Page 8 - Operation Lifesaver Estonia / Annual Report 2012
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© Operation Lifesaver is a international, non-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending
tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way.
Founded in Estonia on 19 November 2004 -
40 Years of Rail Safety Education
In 2012, U.S. Operation Lifesaver celebrated its 40th
anniversary. Since 1972, when the first Operation
Lifesaver state program was established, there
has been a dramatic 83 percent reduction in the
number of crossing collisions in the United States
– an amazing success story. However, pedestrian-rail
trespass incidents have not seen the same level of
improvement.Since 1997,annual pedestrian trespass
deaths have exceeded vehicle-train fatalities. OLI
will continue our crossing safety efforts, while
increasing the focus on trespass prevention.
At the June 2012 Operation Lifesaver Leadership
Summit in Denver, Colorado, approximately 100
participants, including Operation Lifesaver state
coordinators and other rail safety education leaders
from North America and around the world, met to
explore the latest innovations in improving safety at
highway-rail grade crossings and along rail rights-
of-way.
Throughout 2012, Operation Lifesaver released
new safety education and public awareness
materials, including two new videos:
“Imagine”,
for new drivers, and
“What Smart Commuters
Know”,
for the growing number of people in the
U.S. who use commuter and light rail transit to
commute to work. A safety education tool called
the
“Money Taxi”
game was introduced for school
bus drivers in fall 2012, which features a fun and
interactive game show format. Operation Lifesaver
was honored with two communications awards in
2012: the
Omni Intermedia Award
for the
ProDriver
Challenge commercial trucking e-Learning program
,
and the
Thoth Award
for
Excellence in Online
Communications
for the
“Bad Move”
interactive
online pedestrian safety campaign.
In December 2012, OLI President Helen Sramek
retired from her position, and 25-year Capitol Hill
veteran Joyce Rose was brought on as the national
organization’s new President. She brings a wealth
of experience and rail and transit policy knowledge,
and is a strong supporter of Operation Lifesaver’s
mission to reduce collisions, deaths and injuries at
highway-rail grade crossings and on and around rail
property. Saving lives is the mission that unites us.
OLI will continue our crossing safety
efforts, while increasing the focus on
trespass prevention.
Joyce Rose
Operation Lifesaver Inc. (USA) president
