The CN Police is emphasizing the importance of rail safety in Quesnel.
Not only is it dangerous to disregard signals and signs at railroad crossings, but it is also illegal. Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act in B.C. states that all motorists must obey the signs and control devices at crossings.
“Please take the time to be aware of your surroundings and watch for railway crossings in your community,” the CN Police Service said in a press release.
The CN Police Service will be on patrol in Quesnel, and they want to send a strong reminder to obey the crossing signals and signs.
In 2017, more than 222 accidents occurred in Canada, resulting in 72 fatalities and 44 serious injuries. Disregard for railroad crossing signals and gates and distracted driving were the main causes of those accidents, according to the release.
The CN Police Services shares the following safety tips for motorists:
• Trains and cars do not mix. Never race a train to the crossing – even if you tie, you lose.
• Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a train can take 1.5 kilometres or more to stop. That’s 18 football fields!
• Never drive around lowered gates – it is illegal and extremely dangerous.
• Do not get trapped on the tracks; proceed through a railroad crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping. Remember, the train is much wider than the tracks on both sides.
• If your vehicle ever stalls on a track with a train coming, exit the vehicle immediately and move quickly away from the tracks in the direction from which the train is coming.
Contact the railway company for assistance.
READ MORE: Pedestrian killed by train in Lower Mainland
editor@quesnelobserver.com
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