Seventh International Symposium

Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Research and Safety

Monash University, Melbourne

Roger Cameron, ChairDirection 2006 Communications

Canada

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA 20-21 FEBRUARY, 2002

Objective

To reduce the number of highway/railway grade crossing collisions and trespassing incidents on railway property by 50% by year 2006, in partnership with provincial and municipal governments, railway companies and their unions, law enforcement agencies and other safety organizations 

Key Result Areas

• Resource

• Enforcement

• Research

• Legislative

• Education

• Communication

• Performance Measurement

• Outreach

Resource KRAResources approved for:

Year 1998 - 1999- 250KYear 2000 - 2001- 500KYear 2001 - 2002 - 625KYear 2002 - 2003 - 625K

Plus $1.3 million for Research projectsIn-kind services from partners estimated at 5 - 1

Crossing Results

2001 vs 1996-2000 avg

• Collisions down 6 % • Fatalities up 11%• Injuries down 6 %

2001 vs 2000

• Collisions up 6% • Fatalities up 24 %• Injuries up 42 %

Trespassing Results

2001 vs 1996-2000 avg

• Incidents down 17 % • Fatalities down 11 %• Injuries down 27 %

2001 vs 2000

• Incidents no change• Fatalities up 4 %• Injuries down 4 %

Enforcement KRA

Enforcement KRA

• CD-ROM / Internet Training Awareness - Railway Police Accident Investigation Protocol for Railway / Public Enforcement

• Development of other rail safety information for new recruits in police academies across Canada as part of the curriculum

Enforcement KRA

• 2002 calendar, anti-trespass message

• Direction 2006 Enforcement displays

Research KRA

Research KRA

Eight project categories: • Program and research development• Risk mitigation methodologies• Driver, pedestrian, and vehicle behaviour• Enforcement technologies

Research KRA

Categories cont’d: • Active-warning crossings• Passive-warning crossings• Signal lights and structures• Train-based warning systems

Research KRA

In progress

    Postgraduate university-based research – Analysis of the human factors contributing to grade crossing collisions in Canada

   Development of an automated tool for remote access and analysis of crossings and collisions

Research KRA

In progress• Second train warning• LED technology for improved conspicuity of

signal lights at grade crossings• Locomotive horn study

• Trespassing incidents and countermeasures strategy

Research KRA

In progress

• Impact of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers on crossing safety (Québec)

• Risk mitigation approach to grade crossing safety

• Crossing collision causal analysis and countermeasures effectiveness

Research KRA

In progress

  • Evaluation of pilot automated grade crossing

signal enforcement (Alberta)

Legislative KRA

Legislative KRA

In progress

• Develop proposed set-back policy

• Provincial harmonization initiatives to assist provincial jurisdictions with crossing and trespassing safety issues

Education KRA

Education KRA

In progress

• Web-based training / education• Development of rail safety material for

aboriginals • Information video or package for

professional drivers i.e. emergency responders, school bus drivers, heavy truck drivers

Communication KRA

2002 Deliverables

• Add radio and television public service announcements with the Montreal Alouettes to current pool. 8,200 spots used nationally, value of donated air time $1,000,000

• Produce and distribute 750 English and 250 French billboards and transit shelter posters, in cooperation with Viacom Outdoor, for national distribution. Value of donated space $2,000,000 minimum.

Billboard

2002 Deliverables Cont’d

2002 Deliverables Cont’d Direction 2006.com

2002 Deliverables Cont’d Operation Lifesaver.ca

Communication KRA

• Safety awareness messages focus on survey / research results (youth and municipal officials)

• Media awareness campaign• Publicize West Coast Express locomotive

video camera for public risk awareness

Communication KRA

• Website upgrades• Printing new Direction 2006 material• Producing material for provincial outreach

and consultation

Technology Technology and Online and Online

ResearchResearch

Technology Technology and Online and Online

ResearchResearch

FOR DIRECTION 2006

The Task At Hand

• Ongoing research program to analyze attitudes towards trespassing and to evaluate the progress and performance and Direction 2006

• After completing a series of focus groups with adults, tested the effectiveness of its PSAs and quantitative work to understand attitudes towards railway safety

The Task At Hand

• Ipsos-Reid conducted an online survey among 1,000 young people (ages 12-18) that tested their knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards railway safety.

