(Source: Operation Lifesaver press release, January 20, 2022)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), the national non-profit rail safety education organization celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2022, is releasing new rail safety resources to help farmers and farm machine operators stay safe and avoid incidents around railroad tracks and trains.
Across the U.S., farm vehicles often cross railroad tracks on private roads in agricultural areas. According to preliminary 2020 Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) statistics, 325 crossing collisions comprising 17% of total incidents occurred at private railroad crossings, resulting in 22 fatalities (11.2% of total crossing-related deaths) and 111 injuries (16.1% of total crossing injuries).
The new OLI materials are available in both English and Spanish and include:
- Audio and video public service announcements (PSAs) in 15 and 30-second lengths
- Rail safety education presentations, lesson plans and handout materials for Junior Level (ages 8-11) and Senior Level (ages 12-17) students
- Arail safety sticker to remind farm machine operators and others to “See tracks? Think Train!”
“Every three hours in the U.S., a person or vehicle is hit by a train. We want farmers and farm machine operators to always expect a train, even on private property,” stated OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh. “The new PSA and rail safety education materials for young people along with the rail safety sticker provide actionable advice to farm communities on how to work safely near railroad tracks and trains as well as what to do in the event a tractor or other vehicle is stalled or stuck on the tracks.
“Operation Lifesaver’s mission is to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on rail property,” Maleh noted. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners at the American Farm Bureau Federation and other national organizations to share these important safety tips with the farming community.”
The rail safety education materials for youth and the sticker were developed with input from members of national youth development programs 4‑H and theNational FFA Organization.
The new materials are available in the Materials area of the oli.org website. For more information about railroad safety for farmers and farm machine operators, visit oli.org/farmers-and-farm-machine-operators.