May 2 – 8, 2011 is Public-Rail Safety Week in Canada. Take this time to teach your kids that rail safety is everyone’s responsibility. The Trauma Department of The Montreal Children’s Hospital reminds parents to keep children safe by making sure they stay off train tracks, and using designated pedestrian or railway crossings when it’s safe to do so.

 

Last year, 79 deaths and 47 serious injuries were caused by trespassing and collisions at grade crossings.

 

Since 1980, the number of collisions at crossings has fallen drastically in Canada from over 800 per year to about 200 in 2010.

 

There are over 37,000 crossings across the country and over 1,100 trains are in service every day.

 

For more information, please visit:

 

http://www.thechildren.com/trauma/en/prevention/teens/news.aspx?id=375 [1]

http://www.cn.ca/obie_x/index.html [2]

http://www.safekidscanada.ca/Blog/tabid/98/EntryId/49/Train-tracks-shortcuts-and-kids.aspx [3]