Maine Operation Lifesaver

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Home Page Top Stories below:

Rail Trading Card Photo Contest (#2)

View New Distracted Driving PSAs (#3)

2009 Rail Crossing, Trespass Statistics (#4)

To see Recent Maine Operation Lifesaver Activities (click “Photo Gallery” at left)

#1 - Summer Rail Trespassing in Maine

Going camping, kids? These pictures were taken early this summer in Warren. If the town sounds familiar, it’s where a youngster and a man were fatally struck by a train and others hurt while fishing on a trestle several years ago.

On the Fourth of July, these bagpipers ignored tape strung across the tracks at each end of the Winslow-Waterville railroad bridge and proceeded after the Winslow parade to risk their lives. The local police were advised.

#2 - Your Photos May Appear On Our "Railroad Trading Cards"

Maine Operation Lifesaver invites you to be part of the third printing of our extremely successful Maine railroad trading cards, specifically requesting that you to submit photos for possible inclusion. Over 50,000 cards have so far been handed out much to the delight of schoolchildren – and adults, too. With 14 new photos to be chosen for the new printing, photographer name credit will appear on the back of thousands of trading cards along with information about the railroad pictured, a rail safety message, and other information.

Before we print photos, a check will be made with the respective railroads for clearance. Photos of derailments, graffiti, pictures taken long ago, and the like will be rejected. On the other hand, your creativity and expertise in modern Maine railroad photography is welcome. We will be choosing two photos each of Pan Am Railways; Amtrak’s Downeaster; St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railway; Maine Eastern Railroad; Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway; Eastern Maine/New Brunswick Southern Railway; and one photo each of the Downeast Scenic Railroad and the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad. If possible, the railroad name should be visible in the picture. To view photos of past trading cards, click on “Trading Cards.”

Some specifics…

Up to two photos representing each railroad may be submitted at rrphotos@roadrunner.com.
Photos should be suitable for reduction. The photo area of the card is about 3.2” x 2” and in the landscape format.
Photos should be submitted in digital format. Image size should be no larger than 800x600 pixels and should be in the Jpeg or TIFF format.
Photos must be free of copyright restrictions. Photos submitted must be those of the original photographer.
Each photo must be accompanied by your name, e-mail address, phone number, and approximate date and location photo was taken.
The deadline for entries is August 15, 2010.

If you’re taking pictures, please use these guidelines:

Photos must be taken in a safe and legal environment. Remember that railroad property is private property. Stay off railroad tracks, buildings, bridges, cars, etc.
Stand at least 15 feet away from the rail if filming a train.
Only take photographs or view trains from public property.
Cooperate fully with railroad police or other law enforcement if contacted.

#3 - New TV Announcements Emphasize Distracted Driving At Rail Crossings

Two new 30-second television public service announcements (PSAs) being distributed to TV stations throughout Maine feature young drivers being distracted while at the wheel as they approach railroad crossings. They may be played on this website by linking to the sites at the end of this news item.

These hard-hitting PSAs place the TV viewer in the vehicles and depict how a lack of driver concentration can quickly turn fatal. One PSA features a female driver talking with her friend, switching radio stations, and texting as the car approaches a rail crossing ending with screams as the train is about to bear down upon the intersection. The other announcement has two young men talking with loud music in the background. As the driver shows and tells his passenger all about the features of his new truck, he breezes by a stop sign, and then as he’s checking his cell phone for messages he averts a close call with a train.

The new PSAs were produced by Operation Lifesaver, Inc. and are for play in all states. Here in Maine, the announcements have been customized at the very end noting that it is presented by Maine Operation Lifesaver and gives viewers the Maine Operation Lifesaver website address. Post-production and making copies for each Maine TV station was generously done by the New England School of Communications in Bangor.

"Two New Distracted Driver PSAs" - As listed on the oli.org website as Serious and Humorous

#4 - Big Decrease in 2009 Grade Crossing Incidents, Deaths and Injuries.

Operation Lifesaver, the national rail safety education nonprofit, welcomed newly released federal statistics showing the lowest number of deaths and injuries from highway-rail grade crossing collisions recorded to date. For the first time ever, the number of crossing collisions fell below 2,000 to 1,880, a 21.9 % drop from 2008. Decreases were also recorded in both vehicular and freight train traffic, which may have contributed to crossing safety gains.

Here in Maine, unofficial statistics show there were two train-vehicle incidents, one of those resulting in injuries, but no deaths. (See 2009 Maine Operation Lifesaver annual report by clicking “newsletters and reports” on the left side of this homepage.)

“As rail safety advocates, we are encouraged to see double-digit drops in the number of highway-rail grade crossing collisions, deaths and injuries, as well as pedestrian rail trespass injuries,” says Operation Lifesaver, Inc. President Helen M. Sramek. “These new figures show law enforcement efforts, improvements in highway-rail engineering and signal technology, closure of unnecessary crossings, and Operation Lifesaver's partnership efforts with state, federal and local agencies to raise rail safety awareness are helping to make our communities safer.”

