provided by Operation Life Saver “See Tracks? Think Train!” Visit the site to learn more.