By Curtis Galbraith

Safe Communities marking National Rail Safety Week

Sep 26, 2018 | 11:52 AM

Grande Prairie & Area Safe Communities will be hosting events to mark National Rail Safety Week this week.
 
Acting Executive Director Cindy Blinston says rail safety is especially important in a community like Grande Prairie.
 
“We have so many intersections where the tracks go through town. We find that if we don’t keep safety in mind then it’s easy for accidents to start to happen. One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that actually walking along the tracks is very dangerous. Trains are a lot quieter than they used to be. They move a lot faster than we expect them to  and so a lot of people will encounter problems unexpectedly.”
 
The first event today will be a one-hour session for first responders.
 
Safe Communities will host a New and Young Driver Program session tomorrow.
 
“This year, we have Beaverlodge Regional High School coming with their Grade 10s and we’re focused on distracted and impaired driving awareness and other driving safety tips. One of our focuses will be talking about what to do around railway tracks.”
 
There will also be a Rail and Traffic Day at Safety City on Saturday from Noon to 4 p.m.