Act safely at level crossings == Isabelle Fonverneby | 14-04-2013 16:13 |
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     Our Green friends are staying in various countries and safety at railway level crossing is a major issue in every country. 7 May 2013 is the International Level Crossing Awareness Day ( ILCAD) . You are all kindly invited to take part in the ILCAD 2013 international press conference organised together with a round table with experts from different countries and sectors (road, rail, institutions and specialists in human factors, in education?) to take place at the UN in Geneva on . Among others Mrs Eva Molnar, Director, UNECE Transport Division will open the event. For more information and registration click on http://www.unece.org/trans/roadsafe/2nd_grs_week/ilcad.html. Some figures on level crossings: 1. Estimations: 1 million LX in the world, millions of near misses and over 6000 fatalities 2. According to the World Health Organisation traffic accidents cost between 1 to 2% (in high income countries) of the Gross National Product according to the country. 3. Consolidated figures in the 27 countries in the EU: ?nbsp 123 000 level crossings in 2010 ?nbsp 619 accidents in 2010 (831 in 2009) ?nbsp 359 fatalities in 2010 (405 in 2009) ?nbsp Fatalities at level crossings represent 30% of all rail fatalities in the EU, 1.2% of all road fatalities in the EU Since 2009, the UIC has been coordinating the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) campaign running under the motto ?Act safely at level crossings?. The UIC, representing the railway community worldwide, has been working with a small but growing number of road sector organizations, the European Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in order to raise awareness among road users and pedestrians of the risks at level crossings and to change their behaviour. More than 40 countries around the world were engaged in ILCAD 2012. This campaign proceeds from an uncomfortable statistic: too many people die or are injured in accidents at level crossings. However, though the majority of these are due to misuse by motorists and pedestrians, the popular misconception is that these accidents are a railway problem. Conferences on the issue show that the only really effective way to decrease the number of accidents, short of closing all level crossings, is education, highlighting the risks and making people aware of the potential consequences if they do not follow the simple rules of the road. As requested by the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations regional commissions are organizing the second Global UN Road Safety Week to raise global, regional, national and local awareness about Road Safety issues, with particular attention to pedestrians. This will take place worldwide in each UN region from 6 to 12 May 2013. Following the enthusiasm shown by many ILCAD partners to join the Global United Nations Road Safety Week it has been decided to organise ILCAD 2013 during that particular week. Among other events taking place at UNECE in Geneva that week, the 7th May should be dedicated to ILCAD 2013. This will include a round table with representatives from rail- and road safety specialists and authorities, education-, human behaviour and enforcement specialists, UNECE member states, the EC, together with an exhibition to display ILCAD partners? activities. ILCAD partners may organise their own events on 7th May or during the whole week in their respective country. In the 3rd UIC/ILCAD international drawing contest for children on the occasion of ILCAD to be held on 7 May and received about 2000 votes last within 2 weeks!!! Based on you voting my attached drawing stood 1st. in 8 to 12 years group and I have received attached certificate. The key person beside us initiative is Ms. Isabelle Fonverne . With her initiative to involve children for level Crossing safety awareness campaigning the drawing contest was started in the years 2011. For further information one can contact Ms. Isabelle Fonverne: fonverne@uic.org |
