Railway safety campaign “Get OFF THE BIKE, remove your HEADPHONES and Let the train pass!

On June 23-30, 2014 will be organised the nation-wide railway safety campaign “Get OFF THE BIKE, remove your HEADPHONES and Let the train pass!” that is targeted to bicyclists and pedestrians wearing headphones.

“The bicyclists are often drivers who use their advantage of moving on cycle and pedestrian tracks, forgetting that bicyclists can cross railways only at designated level crossings,” commented Tamo Vahemets, Chairman of the Management Board of NPO Operation Lifesaver Estonia, adding that “the terms level crossing and pedestrian crossing define quite clearly how road users should use them. A level crossing is meant for vehicles including bicycles, whereas a pedestrians crossing is meant for pedestrians only”.

The purpose of the security barriers installed at railway level crossings is to prevent bicycles riding onto the railway lines and remind people that they are entering a dangerous area where they should be extremely cautious.

One of the objectives of the campaign is to remind bicyclists that they should get of their bikes while crossing railways at pedestrian crossings and do it pushing their bikes on their side.

The second message of the campaign is equally important: “Take off your headphones!” “As road users we must acknowledge that we limit a significant part of our attentiveness while wearing headphones in traffic. This increases the risk of getting involved in dangerous situations,” said Vahemets.

Upon crossing railways people should avoid activities impairing their concentration like listening to music using headphones or talking on mobile phones. This applies both to passengers and vehicle drivers. Your mind should be 100% on what you do. If there is a train approaching, you should keep safe distance and let it pass!

The campaign is organised in cooperation with the Estonian Technical Surveillance Authority, Police and Boarder Guard Board and Road Administration.

Additional information:


Tamo Vahemets,
Chairman of Management Board – Acting Manager of OLE
e-mail: tamo@operationlifesaver.eu
tel: +372 504 5112

OLE (Operation Lifesaver Estonia) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2004 by the initiative of AS Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways) with the mission to increase considerably public awareness about dangers involved in railway traffic and lawful behaviour on railway, with the purpose to reduce the number of railway incidents and people killed and injured in such accidents. OLE’s members are AS Eesti Raudtee, AS EVR Cargo, Edelaraudtee Infrastruktuuri AS and AS GoRail.