Safe Crossing Week 2008 in the U.S. teaches kids how to stay safe around trains and at railroad crossings

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 30, 2008 — To encourage parents, caregivers, and educators to teach elementary school children how to cross railroad tracks safely, Safe Kids USA and CN, one of the largest railroads in North America, are launching Safe Crossing Week, November 3-9, 2008.

Each year, approximately 430 people are killed and 4,900 are injured in incidents involving trains in the United States. These incidents involve either trains and people or trains and motor vehicle occupants. In 2007, a total of 39 children ages 15 and under were killed and 180 were injured in incidents involving trains.  According to the two safety partners, education can help prevent many of these injuries.

CN created the Safe Crossing Program as a one-day event in 2005 and by 2006 it became Safe Crossing Week, involving hundreds of elementary schools across Canada and reaching millions of people through the media. This is the second year that Safe Crossing Week is being held in the United States as a joint initiative between Safe Kids USA and CN.

This year, the Safe Crossing Program is focusing on parents' responsibility to talk to their children about railroad crossing safety and safe behavior around trains and tracks. With the theme Parents: Now's the Time! Don't wait for a tragedy, the safety partners are urging parents to talk to their young children now — to teach them important life-saving safety rules to prevent a possible tragedy.  “Education plays a key role in preventing injuries, and the work we do now with young children will have a positive impact on their behavior as they grow older,” said Chrissy Cianflone, Director of Program Operations at Safe Kids USA.

This year, elementary schools in more than 60 communities will be participating in Safe Crossing Week, and almost 30,000 children will be reached with important railroad safety messages.  In certain communities, TERRI the robot will be used for presentations on railroad safety, to pass out materials and hold Q and A sessions, and to engage children in a new way that is both fun and educational for them.

“Safe Crossing Week is unique because it encourages teachers to easily incorporate railroad safety lessons into their everyday curriculum, from math and science to physical education classes,” said Bobby Walker, chief of CN Police.  “The fact that so many schools are coming on board shows that educators are committed to the safety issue, and we are pleased to see that.”
CN Police officers will also be visiting elementary schools to talk to students about the potential danger of walking and playing on or near railroad tracks and property.

Participating schools receive a Safe Crossing Week 2008 package, which includes a Safe Crossing school certificate; improved lesson plans and activities incorporating railroad safety into language, math, social sciences, art and physical education classes for kindergarten to grade 6 students; Safe Crossing Week posters; student activity booklets for students in grades K-3 and 4-6; parent letters, brochures and fact sheets in English and Spanish; and interactive web-based teaching tools.

To stay safe near railroad tracks, parents and children need to discuss and follow these simple life-saving safety rules:

• Only cross at railroad crossings. Always look both ways before crossing the tracks.
• Obey all signs and signals. Listen for a warning bell and train whistles. Watch for flashing lights.
• Never try to cross the tracks if a train is coming. Trains are very large and heavy, and take a long time to stop!
• When a train is coming, stand at least 10 giant steps away from the tracks. If one train passes, make sure another one isn't coming. Trains can come from any direction at any time on another track.
• Get off your bike and walk it across the tracks. Don't forget to wear your helmet when you ride your bike.
• Walking or playing on railroad tracks is dangerous.

To learn more about Safe Crossing Week and how to talk to your children about railroad safety, visit http://www.usa.safekids.org/rail/ or call 202-662-0600. Young children can also learn more about railroad safety while having fun with Obie, the safety train, and his engineer friend, Max, at www.cn.ca/obie.

Safe Kids USA is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children ages 1 to 14.  More than 450 coalitions in 16 countries bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families. The organization was founded in 1987 by Children's National Medical Center with support from Johnson & Johnson. For more information, please visit http://www.usa.safekids.org/

The Safe Crossing Program is part of CN's All Aboard for Safety community education program through which CN Police officers have been promoting railroad safety for more than 25 years. Part of the strength of the All Aboard for Safety program is the collaborative relationship CN shares with major community safety organizations: Operation Lifesaver, Safe Kids USA, Safe Kids Canada, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Safe Communities America, Safe Communities Canada and SMARTRISK. Every year, CN Police officers make All Aboard for Safety presentations to more than 300,000 students and adults in schools and at community events in the United States and Canada.