Rail property trespass incidents, often resulting in injuries and fatalities, continue to pose a challenge. Though trespass numbers declined (injuries dropped from 429 in '08 to 338 in '09 and deaths fell in '09 to 434 from 458 one year earlier), they did not achieve the record low marks set by crossing incidents, Sramek notes. Twenty states - including California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Washington, Indiana, Louisiana and Missouri - saw increases in deaths resulting from trespass incidents; trespass injuries rose in 9 states.

“Few people realize that in this country, a person or a vehicle is hit by a train about every three hours,” Sramek says. “Although the FRA numbers indicate a 5.2% drop in trespassing fatalities in 2009, it's important to remember that trespassers still account for the largest number of rail-related fatalities in the United States. The good news is that trespassing incidents are preventable; we need to successfully educate people to stay off the tracks, understand and obey crossing laws, and use common sense around trains.”

Preliminary year end data released by the Federal Railroad Administration show the biggest declines involved grade crossing-related injuries, which dropped 28.3% to 683 from 953 in 2008. Grade crossing fatalities, a total of 289 the previous year, fell 14.2% to 248 in 2009. Operation Lifesaver also notes that in 2009, 11 states experienced increases in total highway-rail collisions from 2008 levels. Fatalities resulting from vehicle-train crashes increased in 16 states in 2009 from the previous year, and crossing injuries rose in 10 states.

Free DVDs

Two new DVDs targeting specific audiences have been released by Operation Lifesaver, Inc. and are now available at no charge through Maine Operation Lifesaver.

“Stay Alive When You Drive” has just begun distribution to provide professional truck drivers with the information they need to drive safely at railroad crossings. The fast-paced video provides critical tips to help commercial drivers avoid collisions. Scenes in the video include several serious crashes that illustrate the high stakes drivers face at crossings. In one scenario, on a dark, rain-swept night, a driver is shown the steps that can be taken to stay safe. Another scenario shows the vast number of distractions - pagers, GPS systems, laptops, and, of course, cell phones, which divert drivers’ attention from the road. Also in the ten-minute video, drivers are directed to get out of their rigs immediately if stalled at a crossing or if a low-boy trailer being pulled becomes wedged on the tracks while crossing. Maine Operation Lifesaver volunteers are happy to show the video and talk further about railroad crossings at no charge during an upcoming company safety day or you can request a copy to show drivers on your own.

“Look to Live” is the new driver education video, and since the vast majority of student drivers are teens, the DVD fits their lifestyle with music and featuring young adults through its ten-minute duration. Students are reminded that a train can approach from either direction at anytime, that because of its size an approaching train appears to be moving slower than it actually is, and how to escape safely from a vehicle if it stalls at a crossing. The video also suggests the driver turn down the radio or CD player as the vehicle nears a crossing and asks that passengers quiet down for a few moments until safely across the tracks. Again, a Maine Operation Lifesaver certified presenter will visit a driver education class for a free presentation or the instructor may play the DVD during any part of classroom learning.

To request a copy, e-mail maineol@roadrunner.com, phone 207-827-7367,
or mail a note to Maine Operation Lifesaver, 23 Park Street, Old Town, Maine 04468.

“Makings of a Maine Tragedy”

”This unsuspecting group recently ventured illegally onto a railroad trestle in Maine only to be met by a train while caught in the middle. Notice the “No Trespassing” sign to the right of the tracks just before the bridge which was obviously ignored.”

”Several of the trespassers squeeze onto very small spaces in the middle of the trestle barely escaping very serious injury and likely death as a train rounds the bend approaching the group. Had they tried to stand on what looks like a sidewalk next to the tracks, they would have been hit by the train which overhangs at least three feet beyond the rails.”

Maine Operation Lifesaver offers free presentations on railroad safety to groups, companies, and organizations statewide. Contact info@maineol.org or call 827-7367.

New PSAs Rolled Out Promoting Rail Safety

Operation Lifesaver has produced and is distributing a new set of television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) nationwide. They demonstrate to pedestrians and drivers how to use common sense around tracks and trains. The PSAs use humor to convey a serious message about train safety to young adults and families. The campaign, entitled “Shark,” compares staying away from railroad property as being just as smart as staying out of shark-infested waters and other dangerous practices.

Click this link www.oli.org/shark to view and listen to the new PSAs.

FRA Releases Demographic Report on Rail Trespasser Fatalities

Trespassers account for the largest number of fatalities in the railroad industry – approximately 500 per year. In order to better understand who is trespassing, their locations, and the reasons they are on railroad property, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a report using three years of reported trespasser fatalities. Medical examiners and coroners across the country were surveyed, and based on the best information available from those who elected to participate in the study, the average trespasser is most often a 38-year-old Caucasian male under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, with a median household income of $36,000. More than 25 percent did not graduate from high school and 18 percent were determined to be suicides.

The report, Rail-Trespasser Fatalities: Developing Demographic Profiles, includes a state-by-state breakdown and shows California and Texas recording the highest number of such events. The report strongly recommends additional demographic analysis to reinforce and expand on these results in order to develop targeted educational and outreach programs and law enforcement initiatives to reduce the number of rail trespassing incidents.

The report is available at www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/tdreport_final.pdf

Maine Operation Lifesaver, Inc.
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