OTTAWA, Aug. 28, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - September 29, 2007 started out like any other day for 18-year-old Ty King. It was a Saturday and he was getting into the regular flow of the school year: attending driver's ed. and preparing to meet friends to rehearse a drama presentation. He put on his headphones and headed off to his friend's place. But the path he chose that day was the wrong one. As he got into the music, a whistle sounded but he couldn't hear it. And in mere moments Ty was gone. He was hit and killed by a train.
Stories like Ty's are too common in Canada. Too many young people are killed and injured because they're where they're not supposed to be – on train tracks. That's why Operation Lifesaver, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preventing railway-related deaths and injuries, is reminding students to make rail safety a priority as they head back to school this year.
"Whether it's taking a shortcut across the tracks to go for lunch, or driving around the gates at a crossing because you're late for class, it's illegal. And there can be deadly consequences," said Operation Lifesaver's national director, Mike Regimbal.
"This year we're asking students to make rail safety part of their school day routines. It could be the difference between life and death," he said.
"The Misadventures of Bob"
From September on, students can follow along with "The Misadventures of Bob", Operation Lifesaver's unofficial rail safety mascot, as he embarks on adventures the wrong way - in the path of an oncoming train.
Whether it's texting and driving while on his way to class, playing a Halloween prank or other "not-so-smart manoeuvres," Bob's actions clearly illustrate how fatal these activities can be if they're done near train tracks.
Bob will also be on hand to support Parachute Canada's National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 19-25) by showing firsthand the repercussions of driving and texting near the tracks, sure to hit home with the leagues of new drivers hitting the roads.
Join the rail safety conversation online
This fall, get in on the rail safety action by following the #SeeTracksThink, #ownsafety and #back2school hashtags and joining the conversation on:
http://www.operationlifesaver.ca/
About Operation Lifesaver
Established in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national public-rail safety program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada. Through partnerships with provincial safety councils, police, railways, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to saving lives by educating Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway/railway crossings and trespassing on railway property.
SOURCE Operation Lifesaver
Mike Regimbal, National Director, Operation Lifesaver, 613-564-8100, [email protected]
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