MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Preventing accidents at railway crossings continues to be a priority for Transport Canada.
Blair Raitt of the department told a recent meeting of rural municipal delegates that in the past 10 years there have been 4,321 accidents at public crossings in Canada, resulting in 2,179 injuries and 539 fatalities.
Canada has approximately 24,000 public crossings; Saskatchewan has more than 25 percent of them.
Accidents declining
Raitt said the good news is the number of accidents in Saskatchewan is declining, although the number of injuries remains constant. Fatalities have gone from four in 1988, to seven in each of the next two years, to six in 1991 and nine in 1992. Last year and so far this year, there were four.
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Raitt said motorists simply aren’t aware of what they’re supposed to do at a crossing, and often decision-making is difficult for them due to poor sight lines or approaches, weather conditions and long delays.
Safety standards set
He said a safety standards manual has been developed for provincial transportation departments. The new rules will apply to all new crossings, and some crossings will be altered to comply. These standards will include having sight lines based on road and rail speeds and some installations of automatic warning systems.
Raitt also said the involvement of local road authorities, such as rural municipalities, is critical in the design and maintenance of crossings. RM personnel should inspect crossings routinely, he said.
Financial assistance is also available to improve the safety of some crossings.
