To the Editor:
Did you know that in Florida, there were 87 railroad crossing collisions last year?
Most of us take safety seriously every day. We buckle up when driving a car and we use sidewalks instead of walking down the middle of the road. But as the statistic above shows, it also is important to make safe choices around railroad tracks and trains.
This week is Rail Safety Week, a national public awareness campaign sponsored by Operation Lifesaver to raise awareness about rail safety. Operation Lifesaver was started nearly 50 years ago to save lives and encourage caution near railroad tracks and trains. Through public safety education campaigns and partnerships with railroads, law enforcement agencies, and transportation agencies, we can make communities safer.
Let’s work together to stop track tragedies – not just this week, but every week. To learn more, visit www.oli.org and help spread the word. With your help, we can make preventable railroad crossing and trespassing incidents a thing of the past.
Pete Petree
Volunteer Chairman
Florida Operation Lifesaver
