Sept. 23 marks the start of a week devoted to educating Montanans about the importance of safe driving and walking near railroad tracks and trains. See Tracks? Think Train Week — ST3Week for short — is a collaborative effort among Operation Lifesaver Inc., state Operation Lifesaver programs and rail safety partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Safety education to save lives
A person or vehicle is hit by a train in the U.S. every three hours. More than 2,300 fatalities and injuries to people occur every year involving trains in North America. Over 60% of collisions at rail crossings occur at crossings that have lights, gates or both. These types of collisions are preventable, and ST3Week calls attention to the choices and actions that you can help in reducing the number of these tragedies.
New name, same dedication to safety
See Tracks? Think Train Week was formerly called Rail Safety Week. This year on Monday through Sunday of ST3Week, a series of themes, events and activities will again draw public attention to smart, safe behavior around railroad tracks and trains.
ST3Week schedule — Sept. 23 to 29, 2024
- Monday — The #STOPTrackTragedies social media initiative focuses attention on news media, government officials and the general public to raise awareness of rail-crossing safety.
- Tuesday — Operation Clear Track, a collaborative effort with Amtrak, involves hundreds of law enforcement officers and first responders in Montana and throughout North America. Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel engage with their communities to talk about rail safety.
- Wednesday — Crossing Safety will educate new drivers, mature drivers, shift workers, school bus drivers, transit users, outdoor enthusiasts, farmers and people working near tracks on how to safely navigate rail crossings.
- Thursday — Transit Safety is the theme on Sept. 26, reinforcing the importance of safe choices for transit and commuter riders, professional drivers and school bus drivers.
- Friday — #RedOutforRailSafety is the hashtag for Sept. 27. Wear red for rail safety and volunteer with Operation Lifesaver to show support.
- Saturday — Trespass Prevention aims to reduce the leading cause of railroad-related death in the U.S.: trespassing on railroad rights of way. Focusing on the importance of staying off tracks and private railroad property, and always expecting a train when you see tracks, Trespass Prevention targets pedestrians, cyclists, people working near tracks, outdoor enthusiasts, the unhoused, joggers and college students, among other members of the public.
- Sunday — No Photo/Video/Selfie is Worth the Risk concludes ST3Week with education for professional and amateur photographers and social media influencers, reminding them of the dangers of risky behavior around trains and rail crossings.
Take the pledge to stay safe
During ST3Week, adults and children can take an online Rail Safety pledge on the Operation Lifesaver website to solidify their commitment to making safe choices around trains and railroad crossings. Educating the public through measures like the pledge and ST3Week is an essential aspect of Operation Lifesaver’s mission, which has helped to decrease collisions between trains and vehicles by 82% since 1972.
“We want everyone to make it home safely,” said John Althof, State Coordinator of Montana Operation Lifesaver. “Railroad property is private property, so stay away, stay off and stay safe. Only cross tracks at designated crossing areas.”
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