Stop accidents! Europe for Safer Level Crossings!”
Each year too many people die in accidents at level crossings. In Europe, at least 600 people fall victim of accidents at level crossings every year. 95 % of these accidents (according to UIC calculations) are caused by road users. Therefore, the rail and road sectors are organising together a pan-European Level Crossing Awareness Day on 25 June 2009, to make people understand that these accidents could be avoided if they obey the traffic rules and address misbehaviour at and around level crossings.
The European Level Crossing Awareness Day focuses on educational measures and the promotion of safe behaviour at and around level crossings. It is built on existing national events which will be held jointly at various locations in every participating Member State on 25 June and constructed around the common message “Stop accidents! Europe for Safer Level Crossings!” Many communications actions have been planned all over Europe: flyers will be handed out at level crossings, schools, driving schools, scouting clubs etc. Posters will be displayed in railway stations and other central places, special messages will be broadcast on radio and television, press conferences will be organised with national and local press.
The project involves road sector, government agencies, railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and police forces from all EU countries and some third countries as well as the European and International rail associations (CER, EIM and UIC), the European Level Crossing Forum (ELCF), the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), the European Railway Agency (ERA) as well as the European Commission and media. Additionally, several countries outside Europe, such as Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan as well as the well known U.S. road-rail safety awareness organisation Operation Lifesaver welcome and fully support such initiative and will use the European Awareness Level Crossing Awareness Day as an incentive to communicate on this issue in their own countries. You can find detailed information on good practices and educational material designed to highlight the issue of risky behaviour at and around level crossings by consulting the dedicated website for level crossing issues at www.levelcrossing.net
The European Level Crossing Awareness Day is a joint commitment following the signature of the European Road Safety Charter engaging both road and rail sectors to strong actions on raising public awareness on the danger of risky behaviour at level crossings. This was agreed last March and welcomed by Vice-President and Transport Commissioner, Antonio Tajani, who stated: “Road safety is a priority issue for the European Commission. It is my personal conviction that such initiatives should be encouraged. I am sure that activities like the European level crossing awareness day will help to improve the safety at level crossings.”
Level crossing accidents account for 2% of road deaths but a third of all rail fatalities. On 20 March road and rail organisations acknowledged their shared responsibility to deal with this issue by signing the European Road Safety Charter. The charter is an initiative of the European Union, with the objective of developing concrete actions, assessing results and further heightening awareness about the need to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities through the exchange of best practices in traffic safety in Europe, while adding a European dimension to individual or collective initiatives.
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