Navigating through railway crossings in perfect weather is tricky enough. Add in rain, snow, wind, white-out and everything else associated with winter driving and it becomes downright dangerous.
In Chilliwack, where there are railway crossings aplenty, CN police officers are asking people to be extra-cautious heading into the colder months.
“Safety is a core value at CN and we want to take every opportunity to raise awareness on safe behaviour around rail,” a news release read. “It is our job to make sure that the population of Chilliwack knows that the risk of being involved in a railway crossing incident is higher during winter months.
“We want everyone to be ‘Rail Smart; Stop. Look. Listen. Live.'”
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Last year in North America, there were over 3,400 collisions with trains, resulting in over 2,200 serious injuries or fatalities.
With that in mind, CN offers the following safety tips for winter driving.
• Check the weather forecast before travelling;
• Reduce your speed. When road conditions are poor, it takes longer to stop;
• When approaching railway crossings, turn off your radio and heating fans so you can listen for trains;
• Look for railway warning signs and signals and remember that snow may cover train tracks at a crossing;
• Use winter tires;
• Do not drive impaired. Exhaustion, alcohol, and drugs such as marijuana reduce your ability to pay attention, react quickly, and make safe driving choices;
• Stalled or stuck vehicles must be left behind. Once safe, immediately notify emergency responders by calling 911.
For more safety tips or info about rail safety or CN Police,visit cn.ca/en/safety/cn-police-service/
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