The Ontario Provincial Police are joining forces with agencies across North America for ‘Operation Clear Track’, what it’s calling the continent’s single largest rail-safety law enforcement initiative.
Coordinated by Amtrak, the initiative aims to reduce railway crossing and trespass incidents in Canada and the U.S. Incidents which seriously injure or kill more than 21-hundred people each year.
“Ignoring railway signs and signals, being distracted at rail stations or crossings, or using tracks as a shortcut or a recreational path can lead to track tragedies that are entirely preventable,” said Chris Day, interim national director of Operation Lifesaver Canada. “Operation Clear Track’s goal is to encourage people to avoid risky behaviours around tracks and trains so they stay safe and stay alive.”
More than 600 OPP detachments across Canada are participating in this year’s initiative. Officers will promote rail safety by having conversations and sharing tips with drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. They will also share rail-safety resources and enforce rail crossing and trespassing laws.
“Track tragedies affect not only the individual, but their loved ones and entire communities,” said Day. “Railroaders and first responders, too. Rail safety is a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play.”
National Rail Safety Week runs from Sept. 23 to 29.
Fore more information about Operation Clear Track visit operationlifesaver.ca.
