(Operation Lifesaver Inc. issued the following news release on May 8.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three new television public service announcements (PSAs) highlighting the need for caution around railroad tracks are premiering in selected cable markets across the country on May 13 and 14, 2003, during Operation Lifesaver Awareness Week. The spots, part of the “Take Safety to Heart ” campaign produced by Operation Lifesaver, Inc., a nationwide, nonprofit safety organization, will air on Cable News Network and Fox News here.
The goal of the Take Safety To Heart campaign is to focus media and public attention on these important public safety issues and to raise the visibility of local Operation Lifesaver activities, said Operation Lifesaver, Inc. President Gerri L. Hall.
The television ads show drivers and pedestrians who experience close calls with trains and realize they risk hurting their loved ones by taking chances. “Commuter ” shows a professional woman pulled back from the path of a commuter train by a quick-thinking person at the last minute. “Birthday Cake” features a mother and daughter running errands for dad’s birthday and a near-tragic encounter at the tracks. In “Skateboarder, ” a teenager trying to impress his friends with tricks near the tracks panics when he sees a train approaching.
The innovative TV PSAs, which emphasize personal responsibility, were created for Operation Lifesaver by Plowshare, Inc., Stamford, Conn. The campaign has been endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration.
In the coming weeks, radio PSAs featuring music industry recording stars will be aired on radio networks in key states. In addition to purchased airtime, the TV and radio PSAs will be offered to stations nationwide for inclusion in public service rotations.
About every two hours in the U.S. a person or a vehicle is struck by a train. Federal safety statistics show that in 2001, the latest year for which final data is available, 421 people were killed and 1,157 were injured in 3,237 highway-rail crossing collisions nationwide. An additional 511 pedestrians were killed and 404 injured while illegally trespassing on railroad tracks in 2001. The majority of these incidents are caused by driver error or people illegally present on railroad tracks.