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CN Police mark Rail Safety Week 2011 with public appeal to help reduce rising number of trespassing incidents and fatalitiesImages                              MONTREAL, May 3, 2011 — With trespassing fatalities in Canada at a three-year high, CN (TSX:CNR) (NYSE:CNI) is marking Rail Safety Week through May 8, 2011, with a public awareness campaign that stresses the deadly risks of trespassing on railway tracks and property. CN Police are issuing a call to action with theirSEE IT? REPORT IT! You Could Save a Life initiative, urging members of the public to call CN Police at 1- 800-465-9239 if they witness unsafe behaviour on railway property. “Disobeying railway crossing signals or trespassing on railway property is dangerous and illegal. We don't tolerate people who put their lives — and the lives of others — at risk. We are getting tougher about enforcing the law, and are engaging the public in helping CN Police fight unsafe activity,” said CN Police Chief Stephen Covey. “Help us by reporting dangerous behaviour you see; you could save a life. At CN, when it comes to safety, there is no compromise.” CN Police will be out in full force during Rail Safety Week, conducting safety blitzes at commuter stations, CN intermodal terminals and railway crossings in Canada and the United States. This year, CN is increasing its focus on commuter stations, to target a larger audience of rail users, many of whom are parents who will be urged to pass on safety information to their children. In 2010, there were 261 grade crossing and railway trespassing accidents across Canada, causing 79 fatalities and 47 serious injuries, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. A number of disturbing trends were seen in the 2010 statistics: • Fatalities and serious injuries in 2010 increased by 11 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively, over 2009 statistics. • Trespassing remains the leading cause of rail-related fatalities in Canada. Last year, the number of trespassing-related fatalities increased by almost six per cent to 55, the highest level since 2007. • Serious injuries as a result of trespassing increased in 2010 by almost 19 per cent, to 19. • More than 91 per cent of trespassing incidents in 2010 resulted in fatalities (67.9 per cent) or serious injuries (23.5 per cent). Faced with the growing seriousness of the trespassing issue, CN Police are undertaking a targeted, year-round endeavour focused on reducing trespassing incidents, fatalities and injuries. Recognizing that youth become more vulnerable to risk-taking behaviour around the ages of 13 and 14, CN Police will be intensifying outreach to this youth group. In addition, CN Police across the system will work to identify the highest risk areas for trespassing in their territory and develop targeted strategies to reduce incidents. “The consequences of trespassing can be tragic and CN Police are very concerned to see that dangerous behaviour on railway property is on the rise,” said Covey. “Through a combination of education and targeted enforcement, including the issuing of more tickets, we will work to change attitudes and behaviour.” Operation Lifesaver and its partners created Rail Safety Week in 2003 to raise public awareness of the potential dangers at highway/railway crossings and from trespassing on railway property. CN has been promoting railway safety for more than 25 years through its All Aboard for Safety community education program. Every year, CN Police officers make hundreds of All Aboard for Safety presentations and talk to more than 300,000 children and adults at schools and community events in Canada and the United States about the importance of safety and the dangers of walking or playing on or near railway tracks. Part of the strength of this program is the collaborative relationship with major community safety partners Operation Lifesaver, Safe Kids Canada, Safe Communities Canada and SMARTRISK. CN (TSX: CNR)(NYSE: CNI) – Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company's website at www.cn.ca. –30– Media Contacts: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba Warren Chandler Ontario Frank Binder Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick Julie Senécal |
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