Operation Lifesaver is the largest rail safety organization in the United States. It was founded by the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

in the early 1970s.

History

In 1972, the Idaho State Highway Patrol, then-Governor Cecil Andrus and the Union Pacific Railroad mounted campaign to promote "Stop, Look and Listen" safety at highway-rail grade crossings. The initial teams spoke to civic groups, school groups, school bus and truck drivers. Idaho experienced a 43% reduction in fatalities that first year. Operation Lifesaver has trained instructors and authorized volunteer speakers who provide free rail safety education programs across the U.S. and abroad. They give free presentations to school groups, driver education classes, community members, professional drivers, law enforcement officers, and emergency responders. Their programs are co-sponsored by federal, state and local government agencies, highway safety organizations and America's railroad systems.

Campaigns

In 2006, Operation Lifesaver requested that

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

edit a scene of the

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

film ''

Cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, people in ...

'' in which the character of Lightning McQueen races a train to a grade crossing while the crossing lights are flashing. Disney/Pixar removed the scene in question from theater showings, but the DVD release of the movie still included the scene. Disney/Pixar created a series of PSAs featuring Lightning McQueen to promote safe driving habits. On October 14, 2016, Operation Lifesaver requested via a

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

post that

Hollister Co. Hollister Co., often advertised as Hollister or HCo., is a retail brand owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co, selling apparel, accessories, and fragrances. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store. Hollister uses a narrativ ...

remove advertisements from their website showing teenagers walking on railroad tracks. Hollister removed the advertisements five days later on October 19. In September 2017, Operation Lifesaver spearheaded the observance of Rail Safety Week across the U.S. to raise awareness of the need for caution near railroad tracks and property. In 2018, Operation Lifesaver Canada, which had been holding rail safety week observances for years, aligned its Rail Safety Week dates to coincide with the U.S. observance.

Criticism

Operation Lifesaver has been criticized for its strong ties to the railroad industry and the group's skew toward the railroad industry. The industry has reduced its support of the group’s efforts by providing fewer workers to help spread the group’s safety message. The group has also been criticized for not doing enough to support

pedestrian railroad safety in the United States Pedestrian railroad safety is concerned with the protection of life through regulation, management and technology development of all forms of rail transportation. In the United States there are some 180,000 miles of track. Pedestrian railroad accid ...

Images

image:WAMX Loco No.4020.jpg, WAMX #4020 with an Operation Lifesaver Kansas sticker. image:NS Loco No.5262.jpg, NS #5262 (ex-

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do bus ...

) with Operation Lifesaver paint scheme. image:BN 12580.JPG, BNSF Manitoba Caboose (BN 12580) with Operation Lifesaver Canada paint scheme.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.oli.org
Operation Lifesaver Canada - Official website
Transportation organizations based in the United States Level crossings Public service announcements of the United States Railway safety Union Pacific Railroad 1970s establishments in the United States simple:Non-profit