Finnish Trespasser Research

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University of Karlsruhe (TH) Institute for
Economic Policy Research
ERA seminar on Trespassers on railway lines and
suicides 3.4.2008

• Finnish Trespasser Research

Anne Silla
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Content

• Problem
• Objectives
• Method
• Results
• Discussion

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Problem

• Finland has 5,741 km of railway lines (2008)
• Trespassings are concentrated near big cities
• 60 fatalities caused by rolling stock in motion
  in the year 2006
• 42 were suicides

Source The Finnish Railway Statistics, 2006
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Problem
Source Eurostat, 2008

• 68 of the fatalities (suicides excluded)

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Problem

• According to the law forbidden

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Objectives

• Identify the sites of frequent trespassing
• Investigate the trespassing behaviour
• Explore opinions on possible countermeasures
• What kind of effect three different
  countermeasures have on frequency of trespassing

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Objectives
Landscaping
Prohibitive sign
Building a fence
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Method

• Questionnaire survey directed at engine drivers
  summer 2005
• Preliminary site observations spring 2006
• Trespasser counts May 2006, May 2007
• (before and after countermeasures)
• Trespasser interviews September 2006
• Questionnaire survey to people living close to
  railway line September 2006

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Method (Trespasser counts)
camera
battery
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Results (Identify the sites of frequent
trespassing)

• 1,500 survey forms were distributed
• 100 unique locations were identified

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Results (Identify the sites of frequent
trespassing)

• Candidate locations for the next phase of the
  study
• - preliminary site observations
• Selection criteria
• The most suitable sites in the city of
  Lappeenranta

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Results (Investigate the trespassing behaviour)

• Reasons for trespassing (interviews)
• - the shortest and the fastest alternative (80)
• easy to use the route
• it had become a habit
• most people were trespassing while going
  shopping, jogging, or on their way to school or
  work

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Results (Investigate the trespassing behaviour)

• Frequency of trespassing
• 35 trespassed daily or almost daily and 67 at
  least once a week (interviews)
• questionnaire

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Results (Investigate the trespassing behaviour)

• Characteristics of trespassers (trespasser
  counts)
• 63 of trespassers were male
• 70 were alone and 23 in groups of two people
• Larger groups were rare
• 55 were trespassing without carrying anything or
  anything with them, 32 were carrying their
  bicycle, 11 were with their dog(s), 2 were
  Nordic walking

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Results (Investigate the trespassing behaviour)

• The time of day of trespassings
• (questionnaire)
• - Most common between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
  (counts)

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Results (Investigate the trespassing behaviour)

• The age of the trespassers
• - 10 of trespassers were children, 36 were
  youngsters and 54 were adults or elderly people
  (counts)
• - questionnaire

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Results (Investigate the trespassing behaviour)

• Many considered trespassing to be safe if only
  they are careful (interview)
• Trespassing is fairly or highly dangerous
• - 82 of the respondents, 50 of the
  interviewees
• Trespassing is legal
• - 18 of the respondents, 15 of the
  interviewees
• More than 17 of the trespassers considered that
  trespassing is very dangerous (interviews)

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Results (Explore opinions about possible
countermeasures)

• The most effective preventive measures (engine
  drivers)
• fencing, information campaigns, prohibitive
  signs, imposition of a fine and building an
  underpass or overpass

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Results (Explore opinions about possible
countermeasures)

• Suggested preventive measures clearly related to
  the locations (interviews)

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Results (Explore opinions about possible
countermeasures)

• Opinions about the possible preventive measures
  (questionnaire)

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Results (The effect of countermeasures on
frequency of trespassing)

• Landscaping
• Before
• After

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Results (The effect of countermeasures on
frequency of trespassing)

• Building a fence
• Before
• After

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Results (The effect of countermeasures on
frequency of trespassing)

• Prohibitive sign
• Before
• After

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Results (The effect of countermeasures on
frequency of trespassing)

• 19 days of measurements

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Results (The effect of countermeasures on
frequency of trespassing)

• 21 days of measurements

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Results (The effect of countermeasures on
frequency of trespassing)

• Ca. 120 trespassers daily (before)
• Ca. 50 trespassers daily (after)
• The number of trespassers decreased at every site
• Difference at all the sites statistifally
  significant (ANOVA, plt0.001)

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Results (The effect of countermeasures on
frequency of trespassing)

• What people were carrying while trespassing

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Discussion
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Thank you for your attention! Contact
information Anne Silla TransportNET
Fellow University of Karlsruhe
Institute for Economic Policy Research (IWW)
Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Tel. [phone] Email
silla_at_iww.uni-karlsruhe.de