The Challenges We Faced

To make this happen, there were a number of challenges that had to be addressed:

– Programming – Video players – Connection speed– Representation– Audience.– Sample size– Ensure that we did not offend anyone

Getting Started

• Recruited approximately 4,500 households with youth 12-18 and 56K+ access from our internet panel

• Total of $2,000 in prizes as incentives for participating

• Received parental consent

The Experience

• Everything went very smoothly• Only three respondents could not view the

PSA• Response rate was 25% yielding a final

sample size of 1,043• Very few respondents complained about

the PSA. In fact, most thought it was very effective

40%44%

10%

2%

Veryeffective

Somewhateffective

Not veryeffective

Not at alleffective

Overall, how effective do you think this advertisement is in discouraging people

from walking on railway tracks?

Effective88%

What suggestions do you have to make this advertisement more effective?

9%

6%

5%

4%

4%

3%

3%

2%

2%

2%

2%

8%

7%

Make it more graphic

Show the consequences to the victim

Don't limit the ad to bridges

Better acting / more realistic scenarios

Less gore / graphics

Show the effects on family/ friends

Use more diverse group of actors

Show real videos of accidents

Give statistics

Needs catch phrase

Needs to be seen more often

Nothing

OtherDon’t know 50%

Effectiveness of PSA

67%

22%

1% 0%

Stronglyagree

Somewhatagree

Somewhatdisagree

Stronglydisagree

Did you agree or disagree with the things it said?

Agree89%

81%

11%

YesNo

Is this advertisement appropriate to be shown during television

shows that young people watch?

Reaction to PSA

51%

38%

8%

6%

4%

3%

3%

3%

7%

5%

Don't walk/ play/ stand on train tracks

You can get hurt/ killed playing on train tracks

Stay away from train tracks

Don't walk/ play/ stand on railway bridges

There's no place to get away from a train

Trains can come along unexpectedly

It's not cool to play on train tracks

Unable to see video

Other

Don't know

What was the main message of the clip?

PSA Message

Secrets to Success

• Open communication • First in Canada• Willingness by both Ipsos-Reid and

Direction 2006 to try “new ideas and non-traditional ways

• Vision to push the medium’s boundaries• Stringent sampling techniques

Market Research Survey

Municipal Government Officials Across Canada

PROVINCE by POPULATION GROUP Crosstabulation (Sample Frame of Eligible Municipalities with Reported Rail Crossings)

Count

97 63 45 5 1 211

8 23 36 25 10 102

42 42 9 1 1 95

2 14 5 2 23

2 1 1 4

7 4 2 13

1 1 2

22 56 54 36 27 195

1 1

54 107 77 34 10 282

388 67 7 2 2 466

1 1

617 381 239 105 53 1395

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

NorthWestTerritory

Ontario

Prince Edward Is.

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon Territory

PROVINCE

/ Territory

Total (Population)

1-999 1000-4999 5000-24999 25000-99999 100000 +

POPULATION GROUPING Total(Province)

Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesCommunity Rail Safety Survey

Direction 2006 was looking for: • Number of crossings within municipality• Level of awareness and knowledge of railway

operations• Role of municipal road authorities• Proposed new regulations on crossing and

right-of-way access control measures

Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesCommunity Rail Safety Survey

• Role of municipalities in community safety• Proximity issues• Planning and development• Promotion of public rail safety and education• Municipal emergency response capabilities• Role of municipalities in improving safety at

highway/railway crossings

Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesCommunity Rail Safety Survey

• Current rail safety measures within municipal jurisdiction

• Identify municipalities interested in receiving more information and participating in regional rail safety information workshops

• Municipal officials have limited knowledge of the role of municipal road authorities under the federal Rail Safety Act

• Municipal officials have limited knowledge of the role and responsibilities of municipal road authorities under the proposed new regulations for grade crossings and railway right-of-way access control measures

 

Observations

• The majority of municipal government officials are unaware of the reduction in crossing collisions within their jurisdictions

• The majority of municipal officials believe that they should play a role in rail safety initiatives

 

Observations

Direction 2006 stakeholders should leverage this willingness to play a role in rail safety initiatives

Greater effort should be made to promote Direction 2006 and other safety programs on how municipalities can play a role in increasing community safety through program participation

 

Observations / Recommendations

Results indicated that 64% of respondents were interested in participating in regional rail safety information workshops

These workshops should be held within the next year

Observations / Recommendations

For additional information regarding DIRECTION 2006

1-888-267-7704

E-mail: Direction2006@tc.gc.ca

www.Direction2006.com