Direction 2006

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Seventh International Symposium
Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Research and
Safety Monash University, Melbourne Roger
Cameron, Chair Direction 2006 Communications Canad
a

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA 20-21 FEBRUARY, 2002
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Objective
To reduce the number of highway/railway grade
crossing collisions and trespassing incidents on
railway property by 50 by year 2006, in
partnership with provincial and municipal
governments, railway companies and their unions,
law enforcement agencies and other safety
organizations  
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Key Result Areas

• Resource
• Enforcement
• Research
• Legislative

• Education
• Communication
• Performance Measurement
• Outreach

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Resource KRA

• Resources approved for
• Year 1998 - 1999- 250K
• Year 2000 - 2001- 500K
• Year 2001 - 2002 - 625K
• Year 2002 - 2003 - 625K
• Plus 1.3 million for Research projects
• In-kind services from partners estimated at 5 - 1

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Crossing Results

• 2001 vs 1996-2000 avg
• Collisions down 6
• Fatalities up 11
• Injuries down 6

• 2001 vs 2000
• Collisions up 6
• Fatalities up 24
• Injuries up 42

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Trespassing Results

• 2001 vs 1996-2000 avg
• Incidents down 17
• Fatalities down 11
• Injuries down 27

• 2001 vs 2000
• Incidents no change
• Fatalities up 4
• Injuries down 4

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Enforcement KRA
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Enforcement KRA

• CD-ROM / Internet Training Awareness - Railway
  Police Accident Investigation Protocol for
  Railway / Public Enforcement
• Development of other rail safety information for
  new recruits in police academies across Canada as
  part of the curriculum

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Enforcement KRA

• 2002 calendar, anti-trespass message
• Direction 2006 Enforcement displays

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Research KRA
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Research KRA

• Eight project categories
•  
• Program and research development
• Risk mitigation methodologies
• Driver, pedestrian, and vehicle behaviour
• Enforcement technologies

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Research KRA

• Categories contd
•  
• Active-warning crossings
• Passive-warning crossings
• Signal lights and structures
• Train-based warning systems

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Research KRA

• In progress
•     Postgraduate university-based research
  Analysis of the human factors contributing to
  grade crossing collisions in Canada
•    Development of an automated tool for remote
  access and analysis of crossings and collisions

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Research KRA

• In progress
• Second train warning
• LED technology for improved conspicuity of signal
  lights at grade crossings
• Locomotive horn study
• Trespassing incidents and countermeasures
  strategy

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Research KRA

• In progress
• Impact of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers on
  crossing safety (Québec)
• Risk mitigation approach to grade crossing safety
• Crossing collision causal analysis and
  countermeasures effectiveness

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Research KRA

• In progress
•   
• Evaluation of pilot automated grade crossing
  signal enforcement (Alberta)

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Legislative KRA
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Legislative KRA

• In progress
• Develop proposed set-back policy
• Provincial harmonization initiatives to assist
  provincial jurisdictions with crossing and
  trespassing safety issues

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Education KRA
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Education KRA

• In progress
• Web-based training / education
• Development of rail safety material for
  aboriginals
• Information video or package for professional
  drivers i.e. emergency responders, school bus
  drivers, heavy truck drivers

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Communication KRA
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2002 Deliverables

• Add radio and television public service
  announcements with the Montreal Alouettes to
  current pool. 8,200 spots used nationally, value
  of donated air time 1,000,000
• Produce and distribute 750 English and 250 French
  billboards and transit shelter posters, in
  cooperation with Viacom Outdoor, for national
  distribution. Value of donated space 2,000,000
  minimum.

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• Billboard

2002 Deliverables Contd
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2002 Deliverables Contd

• Direction 2006.com

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2002 Deliverables Contd

• Operation Lifesaver.ca

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Communication KRA

• Safety awareness messages focus on survey /
  research results (youth and municipal officials)
• Media awareness campaign
• Publicize West Coast Express locomotive video
  camera for public risk awareness

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Communication KRA

• Website upgrades
• Printing new Direction 2006 material
• Producing material for provincial outreach and
  consultation

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Technology and Online Research

FOR DIRECTION 2006
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The Task At Hand

• Ongoing research program to analyze attitudes
  towards trespassing and to evaluate the progress
  and performance and Direction 2006
• After completing a series of focus groups with
  adults, tested the effectiveness of its PSAs and
  quantitative work to understand attitudes towards
  railway safety

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The Task At Hand

• Ipsos-Reid conducted an online survey among 1,000
  young people (ages 12-18) that tested their
  knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards
  railway safety.

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The Challenges We Faced

• To make this happen, there were a number of
  challenges that had to be addressed
• Programming
• Video players
• Connection speed
• Representation
• Audience.
• Sample size
• Ensure that we did not offend anyone

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Getting Started

• Recruited approximately 4,500 households with
  youth 12-18 and 56K access from our internet
  panel
• Total of 2,000 in prizes as incentives for
  participating
• Received parental consent

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The Experience

• Everything went very smoothly
• Only three respondents could not view the PSA
• Response rate was 25 yielding a final sample
  size of 1,043
• Very few respondents complained about the PSA.
  In fact, most thought it was very effective

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Effectiveness of PSA
Overall, how effective do you think this
advertisement is in discouraging people from
walking on railway tracks?
What suggestions do you have to make this
advertisement more effective?
Effective 88
Dont know 50
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Reaction to PSA
Did you agree or disagree with the things it said?
Is this advertisement appropriate to be shown
during television shows that young people watch?
Agree 89
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PSA Message
What was the main message of the clip?
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Secrets to Success

• Open communication
• First in Canada
• Willingness by both Ipsos-Reid and Direction 2006
  to try new ideas and non-traditional ways
• Vision to push the mediums boundaries
• Stringent sampling techniques

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• Market Research Survey
• Municipal Government Officials Across Canada

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(No Transcript)
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Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesCommunity
Rail Safety Survey

• Direction 2006 was looking for
• Number of crossings within municipality
• Level of awareness and knowledge of railway
  operations
• Role of municipal road authorities
• Proposed new regulations on crossing and
  right-of-way access control measures

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Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesCommunity
Rail Safety Survey

• Role of municipalities in community safety
• Proximity issues
• Planning and development
• Promotion of public rail safety and education
• Municipal emergency response capabilities
• Role of municipalities in improving safety at
  highway/railway crossings

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Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesCommunity
Rail Safety Survey

• Current rail safety measures within municipal
  jurisdiction
• Identify municipalities interested in receiving
  more information and participating in regional
  rail safety information workshops

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Observations

• Municipal officials have limited knowledge of the
  role of municipal road authorities under the
  federal Rail Safety Act
• Municipal officials have limited knowledge of the
  role and responsibilities of municipal road
  authorities under the proposed new regulations
  for grade crossings and railway right-of-way
  access control measures
•  

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Observations

• The majority of municipal government officials
  are unaware of the reduction in crossing
  collisions within their jurisdictions
• The majority of municipal officials believe that
  they should play a role in rail safety
  initiatives
•  

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Observations / Recommendations

• Direction 2006 stakeholders should leverage this
  willingness to play a role in rail safety
  initiatives
• Greater effort should be made to promote
  Direction 2006 and other safety programs on how
  municipalities can play a role in increasing
  community safety through program participation
•  

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Observations / Recommendations

• Results indicated that 64 of respondents were
  interested in participating in regional rail
  safety information workshops
• These workshops should be held within the next
  year

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For additional information regarding DIRECTION
2006 1-888-267-7704 E-mail Direction2006_at_tc.gc.ca
www.Direction2006.com