OL Canada Kids Website

OTTAWA, May 1, 2009 – Operation Lifesaver launched a new website for children today (Friday) to help reduce crossing and trespassing incidents around trains. The site is accessible in English at www.olkids.ca or French at www.ogjeunes.ca. Dan Di Tota, national director of Operation Lifesaver, said it includes stories, games, audio and video clips, posters and safety tips.

The website launch is part of Operation Lifesaver’s Rail Safety Week that is underway and involves more than 200 municipalities across Canada. The site features Rover, the Railway Safety Rabbit, and the Train Your Brain activity book.

The Rail Safety Week also includes mock collisions, driver education classes for new motorists, safety blitzes and trespass enforcement initiatives at several locations across the country. Operation Lifesaver promotes safe decisions around highway-railway crossings and freight and passenger train operations. It is sponsored by Transport Canada, the nation’s railways and their partners.

Crossing collisions dropped to 214 in 2008 from 221 the year earlier. Trespass incidents were down to 73 last year from 101 in 2007. Crossing fatalities, 73, were unchanged year over year but trespass fatalities dropped from 57 in 2007 to 47 last year. Serious injuries at crossings increased from 22 in 2007 to 36 last year but serious injuries from trespassing dropped from 27 the year prior to 20 in 2008.Media contacts:
Dan Di Tota, Operation Lifesaver
613-564-8094

Roger Cameron, Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8097

Sean Rushton, Transport Canada
613-991-6031