SAFETY & SECURITY
fatalities. Speaking of which, rail
crossing trespasser fatalities are
at a 10-year high. Some are intentional,
others are accidental.
Regardless, the transit industry
has taken notice.
Polly Hanson, director of security
risk and emergency management
for APTA, pointed to a
few factors when trying to explain
why fatalities are up. First of all,
suicides in general are on the rise.
Secondly, many new rail services
are in operation. Social media is
also infl uencing dangerous behavior,
such as taking selfi es on
railroad tracks.
“You train a generation about
rail crossing safety, and then
they grow up,” Hanson said.
“Then the next generation comes
along and you start all over. This
generation may not understand
the dangers because trains are
36 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | NOVEMBER 2018
pretty quiet today. But a track is
not a cut-through and needs to
be taken seriously.”
Some transit systems have very
thoughtful, engaged programs.
Some participate in regional
or local suicide prevention task
forces, looking for every opportunity
to help prevent this type of
tragic event. For instance, SEPTA
(Southeastern Pennsylvania
Transit Authority) just worked
with a regional task force on
Worldwide Suicide Prevention
For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/12073041
TRESPASSING AND crossing
fatalities are at a 10-year high.
“This
generation
may not
understand
the dangers
because
trains are
pretty quiet
today. But a
track is not a
cut-through
and needs
to be taken
seriously.”
-POLLY HANSON,
director of
security risk
and emergency
management,
APTA
/MassTransitmag.com
/12073041
/www.macproducts.net
link